Postdoctoral Researchers, Language Technology

Postdoctoral researchers

• Explainable & Trustworthy AI for Global Threat Analysis (“Know-AI”)
• AI for language teaching and language learning (“DALAI-FIN”)

University of Helsinki – Department of Digital Humanities, Language Technology

Position type: Full-time postdoctoral researchers
Duration: initially 2 years (with possibility of extension)
Start date: immediate

Overview of Projects: 

The Know‑AI project investigates what language models know and when they know it. The mission is to develop explainable and trustworthy AI systems for detecting and analyzing global threats, including disinformation in online media. The successful candidate will contribute to cutting-edge research in large language models — their interpretability, robustness, and real‑world safety.

The DALAI-FIN / Revita project focuses on supporting second-language teaching for adults, for example migrants in Finland (or elsewhere in Europe), who require linguistic skills for professional and social integration. Learners have different levels of preparation and different backgrounds. Research goals include the development of AI-based tools for personalized teaching, i.e., exactly suitable for the current level of competency of each individual learner. This implies detailed and accurate learner modeling, learning analytics and assessment of the learner’s skills, on a continual basis.

The projects cooperate with an international network of collaborators.

Position Description

As a postdoctoral researcher in this project, you will:

• Conduct foundational and applied research on explainability and trust in language models.
• Develop methods to evaluate, interpret, and improve how LLMs detect and represent potential threats or risk scenarios.
• Collaborate closely with project research teams and external partners, including interdisciplinary groups.
• Implement algorithms and data analysis (e.g., using PyTorch, JAX, transformers).
• Publish papers at premier AI/ML/NLP venues and domain-related conferences.
• Present results at academic conferences and workshops.

Requirements

You must have:

• A PhD degree (or imminent completion expected) in Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• Experience with and strong interest in NLP, large-language models, explainability.
• Demonstrated programming skills in Python, ideally including frameworks, such as PyTorch and HuggingFace Transformers.
• Prior peer-reviewed publications (required for postdoctoral appointment).
• Excellent oral and written communication in English.

Salary & Benefits

• Starting salary: ~3 700–4 400 EUR/month before taxes, consistent with salary scales of the University of Helsinki. Researchersjobknow-ai-uh.github.iohelsinki.fi+1EURAXESSJobly+5helsinki.fi+5EURAXESS+5.
• Comprehensive employee benefits including occupational health care, health insurance, sports facilities, and professional development support.
• In Finnish universities, the teaching and research staff (app. 65% of total staff) have a special system regarding the free time equivalent to holiday. They belong to the 1,612 annual working hour system, in which the annual amount of paid holiday is app. 5-6 weeks on average per year.
• The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The university is an internationally renowned research university offering a wide range of staff benefits, including occupational health care and health insurance, flexible working hours, excellent campus sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.
• International Staff Services support for relocation and settling in Finland.

How to Apply

Please submit via the application form a PDF file that contains:

1. Curriculum Vitae, including publications and relevant projects.
2. A cover letter (1–2 pages) detailing your motivation, research interests, and fit with the projects.
3. Copies of degree transcripts.
4. Contact for two refereences.

Applications must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal.

In case of questions contact prof. Roman Yangarber roman.yangarber@helsinki.fi 

For questions regarding the application process, please contact recruitment@helsinki.fi (please indicate in the heading which position you are inquiring about). 

The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities. A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.