AdresseTurkuNLP (https://turkunlp.org) is an internationally established multidisciplinary research group that specializes in the development of machine learning -based resources, models, and tools for Natural Language Processing (NLP) using web-scale datasets. Our research ranges from linguistic data analysis, through applications of NLP methodology in various fields, to compute- and data-intensive model training work. For instance, TurkuNLP has recently created a number of openly available Transformer-based language models, pushing the state of the art in Finnish language technology, but is also involved in a broad spectrum of other NLP research projects, including, for instance, digital humanities and very large corpora. TurkuNLP was also selected as the pilot user of the Europe’s largest supercomputer LUMI, having a long tradition in the use of high performance GPU-accelerated computing in NLP.
We welcome applications for 1-5 fixed-term positions of a Postdoctoral Researcher or a Project Researcher to work on one of several distinct topics within Natural Language Processing, associated with several externally funded projects. The positions are for the period from now to the end date announced for each respective project, and can be either part-time or full-time accommodating the applicants’ wishes and availability. The project tasks can be scaled in complexity to suit different levels of prior knowledge and skills. The applicable position may differ across projects depending on what is specified in the corresponding project plan and is stated for each project separately.
- GreenNLP (project researcher or postdoctoral researcher): The project deals with topics related to efficient NLP, especially efficient training or inference for language models, knowledge distillation, adaptors and approximations, and similar topics. Of interest to the project are, naturally, techniques such as LoRa, but also for instance retrieval-augmented generation. Also engineering work, building and deploying repeatable pipelines especially for the LUMI supercomputer and AMD architecture, is in scope of the project. The exact scoping of the work is relatively flexible in this research project, and can be matched and adjusted to your skills and interests. For this project, a good command of Python is expected and knowledge of the relevant libraries (e.g. HF Transformers) is expected. Position end: 31.12.2025.
- DeeperMaterials (project researcher or postdoctoral researcher): Topics related to applications of the concept of language models to material structures. In this project we are particularly interested in training language models on the structures of crystalline solids, and using Transformer models to develop representations for 3D structures of materials. The objectives are to predict material properties and design new materials. The project provides an exciting opportunity to apply NLP in technologically relevant domains, with a possibility for good impact and publications. For this project, a good command of Python is expected and knowledge of the relevant libraries (e.g. HF Transformers) is a plus. Position end: 31.12.2024.
- Behind-the-words (project researcher): Topics related to meaning models such as SentenceTransformers, including their training, refinement, and especially application at scale. Retrieval with dense embeddings is one of the hottest areas in NLP, besides foundational model training, and provides ample opportunities for impactful research. For this project, a good command of Python is expected and knowledge of Finnish is a plus, since the project data are in Finnish. Position end: 12.11.2024.
- AI-SIM (project researcher): Unsupervised event extraction: research on models for extracting events in news collections (or any other similar dataset in general) pertinent to entities in an unsupervised manner, i.e. without knowing upfront the set of events of interest. For instance, this could mean looking for a set of companies in a large collection of news articles, discovering in a data driven manner the event types pertaining to these companies, and extracting and aggregating such events. This work is expected to rely upon modern LLMs for the extraction, exploration, and clustering of events. For this project, a good command of Python and some knowledge of NLP methodology is expected. A project researcher candidate is preferred. Position end: 30.6.2026
- SEUS (project researcher or post-doctoral researcher): Cross-lingual RAG-based information retrieval in a technical domain. Of relevance is research on models and techniques for cross-lingual RAG-based retrieval, especially with focus on models of query-document match, open models and inference efficiency. While the technical application domain of SEUS is shipping documentation, the research is for the most part on the methodology side and domain-independent, and deals with NLP topics. A good command of Python and some knowledge of NLP methodology is expected. A post-doctoral candidate is preferred. Position end: 31.12.2025.
We offer you
The positions offer an excellent opportunity to participate in NLP research in a well-known NLP lab with a broad, multidisciplinary background, in a team which has the experience, data, and computational resources to carry out top-notch research. While the projects each have a particular application area, the tasks are generally close to NLP methodology research, giving a good opportunity to apply and expand your NLP skills. Moreover, through the national supercomputer infrastructure, we have the ability to offer access to sufficient GPU acceleration resources.
Key tasks and responsibilities
You will work on basic NLP research in one of the abovementioned areas. These will be, according to your interests and experience, data work, deep neural network model development, model training, software pipeline development and documentation, or any combination thereof.
Who we are looking for
Qualifications
The qualification requirements of the positions are stated in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/organisation.
A person selected for the position of Postdoctoral researcher is required to have a doctoral degree relevant for the position and the ability to do independent scientific work as well as having the necessary teaching skills.
A person selected for the post of Project researcher is required to have a higher university degree relevant for the position. The degree must be completed by the end of the application period. We may also consider candidate(s) who have more or less completed all their coursework for the Master of Science degree in a suitable field. In this case, the job title will be research assistant.
Our expectations
The projects are technical in their nature and we are primarily favoring candidates with prior experience, enabling a fast start in the project.
- We expect good programming and scripting skills. Especially an intermediate-to-advanced knowledge of python as well as some knowledge of bash scripting and the command line environment are crucial for a successful contribution to the projects given the computing environment. At least some prior experience with deep learning, ideally in the pytorch framework, is also expected.
- Any prior experience with NLP model development and training is considered a distinct advantage.
- Any prior experience or publication in the topics of the projects is considered a distinct advantage.
- Any prior experience with large textual dataset processing is considered a distinct advantage.
Salary and trial period
The salaries are determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. For a project researcher the salary will be in the beginning of the employment around 2400-2600 euros/month and for a postdoctoral researcher around 3500-3700 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills. For a research assistant the salary will be in the beginning of the employment around 2100-2300 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills.
The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared.
The salaried position includes extensive occupational healthcare, affordable sports services and a holiday allowance.
A four (4) to six (6) month, depending on length of employment, trial period applies to all positions.
Application guidelines
Applications must be submitted by Monday March 25, 2024 at 16:00(UTC+3) using the University's electronic application form. The link to the system is provided at the beginning of this announcement ("Apply for this position") and can also be found at utu.fi/career.
The application should include
- CV (curriculum vitae)
- copy of degree certificate(s) with translation in English or Finnish
- list of publications
- study transcript (research assistant position)
- motivation letter which outlines your personal interest towards the topics, as specified in the electronic application form
- other documents that may affect the decision-making
Additional information
For further information about the positions and the projects, kindly contact Filip Ginter, figint@utu.fi. For questions related to the application process, contact HR specialist Nina Reini, nina.reini@utu.fi.
University of Turku reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.
We value equality and diversity in our work community and encourage qualified applicants, regardless of background, to apply for our open positions.
Read more about us as an employer on the “Come Work with Us!” page and the welcome services for newcomers.
The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research logo. The logo is a token of the University's commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers.
The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:
- Why to choose Turku as a place to study and work: https://www.turku.fi/en/study-turku/welcome-turku/5-reasons-choose-turku
- City of Turku
- Welcome visitor
- Career in Southwest Finland
- International House of Turku
- Working culture: infoFinland.fi
- This is Finland
- Finland - a superpower of education and innovations | University of Turku (utu.fi)
