Duke University, Computer Science

Position ID:

Duke-CS-POSTDOC2 [#32806]

Position Title:

Postdoctoral Associate

Position Type:

Postdoctoral

Position Location:

Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States of America

Subject Areas:

Computer Science / Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models

Appl Deadline:

2026/12/31 23:59:59 (posted 2026/09/23, listed until 2027/03/23)

Position Description:

The DukeNLP group in the Department of Computer Science at Duke University invites applications for a postdoctoral associate position in natural language processing and machine learning. The group studies how language models acquire, use, and communicate information, and how these systems can be evaluated and deployed responsibly in consequential settings. We are particularly interested in understanding how errors arise and compound in extended or agentic workflows, and how humans can efficiently assess and verify AI-generated work. Possible research directions include developing methods and evaluations for factual and robust language generation, studying the behavior of models and agents over long-horizon tasks, and measuring or reducing the human effort required to verify AI-assisted outputs. Related work on the provenance, transparency, and accountability of human-AI-produced artifacts is also welcome.

The specific research agenda will be developed jointly with the successful candidate. The postdoctoral associate will be encouraged to take intellectual ownership of one or more projects, develop new research directions, publish at leading NLP and machine learning venues, and release useful datasets, models, or evaluation resources. The researcher will also collaborate with graduate and undergraduate students and may participate in interdisciplinary projects with researchers across Duke and other institutions.

Applicants should hold, or expect to complete before the start date, a PhD in computer science, machine learning, natural language processing, or a closely related field. Candidates should have:

• A demonstrated record of original research in NLP, machine learning, or a related area

• Experience conducting empirical research with large language models

• Strong programming and experimental skills

• The ability to formulate and pursue research questions independently

• Strong written and oral communication skills

Experience with human-centered evaluation, reinforcement learning or post-training, agentic systems, or large-scale data collection is helpful but not required. We welcome candidates whose background complements the group’s existing expertise and who are interested in shaping a broader research program around reliable and accountable AI. The postdoctoral associate will be supervised by Professor Bhuwan Dhingra and will be part of the broader NLP and AI research community at Duke.

More information is available at https://nlplab.cs.duke.edu/. The initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second year contingent on satisfactory performance, continued funding, and mutual interest.

Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke University aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Application Materials Required:

Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:

Cover letter
Curriculum Vitae

Further Info:

https://www.cs.duke.edu

(919) 660-6500

Department of Computer Science
Box 90129
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708