Research Associate in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 days annual leave

Flexible hybrid working

Generous pension scheme

Disability Confident Leader

Job summary

The University of Sheffield is seeking a Research Associate to advance NLP and machine learning methods for detecting online misinformation. You will develop an AI-powered chatbot to aid journalists and policymakers while following ethical AI principles.

You will lead write-ups for top-tier journals, present at major conferences, and collaborate with partners across disciplines to translate research into practical tools.

Qualifications

• A PhD, or near completion, in NLP, ML, or computational social science (or equivalent).
• Experience in chatbot or AI agent development is essential.
• Proficiency with PyTorch, TensorFlow, Transformers, or Hugging Face.
• Strong track record of scientific publications in relevant venues.
• Understanding of psychological inoculation concepts is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Apply NLP and ML techniques to detect and analyse online disinformation.
• Develop an AI-powered chatbot to support journalists, policymakers and others.
• Publish research results in top-tier journals and present at conferences.
• Coordinate with international collaborators and document methodologies.

Skills

NLP

Machine learning

Deep learning frameworks

Chatbot development

Scientific publications

Collaboration

Ethical AI

Education

PhD in NLP/ML or related field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Transformers/Hugging Face

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

As a Research Associate in the GATE (General Architecture for Text Engineering) team, you will conduct cutting-edge research in detecting and analysing online misinformation. Your work will advance machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) methods to analyse complex information manipulation, legal responses, and opposition actors across critical domains such as election integrity, public health, and geopolitical conflict. You will also develop an AI-powered chatbot that will support key stakeholders (eg journalists, policymakers) in applying appropriate measures to counter disinformation. You will follow ethical and legal protocols, ensuring that the AI methods are reliable and robust to adversarial attacks.
Additionally, you will lead the write-up and publication of novel research in top-tier journals, present findings at leading international conferences, and collaborate with consortium partners to translate technical discoveries into actionable toolkits. Dedicated funding is provided for conference travel, journal publications, and high-impact stakeholder demonstrations.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Apply natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques to analyse online disinformation, near-real-time social media streams, network actors, and legal/regulatory responses.
• Translate insights into domain logic, training data, and algorithms to develop an AI-powered chatbot, collaborating with researchers from psychology and social sciences.
• Carry out research on large-scale social media streams, identifying community structures, evidence of coordinated behaviour, bot activity, and systemic tactics used to influence policy stakeholders.
• Set project milestones, test methodologies, maintain documentation, and ensure timely delivery of project deliverables.
• Meet regularly with consortium partners, technical teams, and external stakeholders to align research with practical impact.
• Publish novel techniques and findings in top-tier journals and present at relevant academic, industry, and policy conferences.
• Collaborate effectively with researchers, PhD students, and technical staff across the department and partner organisations.
• Deliver and undertake training in interdisciplinary research skills, including but not limited to NLP, machine learning, social media analysis, chatbot and agentic development, and computational social sciences.
• Make ethical decisions in research activities – prioritising human rights, freedom of expression, and ethical AI principles – while embedding sustainability into daily work.
• Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential Or Desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

A PhD, or be close to completion, in natural language processing, machine learning, or computational social science (or equivalent experience).

Essential

Application

Essential

Application/interview
Experience in chatbot or AI agent development

Essential

Application/interview
Proficiency in deep learning and NLP frameworks (for example PyTorch, TensorFlow, Transformers, Hugging Face).

Essential

Application/interview
A strong track record of scientific publications.

Essential

Application/interview
Understanding of psychological inoculation principles (for example prebunking, cognitive resilience).

Desirable

Application/interview
Experience in multidisciplinary co-design software development.

Desirable

Application/interview
Experience in using large language models (LLMs) and prompt engineering/tuning for domain-specific applications.

Essential

Application/interview
Ability to collaborate closely with international collaborators to deliver cross-disciplinary research and publications.

Essential

Application/interview
Creative problem-solving abilities and a strong capacity to manage project milestones, technical documentation, and tight deliverables.

Essential

Application/interview
Further Information

Grade

Grade 7

Salary

£38,784 - £47,389, with potential to progress to £51,753 through sustained exceptional contribution

Work arrangement

Full-time

Duration

18 months

Line manager

Senior Lecturer in Natural Language Processing (project lead)

Direct reports

None

Right to work in the UK

If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.

Our website

https://sheffield.ac.uk/cs
For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr Carol Scarton, project lead, at [e-mail]

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the interviews will take place in the week commencing 28th September. During the interview, you will be expected to give a short presentation and answer technical and non-technical questions about your previous work and experience. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the interview stage in the week commencing 21st September. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision.

What We Offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave, including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development with access to learning and mentoring schemes, integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).
We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.
Closing Date : 20/09/2026
We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.