Research Associate - Language Technologies and AI (Pharos-CY Project)

Responsibilities

Research Group / Project: Visual Computing Group / Pharos-CY

Category: An initial one-year full time employment contract will be offered with the possibility for renewal depending on performance and project needs.

Location: Nicosia, Cyprus

Preferred Start Date: June or as soon thereafter.

Application Deadline: 05/06/2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

No. Of Positions: 1

Salary Range: Depending on qualifications and experience.

About the project / position: CYENS Centre of Excellence is seeking to recruit a Research Associate to join the Visual Computing Group and contribute to the Pharos-CY project. Pharos-CY aims to support the development and deployment of advanced, trustworthy, and human-centric AI technologies in Cyprus and the wider region. Within this context, CYENS contributes expertise in visual computing, interactive technologies, AI-enabled data services, digital twins, visual analytics, and applied research that can support both the public and private sectors.

The successful candidate will work on research and development activities related to language and AI for Pharos-CY, including areas such as natural language processing, speech processing, multilingual AI, and retrieval-augmented generation. The successful candidate may also contribute to the preparation of project reports and deliverables, research proposals, software prototypes, stakeholder engagement activities, and dissemination of research results. Where applicable, the candidate will be encouraged to publish and present research outputs in international conferences, journals, workshops, and project events. Position holders are expected to contribute to both the research and applied innovation objectives of Pharos-CY, working closely with CYENS researchers, project partners, public-sector stakeholders, private-sector users, and other relevant actors in Cyprus’ AI and data ecosystem. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of the Visual Computing Group Leader.

Responsibilities of Research Associate:

• Conduct research and development in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, generative AI, or related areas relevant to Pharos-CY.
• Design, implement, test, and document software prototypes, tools, pipelines, and services that support Pharos-CY use cases.
• Work with text, speech, audio, or other domain-specific datasets, including data preparation, annotation, processing, analysis, and visualization.
• Contribute to the development of AI-ready datasets and data services that may be used by public-sector and private-sector stakeholders.
• Support the integration of speech-to-text, subtitling, diarisation, transcription, summarisation, translation, and text classification pipelines.
• Participate in project meetings, technical discussions, reporting activities, and coordination with Pharos-CY partners.
• Contribute to project deliverables, technical documentation, presentations, demonstrations, and dissemination material.
• Assist in the preparation of scientific publications, research proposals, and innovation activities related to the project.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand real-world needs and translate them into technical requirements, prototypes, or research tasks.
• Support the wider activities of the Visual Computing Group and CYENS Centre of Excellence, where relevant.

Your profile

Profile of the ideal candidate:

• Self-motivated, with the ability to take initiative and work independently.
• Able to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary research and development team.
• Strong in analytical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail.
• Able to translate research ideas into working prototypes, tools, or demonstrators.
• Dynamic, adaptable, hands-on, and results driven.
• Comfortable working with researchers, engineers, project managers, and external stakeholders.
• Able to communicate technical ideas clearly through written reports, presentations, and demonstrations.
• Interested in applied AI and NLP solutions that can have real impact for Cyprus’ public and private sectors.

General qualifications and requirements:

• A PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or another relevant field.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: natural language processing, speech processing, computational linguistics, machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, large language models, or AI-enabled software development.
• Strong programming skills, preferably in Python and/or C++.
• Experience with relevant libraries and frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, Transformers, NLTK, scikit-learn, Pandas, NumPy, LangChain, Whisper-family tools, or similar will be considered an advantage.
• Experience with data processing pipelines, APIs, databases, cloud tools, or software engineering practices will be considered an advantage.
• Ability to read, understand, and apply technical and scientific literature.
• Computer literacy and ability to work with collaborative software development tools, such as Git.
• Excellent written and oral English-language skills.
• For non-EU applicants, a work permit will be required.

Specific requirements for Research Associate positions:

• A Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Data Science, Computer Engineering, Speech Technology, or a related area.
• Strong programming skills in at least one of the following languages: Python.
• Experience with one or more of the following: NLP, LLMs, speech-to-text, automatic speech recognition, subtitling, text classification, information extraction, summarisation, translation, corpus development, information retrieval, RAG, or AI-enabled language applications.
• Experience with AI and machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, Transformers, scikit-learn, or similar.
• Ability to independently identify technical problems and carry out research and development work within the scope of the Visual Computing Group and Pharos-CY.
• Ability to work with domain experts and stakeholders to identify needs, define use cases, and support applied research activities.
• Previous research experience and high-impact publications on relevant topics will be considered an advantage, especially for PhD holders.
• Previous industrial, innovation, entrepreneurship, or grant-writing experience will be considered an advantage.
• Experience with EU-funded or nationally funded research projects will be considered an advantage.
• Experience with data governance, trustworthy AI, explainable AI, secure data handling, or responsible AI practices will be considered an advantage.

Why us?

Take advantage of this opportunity for your professional and personal development by being part of a fast-growing Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence. A competitive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidate according to qualifications and experience. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment, collaborate with leading researchers and innovators, contribute to a strategic AI initiative for Cyprus, engage with real-world stakeholders, and participate in high-impact research and innovation activities.

Application process

For full consideration, interested applicants should submit the following items via the online application form and mention the position you are applying for: “Application for Research Associate - Language Technologies and AI - Visual Computing Group / Pharos-CY”:

• A cover letter which clearly specifies 1) contact details, 2) employment availability date
• A detailed curriculum vitae in English.
• Copies of academic transcripts
• Description of their academic and research experiences as well as any relevant industrial / innovation / entrepreneurship experience, where applicable (500 words maximum).
• Contact details of two University professors or one University professor and one industry referee who will provide the letters.
• Two (2) representative publications.
• In case you previously applied for a post at CYENS CoE, a new application is required.

Contact details

For general enquiries, applicants may contact the HR Department of CYENS, Centre of Excellence at vacancies@cyens.org.cy.

About us

CYENS Centre of Excellence (formerly known as RISE) is the Research and Innovation Centre on Interactive media, Smart systems and Emerging technologies empowering knowledge and technology transfer in the region. CYENS CoE is supported by the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus and its founding Partners, the Municipality of Nicosia, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (MPI), University College London, the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology and the Open University of Cyprus. The Centre conducts excellent, internationally competitive scientific research in the areas of visual sciences, human factors and design, communication, and artificial intelligence delivered by high-calibre multidisciplinary research teams. CYENS engages in knowledge transfer and innovation activities aiming to bridge the gap between scientific research and STEM-led innovation and entrepreneurship. CYENS, as a Centre of Excellence, cultivates a culture of innovation and creativity in an inspiring environment filled with academics, researchers, creative and onward-looking people, innovators, entrepreneurs, and practitioners. The Centre operates under the moto “Inspired by Humans Designed for Humans” with the vision to produce world class research that drives innovation towards social and economic benefit while conducting excellent, internationally competitive scientific research in the areas of visual sciences, human factors and design, communication, and artificial intelligence. It sets out to meet the challenge with a total potential funding of more than 30 million Euros for the first 7 years, from a Horizon 2020 Teaming Action and multiple other sources, and a business plan for long-term sustainability and growth.