Postdoctoral Positions in NLP Post-Training for Cultural Alignment and Preference Optimization

The AarhusNLP Group at the Center for Humanities Computing, Aarhus University, invites applications for multiple three-year Postdoctoral Researcher positions. Starting date: June 1 2025 (or as soon thereafter). The successful candidate will be physically based with the AarhusNLP Group on projects funded by the Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs’ AI Initiative. This initiative stems from the 2024 national AI Strategy and is carried out in collaboration with major Danish universities, including the University of Copenhagen, the University of Southern Denmark, and the Alexandra Institute.

Place of work:
The successful candidates will work primarily with the AarhusNLP Group at the Center for Humanities Computing, Aarhus University. The Center offers flexible working arrangements, including options for remote work and adaptable working hours, to support work-life balance and accommodate individual needs. Candidates will be expected to participate regularly in on-site activities, fostering a collaborative and engaging research environment.

The postdocs will work on cultural alignment and preference optimization of large language models (LLMs) for mid to low-resourced languages. The overarching goal is to develop advanced post-training techniques that align pre-trained transformer-based LLMs with cultural values and linguistic conventions. By focusing on low-resource languages, this project addresses challenges such as data scarcity, cultural sensitivity, inclusivity, and the need for robust preference optimization methods that go beyond standard fine-tuning.

Key research objectives include:

1. 
   Developing Efficient Post-Training Techniques: Exploring and designing post-training strategies (e.g., Supervised Fine-Tuning, Reinforcement Learning, or novel alignment protocols) targeting Danish and other Nordic languages.
   

1. 
   Cultural and Ethical Alignment: Embedding Nordic cultural norms, ethical considerations, and societal values into LLMs, ensuring respectful and context sensitive language generation.
   

1. 
   Preference Optimization and Evaluation: Enhancing model performance on non-differentiable properties, including user satisfaction, cultural appropriateness, and domain-specific quality measures (e.g., information retrieval or question-answering for Nordic use cases).
   

Qualifications:

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  A Ph.D. or similar qualifications in Computational Linguistics, Computer Science, or a related field (e.g., cognitive science), specializing in Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, or a similar area.
  

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  Expertise in large language model architectures and training paradigms (transformer models, fine-tuning strategies, RLHF, etc.).
  

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  Interest in or prior experience with multilingual or low-resource NLP
  

• 
  Programming skills in Python and proficiency in deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and their application in high-performance computing environments.
  

• 
  An established or emerging publication record in NLP, ML, or related fields.
  

• 
  Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Knowledge of Danish or another Nordic language is beneficial, though not required.
  

The position:
As part of this project, you will contribute to advancing responsible AI by ensuring language models align with societal values, user needs, and ethical considerations in real-world applications.

The successful candidates will be responsible for tasks including, but not limited to:

• 
  Developing and evaluating efficient post-training techniques for LLM alignment.
  

• 
  Conducting research on embedding cultural norms and ethical values into language models.
  

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  Implementing preference optimization methods to enhance model performance on qualitative metrics.
  

• 
  Collaborating with project partners at other Danish universities.
  

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  Disseminating research outcomes through publications, presentations, and public engagement.
  

We strongly encourage applications from women and other underrepresented groups in AI and NLP. Aarhus University is committed to fostering an inclusive research environment.

For a more detailed description of Center for Humanities Computing, please visit:
https://chc.au.dk/.
For more information on the School of Culture and Society, please visit School of Culture and Society - Aarhus University

For further information about the application procedure, please contact HR supporter Gerd Cecilie Bech Thomsen ([email protected])

International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to check Family and work-life balance and Attractive working conditions for further information about the benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see Taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU.

Qualification requirementsApplicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Deadline: 12 May 2025


FormalitiesThe Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).

• Appointments shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than five examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

Aarhus University also offers a junior researcher development programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. The application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Faculty of ArtsThe Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.