New opportunity

SCIS Full-Time Faculty, Assistant Professor on Tenure Track

Singapore Management University (SMU) · Singapore

About this role

The School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) at Singapore Management University (SMU) is seeking an Assistant Professor for a tenure-track faculty position in Computer Science & Engineering. The university is looking to expand expertise in areas including AI Governance, AI in Cybersecurity, Embodied AI, Quantum Computing, Smart Financial Technology, and Green Computing. Responsibilities include conducting high-impact research, publishing in prestigious venues, and contributing to the school's teaching and educational initiatives. Candidates are expected to advance research in core areas such as Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Human-Machine Collaborative Systems, and Information Systems & Technology. Required qualifications include a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Information Technology, along with an outstanding research record. The role is open to fresh Ph.D. graduates, postdocs, industry professionals returning to academia, and mid-career or senior faculty. SMU offers a supportive environment with start-up support, career mentoring, and funded Ph.D. students. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, research and teaching statements, three recommendation letters, and three samples of published work.

For full details about this role, click “Apply on company site” to view the employer’s original posting.

Skills for this role

Artificial IntelligenceData ScienceMachine LearningDeep LearningComputer VisionReinforcement LearningNatural Language ProcessingExplainable AIHuman-centric AIEmbodied AIAI GovernanceCybersecuritySoftware Engineering

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Get interview-ready for this role

A focused preparation guide, built around this job’s responsibilities and requirements.

✦ AI-generated guide
Preparation suggestions, not the employer’s actual interview questions. Always check the original posting for current requirements.
01

Understand the role

What matters most

  • High-Impact Research Output

    The primary expectation is to produce research that is intellectually deep and published in the most-selective, academically prestigious venues. Candidates must demonstrate a track record of advancing scholarship within the school's core research areas, such as AI & Data Science or Human-Machine Collaborative Systems.

  • Integration of Theory and Real-World Application

    Faculty are expected to balance fundamental academic contributions with practical impact in integrative domains like business, sustainability, or health. This requires the ability to translate technical research into solutions that address real-world problems in industry settings.

  • Contribution to Educational Initiatives

    The role involves active participation in SMU's highly interactive, seminar-style teaching environment. Candidates must be prepared to contribute to undergraduate and graduate programs, including mentoring Ph.D. students and supporting the school's project-based pedagogical approach.

Likely challenges to think through

  • Balancing Academic Rigor with Applied Impact

    A significant challenge is maintaining the high level of theoretical depth required for prestigious publications while simultaneously pursuing applied research that provides tangible value to industry partners. Prepare by articulating how your specific research agenda bridges this gap without sacrificing the quality of either.

  • Aligning with Strategic Research Domains

    The school is strategically expanding into specific areas like AI Governance, Quantum Computing, and Green Computing. A challenge for applicants is demonstrating how their existing research trajectory fits into these specific growth areas while maintaining their own unique research identity.

03

Practice your answers

Technical practice

Advancing AI Governance and Ethics

What to coverDiscuss your approach to integrating privacy, security, and safety into AI development. Be prepared to explain how you balance innovation with ethical considerations and regulatory compliance in your research.

Research in Embodied AI and Robotics

What to coverExplain your methodology for developing embodied AI systems that interact with physical environments. Focus on the intersection of sensing, perception, and decision-making in real-world applications.

Synergy Between AI and Cybersecurity

What to coverDescribe how you apply machine learning techniques to enhance cybersecurity, such as threat detection or system resilience. Address the trade-offs between model complexity and the need for explainable, secure outcomes.

Human-in-the-Loop and Collaborative Systems

What to coverDetail your experience in designing systems where human intelligence augments machine performance. Discuss the challenges of human-AI interaction and how you measure the effectiveness of these collaborative frameworks.

Software Engineering for AI Systems

What to coverExplain your perspective on 'AI for SE' versus 'SE for AI.' Address how you ensure the reliability, maintainability, and scalability of AI-driven software architectures.

Optimization and Decision Support

What to coverDiscuss your experience with large-scale optimization or reinforcement learning. Explain how you handle uncertainty and decision-making in complex, dynamic environments like financial technology or urban systems.

Interdisciplinary Research Impact

What to coverProvide examples of how your technical research contributes to integrative domains like sustainability, health, or safety. Suggestion: Prepare to articulate how your work bridges the gap between fundamental computer science and real-world business impact.

Explainable AI (XAI) Methodologies

What to coverExplain your approach to making deep learning models more interpretable. Discuss the importance of transparency in high-stakes decision-making environments and the technical challenges of achieving it without sacrificing performance.

Behavioural practice

Developing a Research Agenda

What to coverDescribe a time you defined a long-term research vision. Explain how you identified a significant problem, secured necessary resources, and maintained focus while adapting to new findings.

Collaborative Teaching and Mentorship

What to coverShare an example of how you have mentored students or junior researchers. Focus on your ability to foster an environment of intellectual growth and your approach to project-based learning.

Navigating Interdisciplinary Partnerships

What to coverProvide an example of a successful collaboration with researchers from different disciplines or industry partners. Highlight how you communicated technical concepts to non-experts and aligned goals for a shared outcome.

Balancing Academic Output and Practical Impact

What to coverDiscuss a situation where you had to balance the pursuit of theoretical depth with the need for practical, industry-relevant application. Explain how you navigated the trade-offs to achieve both goals.

02

Sharpen your knowledge

Topics to prepare

  • AI Governance and Ethics

    Review frameworks for AI privacy, security, safety, and ethics. Exercise: Draft a brief research proposal outlining how your current work addresses the ethical implications or governance challenges of your specific AI research domain, as SMU explicitly seeks to expand expertise in this area.

  • Integrative Research Domains

    Understand the intersection of technical research with real-world impact in domains like Urban & Sustainability, Health & Wellbeing, and Safety, Security & Fairness. Exercise: Map your past research publications to one of these four SMU integrative domains to demonstrate how your work translates to business or societal impact.

Skills to revise

  • Research Statement Articulation

    Develop a clear narrative connecting your past research record to SMU's core research areas (AI & Data Science, Human-Machine Collaborative Systems, or Information Systems & Technology). Exercise: Write a one-page summary that explicitly links your previous high-impact publications to the specific research gaps mentioned in the job description.

  • Teaching Philosophy for Interactive Pedagogy

    Prepare to discuss your approach to seminar-style, project-based learning. Exercise: Design a sample syllabus or module outline for an undergraduate course that incorporates SMU's interactive, technologically-enabled, and collaborative teaching style.

  • Grant Proposal Strategy

    Familiarize yourself with the process of securing research funding. Exercise: Identify potential research projects that could leverage SMU's start-up support and external funding opportunities, such as those from the National Research Foundation, to demonstrate your readiness for a tenure-track role.

04

Your preparation checklist

  • Align Research Agenda with SCIS Core Domains

    Review the SCIS core research areas and integrative domains. Draft a research statement that explicitly maps your past and future work to their specific interests, such as AI Governance, Embodied AI, or Green Computing, ensuring you highlight both fundamental academic contributions and potential real-world impact.

  • Curate Your Top Three Research Publications

    Select three samples of your published work that best demonstrate your research depth and alignment with the school's focus. Prepare a brief summary for each, explaining how these specific papers advance scholarship in your field and how they serve as a foundation for your future research trajectory at SMU.

  • Develop a Teaching Philosophy for Interactive Pedagogy

    Draft a teaching statement that reflects SMU's emphasis on interactive, collaborative, and project-based learning. Describe your experience or approach to seminar-style teaching and how you would engage undergraduate or graduate students in a technologically enabled, small-class environment.

  • Prepare Evidence of Research Impact and Funding Potential

    Compile documentation of your research record, including citations, prestigious conference or journal acceptances, and any previous experience with grant applications. Be ready to discuss how your research agenda could leverage SMU's start-up support and attract external funding from agencies like the National Research Foundation.

  • Formulate Strategic Questions for the Search Committee

    Prepare thoughtful questions regarding the department's collaborative culture, the integration of your research into their existing centers (such as the Center for Research on Intelligent Software Engineering), and the expectations for balancing high-impact research with the school's educational initiatives.

AI-generated from the job information · Prepared Oct 16, 2026 (UTC)Useful preparation, not a guarantee of eligibility or an offer.

Availability last checked: 18 Oct 2026. Status can change after a check; confirm on the employer’s website. Report an issue · Our checking policy

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