Department of Computational Linguistics
PhD in automatic speech processing 80 %
Start of employment August 2026 or by agreement, temporaryYou will be joining the Department of Computational Linguistics, which has 6 Research Groups and around 70 postdoctoral and student researchers in the areas of Text Technologies, Phonetics and Speech Sciences, Digital Linguistics, Computational Neuroscience of Speech & Hearing, Language, Technology and Accessibility as well as Language Technology.
The Language Technology Group invites applications for a PhD position. The position has funding for three years and starts in August 2026 or by agreement.
Your responsibilities
The position will be a part of the SAGE project (Speaker Recognition across Age-Groups for Cantonal Law Enforcement Agencies) funded by the Digital Society Initiative, UZH. During the project, you will develop methods to produce robust speaker embeddings, specifically optimized for forensically challenging conditions such as children's and female voices, poor audio quality, and complex multi-speaker conversations.
The candidate will join the Language Technology group in the Department of Computational Linguistics, and will be supervised by Dr. Srikanth Madikeri, Prof. Volker Dellwo and Prof. Thilo Stadelmann (ZHAW).
The candidate will join the Language Technology group in the Department of Computational Linguistics, and will be supervised by Dr. Srikanth Madikeri, Prof. Volker Dellwo and Prof. Thilo Stadelmann (ZHAW).
Your profile
- a Master degree (or imminent Master degree) in computational linguistics, computer science, AI, or a related discipline.
- Proficiency in Python programming and experience working with machine learning toolkits.
- a strong academic track record with a background in machine learning and speech processing.
- strong communication skills.
Information on your application
We offer varied and interesting work in an inspiring and socially relevant environment. Diversity and inclusion are important to us.The University of Zurich is one of the top research universities in Europe, and Zurich is often ranked among the cities with the world's highest quality of life and most dynamic AI research communities.
PhD students are remunerated according to SNSF salary rates (50,504 in the first year, CHF 52,115 in the second year, and CHF 53,725 in the third year).
This position is limited up to 3 years.
To apply, please upload the following documents with the button "Apply now" below:
- a motivation letter (up to one page), explaining why you are applying for this position, and demonstrating how you fulfill the criteria listed above
- a CV, including a list of publications
- two references (name, position and e-mail address)
The last date of Application is April 21st, 2026. In case of any further questions, please reach out to Dr. Srikanth Madikeri over the contact form.
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Questions about the job
Dr. Srikanth Madikeri Head of Language Technology Research Group
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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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