Postdoctoral Researcher in Natural Language Processing (m/f/x)

Temporary, Full-time · Heidelberg

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Das sind Ihre Aufgaben
HITS is looking for a 
 
Postdoctoral Researcher in Natural Language Processing  (m/f/x)
 
to join the Natural Language Processing Group (NLP) Group to perform research in multi-lingual coreference resolution. Coreference resolution has seen tremendous improvements in the last few years through the application of neural networks and large language models. There is also progress in the area of multi-lingual coreference resolution where a single system is being applied not only to different languages but also to languages from different language families. While such systems can be used now in end applications, we still don’t quite understand the linguistic principles underlying the coreference phenomenon.
 
The Postdoctoral Researcher will work on multi-lingual coreference resolution aiming to improve systems on existing datasets, to apply them to more languages, and to understand why they work well. One goal of the research is to investigate the linguistic phenomenon which guides the coreference resolution process within and across languages. We will connect these insights with principles from theoretical linguistics to work on empirically and theoretically well founded models of coreference. Related phenomena such as event coreference and bridging may also come into play.
Ihr Profil
Your role
  • Conduct cutting-edge research in multi-lingual coreference resolution.
  • Collaborate with other members of the research group.
  • Supervise research interns, Bachelor- and Masters-students.
  • Contribute to teaching at the University of Heidelberg.
  • Publish your research findings at major NLP conferences such as ACL, NAACL, EACL, EMNLP.
What qualifies you for this job
  • PhD in Computer Science with a specialization in NLP, in Linguistics with a specialization in Computational Linguistics, or in a related field.
  • Good knowledge about linguistics and an interest to learn more about it.
  • Practical experience with
    • Neural Networks,
    • Transformer Models.
  • Experience in building prototypes in machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch and Tensorflow.
  • Publications at conferences such as ACL, NAACL, EACL, EMNLP, AAAI, IJCAI, or machine learning conferences.
Warum wir?
The environment of this job
  • Ideal working environment with our own high-performance computing infrastructure.
  • You will work within a highly motivated team of individual researchers in a collaborative working environment.
  • Our institute provides an interdisciplinary research environment and many opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Our group collaborates with the Institute for Computational Linguistics at the University of Heidelberg and runs a joint colloquium series with them.
  • This is a two-year temporary position with a (negotiable) start date of 1 March 2025.
HITS benefits
  • Option for location-flexible working
  • Extensive social benefits, such as: 
    • Subsidized cafeteria meals 
    • Job ticket
    • Allowance for further training and career development 
    • Company pension plan and additional health care benefits 
    • Many more individually selectable benefits
    • 30 days of paid vacation 
    • Family-friendly working environment 
Learn more about Working at HITS
 
For any additional information regarding the position please contact Prof. Dr. Michael Strube

To apply, please submit the following documents in a single PDF by January 15, 2025: 
  • Cover letter, including your motivation
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Relevant academic certificates
  • Summary of research accomplishments 
  • Names and contact information for two references. 
HITS gGmbH stands for equal opportunities and we strongly believe that our research benefits from inclusive and diverse teams.
Über uns
Das HITS (Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien) wurde 2010 von dem Physiker und SAP-Mitbegründer Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) und der Klaus Tschira Stiftung als privates, gemeinnütziges Forschungsinstitut gegründet. Es betreibt Grundlagenforschung in den Naturwissenschaften, der Mathematik und der Informatik. Zu den Hauptforschungsrichtungen zählen komplexe Simulationen auf verschiedenen Skalen, Datenwissenschaft und -analyse sowie die Entwicklung rechnergestützter Tools für die Forschung. Die Anwendungsfelder reichen von der Molekularbiologie bis zur Astrophysik. Ein wesentliches Merkmal des Instituts ist die Interdisziplinarität, die in zahlreichen gruppen- und disziplinübergreifenden Projekten umgesetzt wird. Die Grundfinanzierung des HITS wird von der Klaus Tschira Stiftung bereitgestellt.

Your mission
HITS is looking for a 
 
Postdoctoral Researcher in Natural Language Processing  (m/f/x)
 
to join the Natural Language Processing Group (NLP) Group to perform research in multi-lingual coreference resolution. Coreference resolution has seen tremendous improvements in the last few years through the application of neural networks and large language models. There is also progress in the area of multi-lingual coreference resolution where a single system is being applied not only to different languages but also to languages from different language families. While such systems can be used now in end applications, we still don’t quite understand the linguistic principles underlying the coreference phenomenon.
 
The Postdoctoral Researcher will work on multi-lingual coreference resolution aiming to improve systems on existing datasets, to apply them to more languages, and to understand why they work well. One goal of the research is to investigate the linguistic phenomenon which guides the coreference resolution process within and across languages. We will connect these insights with principles from theoretical linguistics to work on empirically and theoretically well founded models of coreference. Related phenomena such as event coreference and bridging may also come into play.
Your profile
Your role
  • Conduct cutting-edge research in multi-lingual coreference resolution.
  • Collaborate with other members of the research group.
  • Supervise research interns, Bachelor- and Masters-students.
  • Contribute to teaching at the University of Heidelberg.
  • Publish your research findings at major NLP conferences such as ACL, NAACL, EACL, EMNLP.
What qualifies you for this job
  • PhD in Computer Science with a specialization in NLP, in Linguistics with a specialization in Computational Linguistics, or in a related field.
  • Good knowledge about linguistics and an interest to learn more about it.
  • Practical experience with
    • Neural Networks,
    • Transformer Models.
  • Experience in building prototypes in machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch and Tensorflow.
  • Publications at conferences such as ACL, NAACL, EACL, EMNLP, AAAI, IJCAI, or machine learning conferences.
Why us?
The environment of this job
  • Ideal working environment with our own high-performance computing infrastructure.
  • You will work within a highly motivated team of individual researchers in a collaborative working environment.
  • Our institute provides an interdisciplinary research environment and many opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Our group collaborates with the Institute for Computational Linguistics at the University of Heidelberg and runs a joint colloquium series with them.
  • This is a two-year temporary position with a (negotiable) start date of 1 March 2025.
HITS benefits
  • Option for location-flexible working
  • Extensive social benefits, such as: 
    • Subsidized cafeteria meals 
    • Job ticket
    • Allowance for further training and career development 
    • Company pension plan and additional health care benefits 
    • Many more individually selectable benefits
    • 30 days of paid vacation 
    • Family-friendly working environment 
Learn more about Working at HITS
 
For any additional information regarding the position please contact Prof. Dr. Michael Strube

To apply, please submit the following documents in a single PDF by January 15, 2025: 
  • Cover letter, including your motivation
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Relevant academic certificates
  • Summary of research accomplishments 
  • Names and contact information for two references. 
HITS gGmbH stands for equal opportunities and we strongly believe that our research benefits from inclusive and diverse teams.
About us
HITS, the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, was established in 2010 by physicist and SAP co-founder Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) and the Klaus Tschira Foundation as a private, non-profit research institute. HITS conducts basic research in the natural, mathematical, and computer sciences. Major research directions include complex simulations across scales, making sense of data, and enabling science via computational research. Application areas range from molecular biology to astrophysics. An essential characteristic of the Institute is interdisciplinarity, implemented in numerous cross-group and cross-disciplinary projects. The base funding of HITS is provided by the Klaus Tschira Foundation.

We look forward to receiving your application for this position.
We appreciate your interest in our institute. Please fill in the following short form.  You also have the possibility to upload your documents. Contact details of referees can be uploaded in a separate document under "Other". Should you have any difficulties uploading your files, please contact us by mail at jobs@h-its.org.
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