Associate Professor: Natural Language Processing

Unitalentza; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Stellenbosch University invites applications for an Associate Professor in Natural Language Processing, jointly appointed between Computer Science and Applied Mathematics within the Department of Mathematical Sciences. This research-intensive appointment strengthens postgraduate capacity and research impact in NLP and ML, contributing to MSc programmes and broader teaching excellence.

The successful candidate will teach and supervise at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, publish in top

Qualifications

• PhD in computer science, applied mathematics, or a closely related discipline.
• Established, internationally recognised research profile in natural language processing.
• Sustained publication record with high-quality outputs appropriate to Associate Professor level.

Responsibilities

• Teach core and advanced undergraduate and postgraduate modules in NLP, ML, and AI.
• Publish high-quality research in international journals and conferences.
• Supervise MSc and PhD candidates; mentor postdoctoral researchers.
• Develop collaborations and seek external research funding.

Skills

NLP research

Machine learning

Teaching and supervision

Academic leadership

Education

PhD in Computer Science/Applied Mathematics

Tools

Python

R

MATLAB

Job description

Associate Professor: Natural Language Processing

The Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University invites applications for an Associate Professor position in Natural Language Processing, jointly appointed between the Divisions of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics within the Department of Mathematical Sciences. This is a strategic, research-intensive appointment designed to strengthen postgraduate capacity and research impact in NLP and Machine Learning, contributing to existing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including the MSc in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. The successful candidate will join a faculty committed to excellent teaching, postgraduate development, and research with ethical impact in service of society.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach core and specialised undergraduate and postgraduate modules across computer science and applied mathematics, including advanced courses in natural language processing, machine learning and artificial intelligence
• Publish sustained, high-quality research in reputable international peer-reviewed journals and conferences in NLP, machine learning and AI
• Recruit, supervise and mentor postgraduate students, with demonstrated focus on successful completion of MSc and PhD candidates
• Contribute to the development of postdoctoral fellows and emerging researchers
• Provide research leadership in developing a strong collaborative research group across computer science and applied mathematics
• Seek and secure competitive external research funding from national, international and industry sources, individually and collaboratively
• Develop productive research collaborations with universities, research organisations, industry, government and other partners
• Contribute to curriculum renewal and development of advanced courses in NLP, machine learning, large language models, trustworthy AI and related areas
• Contribute to relevant departmental and Faculty academic activities

Minimum Requirements

• PhD in computer science, applied mathematics, or a closely related discipline
• Established, internationally recognised research profile in natural language processing
• Sustained publication record over a number of years with high-quality research outputs appropriate to Associate Professor level
• Developing and sustaining a distinctive,…