Inria (French institute for research in computer science and automation, 法国国家信息与自动化研究所) is a French national research institution focusing on computer science and applied mathematics. Its “Antique” research team, partnered with CNRS (French national center for scientific research, 法国国家科学研究中心) and ENS Paris (école normale supérieure de Paris, 巴黎高等师范学院), carries out research in theoretical computer science. The team is worldwide reputable in formal methods, static analysis and abstract interpretation of computer programs.
In recent years, Tie Cheng (former team member) and Xavier Rival (team head) have been working on static analysis of spreadsheet applications, consisting in applying formal analysis framework to spreadsheets like workbooks in Microsoft Excel including VBA programs. We have developed algorithms and an analysis engine to analyze various properties of spreadsheet applications such as safety and efficiency.
At the same time, we wanted to transfer this research result to real-world software and put them into the hands of industrial spreadsheet users and developers. Thus, Tie Cheng has founded the startup MatrixLead in Paris in 2016. So far, MatrixLead has published in Microsoft AppSource 4 Excel add-ins powered by the analysis engine and one web product Funfun, which help users to build, optimize, maintain, and verify their spreadsheets.
In August 2018, we obtained a grant from European Research Council that supports further product development, and especially technology transfer and software commercialization. It is in this context that we are recruiting several developers to reinforce the team and to accomplish the project.
Mission
Our two-years goal is to make an industrial toolbox and an analysis engine that can benefit professionals ranging from novice spreadsheet users to advanced spreadsheet developers; we plan to gain a big amount of individual users all over the world, and several medium and big-sized company clients; we want to make our products and technology highly visible to the market. To this end, the new developers will carry out the following tasks:
master spreadsheet languages including VBA; understand the ecosystem of spreadsheet software, and the existing research works in the field of spreadsheets
master different techniques of building spreadsheet add-ins (eg, JavaScript add-ins for Excel, Visual Studio Tools for Office); restructure and improve our existing add-ins to make one complete toolbox; develop new functionalities and features
learn static analysis by abstract interpretation, so as to improve the analysis engine (written in OCaml); turn the analysis engine into an industrial product providing APIs to developers and companies of spreadsheet add-ins
undertake specific implementation requested by our company clients
prepare marketing materials such as product websites, test cases, manuals, demonstration videos; write posters or papers for industrial or academic conferences
participate in marketing and sales, online or offline, for individual or company clients
In the first place, the joiner is expected to work remotely from China, from September or October 2018 to December 2018, as employee of MatrixLead. After this trial period, the developer will be employed by Inria, and work in Antique team, located at ENS Paris, from January 2019 to June 2020.
We will train the developer and invest a lot in them, we hope the developer could grow with the startup MatrixLead. After this contract, it is desirable that they could stay either in Inria or MatrixLead; they will be able to choose the working location, either in France or in China.
Profile
As long as the availability matches, we are open to last-year students of Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD’s degree, as well as graduated professionals. An ideal candidate should have the following profile:
major in computer science or information technology from top schools; need to love computer science to fit our culture
prerequisite of programming: the candidate needs to be excellent at programming in general, though they may not have coded OCaml or JavaScript
experience in functional languages (eg, OCaml, Haskell) is a big plus
interest in foundations for programming languages (eg, lexer, parser, compilation, typing) is a big plus
experience in web programming (eg, frameworks in JavaScript) is a plus
good results in competition in informatics (eg, ACM, MCM, IOI, NOI) is a plus
training and experience in UI/UX design, sense of marketing & sales, experience in Excel & VBA is a plus
The main mission will take place at ENS Paris, the most prestigious French research school that has turned out 12 Fields Medal winners and 12 Nobel Prize winners. The joiner will be co-advised by Tie Cheng (CEO of MatrixLead) and Xavier Rival (head of Antique team), who is a respectful scientist in programming languages. It will be an unequalled environment, where the joiner will enjoy traditional and classical values of the school, and the beauty of fundamental research in computer science.
At the same time, the field of spreadsheets is moving fast. In recent years, computer scientists have successfully brought fundamental research results such as program synthesis and AI into spreadsheets; we also want to make static analysis benefit spreadsheet users and impact millions and millions of people. This will be a unique and promising project that will raise the joiner to a world-class stage.
Additionally, the joiner will receive a compensation up to profile, which will certainly cover the living cost in Paris. In the end, they will have opportunities to pursue a PhD in the team or elsewhere with our recommendation, or to keep growing with MatrixLead.