Postdoctoral Fellow (Level A or B) – Defence Trailblazer x2

University of New South Wales; Golden Horseshoe; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 146,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of New South Wales is seeking Postdoctoral Fellows (Level A or B) to advance Natural Language Processing systems for AI-driven products. This role offers a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to contribute to significant research projects in a prestigious environment.

Benefits

Hybrid / Flexible working arrangements

Additional leave over the Christmas Period

Access to lifelong learning and career development

Progressive HR practices

Discounts and entitlements

Affordable on-campus parking

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to keeping up-to-date with discipline knowledge.
• Proven research outcomes with high-quality outputs.
• Ability to work in a team and build effective relationships.

Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance Natural Language Processing systems.
• Work with Large Language Models and design evaluation frameworks.
• Carry out independent and team research.

Skills

Natural Language Processing

Fine-tuning LLMs

High-level communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

PhD in Natural Language Processing or related discipline

Job description

Postdoctoral Fellow (Level A or B) – Defence Trailblazer x2

Apply now Job no : 532117

Work type : Full Time

Location : Sydney, NSW

Categories : Post Doctoral Research Associate

• Develop and enhance Natural Language Processing systems to support AI-driven products and services.
• Work with Large Language Models (LLMs), including fine-tuning and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) approaches, to optimise performance
• Design and implement robust evaluation frameworks
• Bottom of Form
• Level A or B appointment - $88,290 - $145,730 (min. 110,059 with PhD) + 17% superannuation
• Full-time, fixed term contracts to May 2027

Why Your Role Matters :

The Defence Trailblazer for Concept to Sovereign Capability is a $250 million enterprise powered by UNSW and UoA, with funding from the Australian Government through the Trailblazer Universities Program, as well as university and industry partners. Our mission is to accelerate the commercialisation of research for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), develop education training pathways, fast-track entrepreneurs' ideas to commercialisation, and enhance collaboration between industry, government, and academia.

The School of Computer Science and Engineering is one of the largest and most prestigious schools of computing in Australia. It offers undergraduate programmes in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Bioinformatics, as well as a number of combined degrees with other disciplines. Our research and teaching staff are world leading and world building as they advance knowledge and learning.For more information on our school go to the following link -https : / / www.unsw.edu.au / engineering / our-schools / computer-science-and-engineering

Reporting to Dr. Aditya Joshi , School of Computer Science and Engineering, the Postdoctoral Fellows (Level A / Level B) are expected to carry out independent and / or team research within the field in which they are appointed and to carry out activities to develop their research expertise relevant to their particular field of research. This position is funded by the ASIC Defence Trailblazer Grant.

About UNSW

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. Yes, we’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community; a community doing extraordinary things. But what makes us different isn’t only what we do, it’s how we do it. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. Taking this combined approach is what makes our work matter. It’s the reason we’re Australia’s number one university for impact and among the nation’s Top 20 employers. And it’s why we come to campus each day.

Benefits and Culture :

UNSW offers a competitive salary and access to UNSW benefits including :

• Hybrid / Flexible working arrangements
• An additional 3 days of leave over the Christmas Period
• Access to lifelong learning and career development
• Progressive HR practices
• Discounts and entitlements
• Affordable on campus parking

Who You Are : Level A

You have a PhD in natural language processing, or a related discipline, and can demonstrate the following Skills and Experience :

• Proven commitment to proactively keeping up to date with discipline knowledge and developments.
• Research with outcomes of high-quality outputs ( e.g. ACL, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI ) and high impact, with clear evidence of the desire and ability to achieve research excellence and capacity for leadership.
• Strong experience in fine-tuning LLMs and developing LLM-based tools and techniques, such as RAGs and agentic workflows.
• A track record of significant involvement with the profession and / or industry.
• High-level communication skills and ability to network effectively and interact with a diverse range of students and staff.
• Ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
• Highly developed interpersonal and organisational skills.
• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
• Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.
• Retrieval-augmented generation for conversation understanding or question-answering is desirable.
• Web-based deployment using commercial cloud platforms is desirable.

Level B – additional Skills and Experience required

• Two years of post-PhD experience.
• Build effective networks with colleagues.
• Generate alternative funding and / or industry projects through liaison with external local and international researchers, industry, and government.

Pre-employment checks required for these positions

• Verification of qualifications
• The successful candidates may be required to hold or attain an Australian government security clearance.

Apply : If developing your NLP research expertise is of interest to you, please submit your CV, Cover Letter and responses to Skills and Experience required in the position description.

Please note : Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Candidates must hold Australian working rights to be considered for this position

Please apply online - applications will not be accepted if sent to the contact listed.

UNSW is committed to evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

Advertised : 02 May 2025 AUS Eastern Standard Time

Apply now for a career at UNSW to grow in an environment that values and uplifts you.

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