Postdoctoral Researcher in Language Technology or Digital Humanities at the University of Helsinki

About the opportunity

The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position for a fixed-term period of 28 months, starting in January 2027. This position is based at the Multimodality Research Group in the Department of Languages and funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant awarded to Professor Tuomo Hiippala. The project develops novel methods and corpora for studying multimodality, or how humans communicate using combinations of multiple modes of expression. The data studied in the project includes school textbooks, news broadcasts, diagrams, and instruction manuals. The appointee will participate in building several large multimodal corpora, develop computational annotation approaches using computer vision and large language models, evaluate annotations using human-in-the-loop methods, and report results in publications. The appointee is also expected to contribute to teaching, limited to 10% of annual working time, and must reside in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Salary and benefits

• Starting salary ranging from 4005 to 4140 euro per month, depending on experience and qualifications
• Generous funding for conference travel and networking
• Access to state-of-the-art computing resources provided free-of-charge by CSC – the IT Center for Science
• Standard Finnish pension benefits and occupational health care
• Occupational health and fitness services, and professional development opportunities

Who can apply?

• Must hold a doctoral degree in language technology, digital humanities, or a related field
• Must demonstrate a keen interest in the study of multimodal communication
• Essential experience of applying computational methods to large volumes of multimodal data
• Solid skills in programming and working with libraries for using machine learning models
• Must be able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research group
• Strong teamwork skills and an excellent command of written and spoken English
• Must reside in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area while employed by the University of Helsinki

Required documents

• A statement on your motivation for applying for the position, how you could contribute to the project, and a description of your core skills (max. 750 words)
• A curriculum vitae with contact information for two references
• A list of publications with key publications relevant to the position highlighted

When to apply

• The closing date for applications is November 20, 2026 (23:59 local time).

How to apply

• Submit your application together with the required documents through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply now link.
• Applicants currently employed by the University of Helsinki must submit their application via the SAP Fiori portal.

Additional information

• The position is fixed-term for 28 months, starting in January 2027.
• The employment contract includes a probationary period of six months.
• Teaching duties are limited to 10% of annual working time.