Research Associate (Postdoc) Natural Language Processing § 28 Subsection 2 HmbHG

Research Associate (Postdoc) Natural Language Processing § 28 Subsection 2 HmbHG

InstitutionFaculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Department of Informatics, Language Technology (LT)

Salary level

Start date01.10.2026, fixed for a period of three years (This is a fixed-term contract in accordance with Section 2 of the academic fixed-term labor contract act [Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG]).The contract provides for a maximum extension of up to three years depending on the associate’s achievements during the first stage. Providing that a position is available and that requirements have been fulfilled, the associate may apply for temporary civil servant status in accordance with Section 28 subsection 2 HmbHG.

Application deadline07.08.2026

Scope of workfull-time position suitable for part-time

Your responsibilities

Duties include teaching and research in the respective department or institute. Research associates may also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications as well as acquire teaching experience. These duties are intended to promote academic achievement. Therefore, at least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the associate’s own academic work.

The Language Technology Group covers the fields of computational linguistics and natural language processing (NLP) in its entire breadth in research and teaching. The focus of the group is on methods for AI modeling of text and other modalities for tasks such as lexical semantics, sentiment analysis, and argument mining, as well as user adaptivity and the creation of usable research prototypes in the area of document analysis and visualization. Further research topics arise from the application of NLP methods in the context other scientific fields, e.g. in the context of Digital Humanities, Computational Social Science and Computational Legal Studies. This position shall strengthen the area of multimodal and crossmodal natural language processing.

The scope of duties includes largely independent teaching and research activities in the context of the research area. The scope of teaching activities is 4 LVS, to be provided in basic teaching and specialization; this also includes co-supervision of theses. An independent research agenda in the area of language technology is desired; the ability to implement methods and prototypical applications and to collaborate in the acquisition and execution of third-party funded projects is required.

Your profile

A university degree in a relevant field, plus doctorate.

We expect a track record of relevant publications in the field such as Computational Linguistics Journal, Journal of Natural Engineering, ACL series conferences, and COLING on core topics in language technology and computational linguistics. The language of the research group is English; knowledge of German is desirable but not a hiring requirement.

The position is open-topic within the field of language technology and is intended to enable successful applicants to pursue further academic qualifications. Our PostDocs usually leave for assistant professorships within a few years.

In addition to the usual documents, we ask you to write a short research statement (approx. 2 pages) referencing your most important results to date and outlining your research intentions for the next 3 years.

We offer

• Reliable remuneration based on wage agreements
• Continuing education opportunities
• University pensions
• Attractive location
• Flexible working hours
• Work-life balance opportunities
• Health management, EGYM Wellpass
• Educational leave
• 30 days of vacation per annum

Universität Hamburg—University of Excellence is one of the strongest research educational institutions in Germany. Our work in research, teaching, educational and knowledge exchange activities is fostering the next generation of responsible global citizens ready to tackle the global challenges facing us. Our guiding principle “Innovating and Cooperating for a Sustainable Future in a digital age” drives collaboration with academic and nonacademic partner institutions in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and around the world. We would like to invite you to be part of our community to work with us in creating sustainable and digital change for a dynamic and pluralist society.

The University of Hamburg is committed to equity. Diversity enriches our university life, whether in our studies, research, teaching, education, or workplace. We therefore welcome all applications, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic or social background, age, religion or belief, disability, or chronic illness.

The University of Hamburg strives to increase the number of women in academia, and encourages qualified female academics to apply.

Severely disabled and disabled applicants with the same status will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants.

Notice regarding the background check under Section 34a of the Hamburg security clearance act (Gesetz zur Regelung der Sicherheitsüberprüfungen, HmbSÜG): On behalf of the person chosen in the selection procedure, this office submits an inquiry to the state office for the protection of the constitution (Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz) regarding any available findings/information which meet the statutory requirements ( and ).