AI Institute Director

Job Reference 555_25_DIR_DIR_AID

Position AI Institute Director

Closing Date Sunday, 14 September, 2025

About BSC The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large-scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.

We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured. We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences. If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.

Context And Mission The Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) is establishing a new Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI Institute) and is seeking an experienced and dynamic scientist to serve as AI Institute Director. Reporting to the BSC Executive Board, the selected candidate will conduct cutting-edge research in Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly at the intersection of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI, while providing strategic leadership to the Institute. The primary mission of this role is to advance AI and HPC research and innovation at the global level, while positioning BSC-CNS as a global leader in HPC and AI, leveraging BSC’s commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a "learning by doing" approach.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a leading AI researcher to combine scientific discovery with strategic leadership in a world-class environment.

Key Duties Scientific Leadership and Research Excellence :

Drive the creation and operational management of the BSC AI Institute, promoting a culture of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring a focus on scientific excellence in AI research and innovation.

Lead your own research agenda in AI, focusing on state-of-the-art methodologies and their application in HPC contexts.

Integrate efforts across hardware, software, and model applications to advance the state of the art in AI and HPC.

Strategic Development :

Develop and execute strategic plans to establish BSC-CNS as a recognized leader in AI and HPC.

Mentor and inspire research teams, fostering an environment that supports innovation and collaboration.

Coordinate and promote BSC-CNS's large international activities.

Research Coordination :

Drive synergy among BSC-CNS research groups to increase the impact and visibility of AI research efforts.

Represent BSC-CNS in high-profile international research agreements and collaborations with institutions including Argonne and Columbia University (USA), Riken (Japan), and others.

Program Management :

Oversee training and development programs, ensuring alignment with cutting-edge AI and HPC research methodologies.

Collaborate in developing, deploying, and managing AI Factory initiative, focusing on providing advanced AI capabilities and resources to support research, innovation, and collaboration across various sectors.

Requirements Education A Ph.D. in Computer Science, AI, HPC, or a related field.

Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience A distinguished track record in AI research, evidenced by high-impact publications and projects.

Proven experience in tech transfer, from research to team impact to the world, beyond academic publications.

15+ years in management of researchers, preferably in highly competitive environments. Candidates that have developed their career beyond academic centers is a plus (research institutes, industrial research, Big tech,...).

Proven ability to attract funding for large-scale AI research initiatives.

Proven expertise in AI and HPC research with a strong record of interdisciplinary collaboration, and also in managing research institutes or large-scale AI / HPC projects.

Demonstrated experience in international collaborations and the management of research partnerships.

Searching for a "doer" not a "talker". It is expected for the candidate to do the heavy lifting in the day to day operation of the Institute.

Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience Fluency in English is essential. Proficiency in Spanish and other European languages would be advantageous.

Experience working with and managing large-scale AI models and complex research consortia.

Background in managing complex research consortia and mentoring emerging researchers.

Familiarity with strategic planning and execution within research-focused organizations.

Competences Visionary leadership in AI research, with the ability to identify and drive future trends.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Ability to work effectively with diverse international teams and stakeholders.

A commitment to fostering a collaborative and innovative research environment.

Conditions The position will be located at BSC within the [department] Department

We offer a full-time contract (37.5h / week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support to the relocation procedures

Duration : Open-ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration

Holidays : 23 paid vacation days plus 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement

Salary : we offer a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and according to the cost of living in Barcelona

Starting date : asap

Applications procedure and process All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain :

A full CV in English including contact details

A cover / motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying for which specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Additionally, two references for further contacts must be included. Applications without this document will not be considered.

Development of the recruitment process

The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso-Oposición"). The recruitment process consists of two phases :

Curriculum Analysis : Evaluation of previous experience and / or scientific history, degree, training, and other professional information relevant to the position. - 40 points

Interview phase : The highest-rated candidates at the curriculum level will be invited to the interview phase, conducted by the corresponding department and Human Resources. In this phase, technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience related to the position, as well as the required personal competencies, will be evaluated. - 60 points. A minimum of 30 points out of 60 must be obtained to be eligible for the position.

The recruitment panel will be composed of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.

In accordance with OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will begin the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. At a minimum, a personality questionnaire as well as a technical exercise will be conducted during the process.

The panel will make a final decision, and all individuals who participated in the interview phase will receive feedback with details on the acceptance or rejection of their profile.

At BSC, we seek continuous improvement in our recruitment processes. For any suggestions or comments / complaints about our recruitment processes, please contact recruitment [at] bsc [dot] es. For more information, please follow this link.

Deadline The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Applications will be regularly reviewed and potential candidates will be contacted.

OTM-R principles for selection processes BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles (OTM-R). This is applied for any potential candidate in all our processes, for example by creating gender-balanced recruitment panels and recognizing career breaks etc. BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law. For more information follow this link

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