As a PhD candidate, you will conduct technically intensive research at the intersection of software engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Human-Computer Interaction. You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating working IDE extensions and AI-assisted programming tools, for example, as plugins for environments such as VS Code.

A core expectation of the project is that you take technical ownership of the software artefacts developed during the PhD. This includes architectural design, implementation, iteration, and evaluation of programming tools that integrate generative AI functionality.

Prior experience with participatory and qualitative research methods is not required. However, the successful candidate must be genuinely open to participatory, qualitative, and user-centred research and be strongly motivated to learn and apply these approaches as a central part of the project. Close supervision and support will be provided to help the candidate develop these skills as needed. The research broadly unfolds in three phases:

1. Analysing technical and usability barriers in existing IDEs and AI-powered programming tools through user studies and qualitative research.
2. Co-designing new interaction concepts and AI-supported features together with neurodiverse women and stakeholders.
3. Implementing and evaluating an AI-enhanced IDE extension, using iterative development, controlled experiments, and usability testing.

You will build on your existing technical background by combining hands-on software development with qualitative and mixed-methods research, including focus groups, interviews, co-design workshops, and A/B testing. By the end of the PhD, you will have deep expertise in evaluating human-centred AI systems for programming environments, alongside strong qualitative and mixed-methods research capabilities.

The research may involve activities such as:

• Designing and implementing IDE plugins or extensions, for example, using the VS Code Extension API.
• Developing modular, configurable software components for programming environments.
• Integrating large language models and other AI techniques into developer tools.
• Running usability studies, focus groups, and co-design workshops with programmers.
• Conducting mixed-methods evaluations of programming tools, including task-based studies and A/B testing.
• Managing and maintaining research codebases and open-source repositories.
• Publishing and presenting results at international venues such as ACM CHI, ICER, or ICSE.

We are looking for a candidate with demonstrated technical expertise who is motivated to work on inclusive, socially engaged software systems and who is comfortable combining software development work with user-centred research.

Essential requirements:

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, HCI, or a closely related field.
• Strong software engineering skills, including experience designing and implementing non-trivial software systems.
• Experience developing plugins, extensions, or modular software components, for example for IDEs, editors, or similar platforms.
• Proficiency in relevant programming languages, such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python.
• Ability to work with APIs, SDKs, and external services, including AI or cloud-based systems.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Desirable experience includes:

• Experience with IDEs such as VS Code and their extension ecosystems
• Experience working with generative AI or large language models in applied settings
• Experience conducting qualitative or mixed-methods research, such as interviews or usability testing
• Familiarity with HCI, accessibility standards, or inclusive design literature
• Experience working with open-source software or research codebases
• Willingness to acquire new technical, methodological, and theoretical skills

We particularly encourage applications from candidates who approach computing from a feminist, queer-inclusive, and/or social justice-oriented perspective, and who are interested in how power and exclusion shape technical systems.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive research environment. Accessibility needs will be taken seriously throughout the recruitment process and during the PhD, including interview formats, supervision styles, and working schedules. This explicitly includes accommodations related to neurodiversity, disability, chronic illness, or other access needs.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is September 2026. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,059 to € 3,881 (scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD Candidate is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Curious about our extensive secondary benefits package? You can read more about it here.