Research Assistant (Ph.D. Candidate) in the Field of Large Language Models

The University of Wuppertal is a dynamic, interconnected, research-oriented campus university. Here, more than 25,000 researchers, faculty members, students, and staff work together to address challenges in science, education, culture, economics, social issues, technology, and the environment.

In the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, and Media Technology, at the Institute for Technologies and Management of Digital Transformation (Head: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Meisen), we are seeking support.

Your Responsibilities

• Design, development, and implementation of algorithms and models in the field of knowledge-enhanced large language models within the framework of research projects.
• Creation, optimization, and testing of input prompts (prompt engineering) for language models to increase their accuracy and efficiency.
• Creating and optimizing required contexts (context engineering).
• Adapting and fine-tuning existing language models to specific use cases and datasets.
• Developing and implementing retrieval-augmented generation pipelines to improve language models by integrating external knowledge sources.
• Planning, conducting, and analyzing experiments to evaluate language models.
• Presenting scientific findings in seminars, at conferences, and at academic meetings.
• Developing and expanding your personal and professional qualifications.

Your Profile

• Completed university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Computer Science, Engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering), Physics, Mathematics, Computational Linguistics, or comparable fields.
• Knowledge in the field of Natural Language Processing, particularly Large Language Models.
• A passion for programming, as reflected in your resume.
• Analytical and structured approach to work, as well as strong problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.
• Confident demeanor, creativity, and enthusiasm for new technologies.
• Excellent written and spoken German and English skills.

WE OFFER YOU

• A collegial and respectful work environment.
• Flexible working hours and remote work options.
• 30 days of vacation.
• Family-friendly working conditions.
• Workplace health management and UniSport.
• Work in an international context.
• Extensive range of continuing education and professional development opportunities.
• Company pension plan.

About Us

We are an interdisciplinary team focused on the technical, individual, and societal perspectives of digital transformation. Together with our research and application partners, we drive innovation and change. We share our findings with the scientific community through publications and actively transfer them to our partners as well as into our educational activities. In the research area of Semantic Systems Engineering, we investigate approaches and algorithms that enable both humans and technical systems to seamlessly collect, integrate, find, understand, and process structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data from various data silos and software systems. In our research focus on knowledge-enhanced language models, we specifically investigate how large language models can be utilized through the targeted use of additional knowledge bases in the form of vector databases, knowledge graphs, etc., to improve the quality of responses.

This is a training position within the meaning of the German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG), intended to support a doctoral program. The position is to be filled on a fixed-term basis for the duration of the doctoral program, initially for up to 3 years. An extension until the completion of the doctorate may be possible within the time limits specified by the WissZeitVG.

At the University of Wuppertal, we value the individual and cultural differences of our university community and are committed to equality, equal opportunity, and the compatibility of family and career. Applications from people of all genders, as well as from people with severe disabilities and those deemed equivalent, are welcome. Women will be given preferential consideration in accordance with the State Equality Act of North Rhine-Westphalia, unless reasons pertaining to a male applicant outweigh this. The rights of people with severe disabilities to be given preferential consideration in cases of equal suitability remain unaffected.