Four Postdoc Positions in Natural Language Processing, AI and LLM Security (CPH)

Four Postdoc Positions in Natural Language Processing, AI and LLM Security (CPH)

Jobbeskrivelse
The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Department of Computer Science, Section for Copenhagen, Natural Language Processing
The Department of Computer Science at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design invites applications for four postdoc positions in the area of Natural Language Processing (NLP), AI, and LLM Security. The positions are open for appointment from May 1, 2026 or soon thereafter - starting dates after the summer of 2026 are also possible. The duration of the positions is between 1 and 3 years, depending on the level of qualification and personal preference. The positions are at AAU’s Copenhagen campus, located at the waterfront in Sydhavnen.

The positions are hosted within the Natural Language Processing (NLP) research group at AAU Copenhagen, and postdocs will be advised by Professor Johannes Bjerva [1]. The NLP group is a rapidly expanding research environment with strong activities in multilingual NLP, LLM security, linguistically informed approaches to NLP, factuality in LLMs, and socially sustainable AI. The group is supported by several major national and international research grants and is currently scaling up its research capacity – in 2026, we are also expanding with four PhD students who are expected to work closely with the postdocs hired in this call. As a postdoc, you will join a highly collaborative, international, and ambitious research community, with access to state-of-the-art computational resources. The positions feature the possibility of going on one or more longer stays abroad to facilitate knowledge exchange with top research environments worldwide. The positions are in part funded by a DFF: Sapere Aude project (“Building TRUST in Text: Linguistically Motivated Language Model Detection”) and an NNF: Ascending Data Science Investigator project (“LM2-SEC: Linguistically Motivated Language Model Security”).

Qualification requirements
Appointment as postdoc requires academic qualifications at PhD level.

Your work tasks
As a postdoc, you will conduct research at the intersection of Security, Safety, and Privacy in Natural Language Processing and AI, with a particular focus on Large Language Models (LLMs) and LLM-based systems. Furthermore, there will be the possibiltiy to gain experience as a co-supervisor for the PhD students associated with these projects, and to supervise students on BSc. and MSc. levels.

Possible research directions include (but are not limited to):

• Detection and mitigation of backdoors, data poisoning, and adversarial inputs in LLMs
• Detection of LLM-generated text, in particular in situations where a model has been compromised but is generating benign outputs, e.g. via computational linguistic analysis of output space distributions
• Linguistically motivated methods for analysing and securing LLM behaviour, including, e.g., LLM misbehaviour and memorization in LLMs
• Analysis of vulnerabilities in low-resource language settings, and the effect of typological diversity on the security landscape in multilingual settings
• Formal semantic or symbolic methods for monitoring, evaluating, and improving LLM robustness, e.g. building on Discourse Representation Theory or other semantic formalisms

The positions are embedded in an active and rapidly growing research environment, including ongoing projects on, e.g., AI security, linguistically motivated NLP, and knowledge-graph grounded factuality in LLM. The postdocs will work both independently and collaboratively within the group, and will have opportunities to engage with national and international partners. As a part of the projects funding these positions, we plan to host internationally leading researchers at AAU to provide further opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

Your competencies
We are looking for candidates motivated to make fundamental scientific contributions to NLP and AI security. Candidates should have the ambition of reaching an internationally leading level of research excellence by building their own research profile, while contributing to the research environment.

Applicants must have:

• A relevant PhD degree (e.g., NLP, AI, ML, Security, Cryptography, or a related field)
• A relevant MSc degree (e.g., Computer Science, Software Engineering, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, or a related field)
• Strong skills in machine learning and deep learning
• Extensive experience with modern ML and NLP methods, including experience with implementing experiments, and publishing in top-tier venues (e.g. ICML, ICLR, NeurIPS, ACL, EMNLP, TACL)
• Excellent communication skills in English

Applicants with evidenced experience in security, privacy, safety, or robustness will be preferred.

Who we are
According to the most recent US News and World Ranking, Aalborg University ranks 3rd in Europe and 27th in the world within Best Universities for Engineering. According to a 2018 MIT report, Aalborg University is considered to have the 4th best engineering program in the world. According to the recent Times Higher Education Impact ranking, Aalborg University ranks 9th in the World for UN SDG Impact.

The Department of Computer Science at Aalborg University is highly regarded among researchers, students, and external partners because of our leading research, education, and collaboration. The department currently has more than 170 scientific staff, 20 administrative staff, and 1,100 students, which are based on AAU's problem-based learning model. You can read more on www.cs.aau.dk, and you can read more about the TECH faculty here.

The Section for Copenhagen at the department is a rapidly growing and highly collaborative research environment, currently expanding from around 30 employees to approximately 60 over the next few years. The section includes members from research groups within NLP, AI, ML, Databases, Formal Methods, Human-Centred Computing, and others, and is uniquely characterised by an open, friendly, and supportive atmosphere. We place a strong emphasis on psychological safety, diversity, and inclusive research practices, and work actively to cultivate a positive everyday environment where staff and students can thrive. Daily life in the section is marked by informal interactions, knowledge sharing, and a strong sense of community. We also host a bi-weekly SemiBar (a combined seminar and Friday bar), where staff is challenged to present their research in a manner that provokes discussion across our diverse scientific backgrounds, along with regular social events, reading groups, cross-group research activities, and a newly established local PhD organization promoting an active social and scientific life among our most junior researchers. Together, these initiatives create a dynamic and welcoming environment for early-career researchers and senior staff alike.

The Natural Language Processing (NLP) group, led by Professor Johannes Bjerva, is a rapidly expanding research environment specialising in multilingual NLP, LLM security, linguistically informed AI, and trustworthy language technologies. The group hosts several major research projects funded by, e.g., the Carlsberg Foundation, Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond (DFF), the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and AAU’s AI:X initiative. During 2026, the group will grow to comprise 4 faculty, 4 postdocs, and 10 PhD students, in addition to several research assistants. The group collaborates broadly across Europe and globally, and offers an inclusive, ambitious, and supportive research culture.

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Cover letter, stating your motivations for applying and your qualifications in relation to the position – at most one page. Please indicate your preferred starting date, and your preferred duration of employment (between 1 and 3 years).
• Curriculum Vitae (CV), at most two pages in addition to a list of publications
• Diplomas (bachelor, master's, and PhD degree diplomas)
• Project description: Applicants are required to submit, along with their application documents, indicating their vision for research to be conducted in relation to the project topics outlined above – at most two pages.
• Other relevant documents

You can read more about the requirements for your application here.

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here

The appointment process at Aalborg University involves a shortlisting process. You can read more about the shortlisting and appointment process here.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (only in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (only in Danish).

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Contacts

• Professor Johannes Bjerva: [email protected]

Ansøgningsfrist
03-03-2026

Ref. nummer
2025/819

Afdeling
Department of Computer Science