Research Associate – Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing

University of British Columbia

Research Associate – Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing
Academic – Faculty Non Bargaining
University of British Columbia's Department of Linguistics – NLP Lab
Posting End Date: September 13, 2025
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job Summary
The University of British Columbia’s Department of Linguistics welcomes all eligible candidates to apply for the position of Research Associate – Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. The position will commence as soon as possible.
We seek an innovative and cutting edge researcher with demonstrable knowledge and experience with machine learning, large language models, and deep neural networks. The Research Associate will engage in research and development at the intersection of machine learning, natural language processing, and archival studies under the guidance of Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Mageed. This work will be conducted within the Natural Language Processing (NLP) Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. The Research Associate will focus on developing multilingual Large Language Models (LLMs) tailored for Arabic and African languages, with applications in areas such as records and archives, addressing critical limitations such as hallucinations, privacy, bias, reasoning capabilities, and evaluation. Their research will span not only speech and text, but also vision modalities. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to build an extensive professional network and develop models with potential real-world applications.
The holder of this position must be able to work with students and faculty from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, communicating across academic and professional sectors to build knowledge and trust. The Research Associate will work under the direction of Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Mageed, the director of the NLP Lab. They will interact with student researchers and other team members to support multiple ongoing and new research projects.

Organizational Status
The Research Associate will work under the direction of Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Mageed, the director of the NLP Lab. They will interact with student researchers and other team members to support multiple ongoing and new research projects.

Work Performed
• Designs, modifies, and performs complex experiments with LLMs across speech, text, and vision modalities.
• Utilizes open-source software and develops proprietary software for the development, analysis, and interpretation of LLMs and other related technologies.
• Develops and writes novel protocols, tutorials, and manuals for the use of generative AI and other technologies developed in the projects, and provides related training.
• Troubleshoots, maintains, and operates specialized deep learning hardware dedicated to the research.
• Assists with the collection and processing of public data, as well as data from project partners.
• Assists in the development and packaging of machine learning models to leverage the collected data.
• Assists in summarizing findings in research papers and maintaining online platforms to describe research outcomes.
• Performs other research-related duties as needed.

Consequence of Error
The Research Associate is expected to conduct all duties in a professional manner. Their work will be reviewed by the lab director and/or a senior lab member as needed. While there will be opportunities for the Research Associate to exercise judgment and make independent decisions, errors could result in the loss of valuable data, code, models, and/or reduced productivity in the laboratory.

Supervision Received
Supervised by the lab director. Written and/or verbal protocols will be provided for the procedures performed by/tasks assigned to the RA.

Supervision Give
None.

Qualifications
• PhD degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of machine learning and natural language processing.
• Strong understanding of neural networks and large language models.
• A proven track record with at least five publications in top-tier NLP venues (e.g., ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, EACL)
• Experience in multilingual speech and language processing, including several European languages, Arabic and its dialects, and African languages.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, particularly the ability to translate scientific information for the lay public.
• Experience building machine learning models to solve natural language problems.
• Proven knowledge of PyTorch and familiarity with the HuggingFace libraries.
• Fluency in the Python programming language.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

How to Apply
Applications are to be submitted before September 13, 2025 at 11:59 PM, via this online form: https://ling.air.arts.ubc.ca/research-associate-position-department-of-linguistics/. Please attach your CV, cover letter, and the names of three references.
This position will begin as soon as possible. This is a one-year term appointment subject to annual renewal. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.