Open Positions

Master’s Student Position: Development of the “Biography Machine” Prototype

Project Context:

The Data Science Research Unit at TU Wien is seeking a highly motivated Master’s student to contribute to the “Biography Machine” project, conducted in cooperation with the Vienna City Library.

This project aims to design and implement a prototype system capable of creating structured biographies of 20th- and 21st-century personalities with a connection to the City of Vienna. The project is divided into two phases:

1. Feasibility Study (Months 1–3): development and testing of a research process, definition of requirements, and creation of a standardized biography template.
2. Prototype Development (Months 4–12): implementation of a web-based prototype capable of generating and presenting biographies, including documentation of the applied “deep research” approach.

The overall goal is to demonstrate the applicability of advanced data-driven methods for systematically collecting, processing, and presenting biographical information from diverse digital sources.

Your Focus:

You will play an active role in the conceptual and technical development of the “Biography Machine.” In close collaboration with the project team, your tasks will include:

• Supporting the development and testing of research processes for gathering and preparing data from digital archives, newspapers, and bibliographic databases.
• Assisting in the design of a standardized biography template in collaboration with the Vienna City Library.
• Contributing to the implementation of a web-based prototype for the generation and presentation of biographies.
• Documenting interim and final project results, ensuring methodological rigor and reproducibility.
• Exploring and applying AI-/data-driven “deep research” techniques to improve the coverage and accuracy of biographies.

Your Profile:

We are looking for a candidate with the following qualifications:

• Enrolled in a relevant Master’s study program in Informatics, Data Science, Digital Humanities, or a closely related field.
• Solid programming skills, preferably in Python, with experience in data processing and analysis.
• Interest in digital text analysis, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and information retrieval methods.
• Familiarity with web technologies and prototyping is an advantage.
• Strong analytical and documentation skills, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Very good knowledge of German (spoken and written) is required, as most sources and project communication will be in German.

We Offer:

• The opportunity to conduct research towards a Master’s thesis as part of this employment.
• A creative and collaborative environment within one of Europe’s most livable cities.
• Continuing personal and professional education and flexible working hours.
• Central workplace location with excellent accessibility.
• Entry-level salary determined by the pay grade C of the Austrian collective agreement for university staff (minimum of currently EUR 1349,60/month gross for 20 hours/week, 14 times/year).

How to Apply (by September 16th, 2025) 

Send a single PDF to: recsys-lab[ät]ec.tuwien.ac.at , including:

• Motivation letter (1 page) 
• CV 
• Academic transcripts 
• (Optional) Link to code samples or GitHub, past and/or current projects 

We look forward to your application by September 16th, 2025!