Doctoral Researcher in Speech and Language Technology

Aalto University; Finland; Hybrid; EUR 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Aalto University in Espoo, Finland, invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher in Speech and Language Technology within the COWAMA project. The role focuses on detecting AI-generated audio content and watermarking methods, creating diverse datasets, and advancing robust detection and attribution techniques.

You will work under the supervision of Prof. Lauri Juvela in a hybrid setup at the Otaniemi Campus, starting January 2027 or later, with a strong emphasis on open science, collaboration

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or near completion in speech or audio processing, ML, signal processing, computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field.
• Strong interest in doctoral research on audio deepfake detection, watermarking, source tracing, and generative AI.
• Good programming skills, preferably including Python and modern machine learning tools.
• Fluency in English is required. Finnish language is not required.

Responsibilities

• Developing methods for detecting the authenticity and origin of speech and audio content generated by multiple models and containing different watermarking methods.
• Creating datasets of diverse real and generated speech and audio from different generative models and watermarking methods.
• Adapting and improving detector baselines for multi-objective detection involving deepfake detection, content origin detection, and watermark identification.
• Developing explainable and localized detection methods for watermark and deepfake attribution, especially when generated content is mixed with other audio sources.
• Studying robustness against signal-processing attacks, generative resynthesis attacks, adversarial attacks, and realistic downstream processing such as mixing.
• Publishing research in leading journals and conferences in speech, audio, and machine learning, and contributing to open-source releases of software, trained models, and reproducible research outputs.

Skills

Python

English fluency

Deep learning basics

Signal processing basics

Independent work

Education

Master’s degree (or near completion) in speech/audio processing, ML, signal processing, CS, EE, or related field

Job description

About Aalto University

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 16 000 students and 5 200 employees, including 446 professors. Our campus is in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

Research Environment

The research will be carried out at the Department of Information and Communications Engineering, DICE, at Aalto University, Finland. The project environment offers excellent infrastructure for deep learning, speech, and audio research, including Aalto University’s large-scale scientific computing cluster with CPU and GPU nodes, access to CSC’s national computing infrastructure including LUMI, and the Aalto Acoustics Lab with anechoic chambers, listening rooms, and audio measurement equipment.

Project: COWAMA

We are now looking for a Doctoral Researcher in Speech and Language Technology and invite you to join the funded project COWAMA: Content-based watermarking for AI-generated audio, led by Assistant Professor Lauri Juvela.

Role and Goals

As the Doctoral Researcher, you will take primary responsibility for detecting generated audio content from multiple sources, and work jointly with the Postdoctoral Researcher on robustness, evaluation, and generalization. Your work will include:

• Developing methods for detecting the authenticity and origin of speech and audio content generated by multiple models and containing different watermarking methods.
• Creating datasets of diverse real and generated speech and audio, including content from different generative models and multiple watermarking methods.
• Adapting and improving detector baselines for multi-objective detection involving deepfake detection, content origin detection, and watermark identification.
• Developing explainable and localized detection methods for watermark and deepfake attribution, especially when generated content is mixed with other audio sources.
• Studying robustness against signal-processing attacks, generative resynthesis attacks, adversarial attacks, and realistic downstream processing such as mixing.
• Publishing research in leading journals and conferences in speech, audio, and machine learning, and contributing to open-source releases of software, trained models, and reproducible research outputs.

The research methods will include experiment design, software implementation, running deep learning experiments on high-performance computing infrastructure, and evaluation using objective metrics and subjective listening tests.

Network and Team

You will be supervised by Assistant Professor Lauri Juvela, who leads the Speech Synthesis research group at Aalto University. The group works on deep generative models for speech and audio, speech synthesis, differentiable signal processing, deepfake detection, and watermarking. In addition to the Aalto speech groups and the Postdoctoral Researcher in the project, you will work with an international collaboration network including Prof. Junichi Yamagishi at the National Institute of Informatics in Japan, Prof. Xavier Serra at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain, and Prof. Gustav Eje Henter at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. The collaboration network has a strong background in speech and audio synthesis, deep generative models, and deepfake detection, positioning the project to make an impact in watermarking and source tracing for AI-generated audio.

Experience and Ambitions

We are looking for a curious and motivated early-career researcher who wants to develop expertise in speech, audio, machine learning, and trustworthy generative AI. To succeed in this role, you should have:

• A master’s degree, or be close to completing a master’s degree, in speech or audio processing, machine learning, signal processing, computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field.
• Strong interest in doctoral research on audio deepfake detection, watermarking, source tracing, and generative AI.
• Good programming skills, preferably including Python and modern machine learning tools.
• Basic knowledge of deep learning, signal processing, speech/audio processing, or statistical machine learning.
• Interest in working with speech and audio datasets, detector models, generative audio models, and experimental evaluation.
• Motivation to publish scientific articles and contribute to open-source and reproducible research.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an international research environment.
• Fluency in English is required. Finnish language is not required.

What We Offer

A doctoral research position in a timely and socially meaningful field: improving transparency, traceability, and accountability for AI-generated speech and audio. The opportunity to work on technical methods that support safer use of generative AI, including deepfake detection, watermark attribution, and robustness evaluation.

• Excellent computing and audio research infrastructure, including CPU/GPU clusters, access to CSC and LUMI, FIN-CLARIN resources, and the Aalto Acoustics Lab.
• A supportive research team and supervision by Assistant Professor Lauri Juvela.
• International collaboration opportunities with leading researchers in speech synthesis, music technology, deepfake detection, and generative audio.
• A strong open-science environment: the project aims to publish in leading venues and release software source code and trained models to support reproducibility and FAIR data management.
• Great possibilities for competence development and learning, including professional development opportunities, staff training, and development projects based on your interests and needs.
• A culture guided by responsibility, courage, and collaboration, where equality and inclusion support curiosity, innovation, collaboration, and wellbeing.
• Our vast array of professional development opportunities means you will grow and learn, having the chance to participate actively in staff training and development projects based on your interests and needs.
• Starting salary of 3143 €/month and increases after a mid-term evaluation.
• Position is fixed-term and follows the school’s standard 2+2 model. It will be made initially for two years, with a six-month probationary period, and extended by two further years after a successful mid-term review, giving a total duration of four years.
• Position starts in January 2027 or as mutually agreed.
• We value work-life balance and well-being in all aspects of life.
• We work in a hybrid model, with the primary workplace located at the Otaniemi Campus in Espoo, Finland.

Life on the revitalised campus is vibrant, featuring stunning architecture, tranquil nature, and a variety of cafés, restaurants, and services, all complemented by excellent public transportation connections.

Contact

For more information about the role, please contact Professor Lauri Juvela ([e-mail]; [phone]).

For questions about the application process, please contact HR Advisor Johanna Haapalainen at [e-mail].

Want to know more about us and your future colleagues? You can watch these videos: This is Aalto University! Aalto University - Towards a better world and Shaping a Sustainable Future.

Read more about working at Aalto: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto and check out our new virtual campus experience: https://virtualtour.aalto.fi

About Finland

Finland is a great place for living with or without family – it is a safe, politically stable and well-organised Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was listed again as the happiest country in the world: World Happiness Report 2025. For more information about living in Finland: Aalto Careers for International Staff. More about Aalto University: Aalto.fi youtube.com/user/aaltouniversity linkedin.com/school/aalto-university/ www.facebook.com/aaltouniversity instagram.com/aaltouniversity.