Research topics:

  • Alignment
  • Large language models
  • Natural language processing
  • Mechanistic interpretability

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at EPFL, to be hosted by the Data Science & AI Lab, headed by Prof. Robert West.

We seek a candidate who will lead ground-breaking research projects with the goal of building safe AI that truly cares about human interests.

Instead of viewing alignment as mere postprocessing of pretrained models (“lipstick-on-a-pig alignment”), you will contribute to our agenda of “raising” models that will be continuously aligned throughout the training process, starting from token 1 in pretraining (see here for a high-level vision). To this end, you will combine synthetic data generation, mechanistic interpretability, LLM pre- and posttraining, and model evaluation in novel ways.

You will contribute to the Swiss AI Initiative, in particular by incorporating your research results into Apertus, SwissAI’s open, transparent, multilingual language model.

You will work in a stimulating, open, and international research environment consisting of many highly talented and motivated students, embedded in a strong network of academic and industrial collaborators.

Other benefits include a competitive salary (starting at around CHF 88,000 p.a.), an extremely well funded national research system, an office next to a stunning lake and even more stunning mountains, and generous travel support.

Involvement in teaching is possible but not required. Project work with MS and PhD students is expected.

Time frame

The ideal start date is spring 2026. There is, however, some flexibility. The position will initially be for one year, with the expectation to extend to a second year upon mutual agreement.

Qualifications

Candidates should have completed, or be near completion of, a PhD with a strong international publication record in AI or NLP. Strong programming skills and experience with machine learning frameworks are required.

About EPFL

EPFL ranks among the world’s top universities in the field of computer science. It is located in Lausanne, Switzerland, a beautiful and vibrant city in an Alpine setting on the shores of scenic Lake Geneva, in the very heart of Europe. English is the main language spoken at EPFL, and Lausanne is highly international, such that no French language skills are required.

How to apply

To apply, you should

  1. complete this short online form;
  2. arrange for two letters of reference to be sent to robert.west@epfl.ch within two weeks of submitting your application documents.

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

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