Computer Scientist to Develop Code to Implement Sampling Plans at the Department of Political Science

Reference number PAR 2024/469

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Political Science is an international academic environment, welcoming students, researchers, and staff from all over the world. Our research focuses on, among other things, elections, public opinion and democracy, political institutions, and international and European politics. We also conduct studies on environmental policy, corruption, and political ideas and organize research seminars and workshops across all these areas. We provide courses at all levels, in both Swedish and English. According to ShanghaiRanking’s 2023 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, the Department of Political Science is the best in Sweden, ranked 5th in Europe, and 16th in the world. In total, around 1,400 people study with us, and we have around 180 employees.

For more information about the Department, visit our website www.pol.gu.se.

The Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD), located within the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg, is a research program aiming to explain variation in governance and local development to promote human welfare globally.

The program’s flagship project is the Local Governance Process Indicators (LGPI) which provides a new approach to measuring, analyzing, and improving local governance. The LGPI employs household surveys to gather micro-level data from communities, including data on experience, perception, and satisfaction regarding cross-cutting governance issues: specifically, batteries for health, education, security, voice and participation, and governance metrics. Thus, the LGPI collects, assesses, and benchmarks detailed information on local governance and service delivery issues. You can read more about the LGPI on our website and in the concept note.

The method used to perform the sampling for the LGPI is critical. The observations need to be clustered at a very local level so that meaningful and reliable local-level indicators can be computed. To provide comprehensive governance measures, the sampling also needs to ensure that hard-to-reach populations (based on geography) are not left out; however, this needs to be balanced with survey implementation costs (you don’t want enumerators wandering around unpopulated areas). Furthermore, users of the LGPI may want to implement their surveys on a specific subset of a country(s). Thus, ensuring the quality of the LGPI data and resulting indicators requires that the sampling is performed appropriately and consistently.

GLD is looking to recruit someone for a fixed-term, 6-month, full-time position to work on the development of an R Package (or an equivalent) that can be used by scholars, governments, and other practitioners to implement various sampling plans that utilize satellite imagery and geographic data. The official job title for this position will be database manager. 

Duties 

In collaboration with the LGPI researchers and GLD statistician, you will:

  • Develop/apply a model that can determine if a satellite image shows a populated or unpopulated area.
  • Develop an R package (or an equivalent) that implements the LGPI sampling plan (and minor variants). This will include:
    • Allowing the user to specify the country.
    • Allowing the user to specify a subset/region of the country to sample (via a shapefile).
    • Allowing the user to specify the Primary Sampling Unit (PSU). For example, the LGPI uses the square kilometer as the PSU, but others might want to use enumeration areas.
    • Using satellite imagery data to filter out unpopulated areas in the specified sampling region.
    • Implementing the multi-stage, probability proportional to size (population) sampling on the filtered areas.
    • Returning sample materials such as reports, data files, and maps.

Qualifications 

We are looking for you who have at least a master’s degree in data science or a related field.

This position requires the following:

  • Have previous experience working with satellite images
  • Have previous experience developing and applying machine learning models
  • Previous experience developing code packages for publication, that is, developing code to be used by someone other than yourself.

While not necessary, the following skills are meritorious:

  • Previous experience working in an interdisciplinary team
  • Education or experience with statistical sampling
  • Previous experience developing user interfaces for code

Applicants must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English.

To be successful in this position, you must have an eye for detail, good organizational skills and be able to solve problems. You need to have very high communication and collaboration skills.

Great emphasis is placed on personal suitability for the position. We will make an overall assessment and the applicant who is considered to be best qualified to carry out and develop the tasks described above will be appointed to the position.

Employment 

The employment is limited (temporary) for 6 months, 100% of full-time placed at the Department of Political Science. The official job title for this position will be database manager. Starting date as soon as possible or as agreed.

Contact information for the post 

If you have questions regarding the employment, or details about the projects in which this position is organized, please contact Erica Ann Metheney, erica.metheney@gu.se

If you have any questions regarding the employment procedure, please contact Helena Jensen, Helena.Jensen@gu.se

Unions 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande 

Application 

To apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to create an account in our recruitment system. Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline. 

We kindly ask you to write your application in English as the application may be reviewed by English-speaking staff. In the selection process, it will likely be relevant with interviews, reference taking and work tests.

The application should include the following:

  • A cover letter
  • A CV (including list of publications)
  • One past example of a report/journal article that utilizes a method relevant to the project description
  • A list of at least three references (with contact information) from whom letters of recommendation can be solicited

Applications must be received by: 2024-05-27

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services

https://www.movetogothenburg.com/

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.