Research Associate: Conversational Engineering

The UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London is looking for a Research Assistant / Associate to undertake work in the software engineering of conversational agents

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Assistant / Associate to undertake work in the software engineering of conversational agents, as part of the Dementia Research Institute. You will be working with Prof Rafael Calvo and Prof Ravi Vaidyanathan on developing text and voice-based conversational agents that support people living with dementia, their carers and a clinical team overseeing their wellbeing.

This research will build on research in psychology and design practice and help build your research portfolio with contributions beyond software and in leading health technology journals.

What you would be doing:

Responsibilities and duties include developing scalable, safe software that uses behavioural tracking data from over 100 smart homes (with sensors in doors, beds, watches, etc) to support conversational agents that provide appropriate support to the different actors.

Your role will include the development of chatbots using LLMS, and will also include developing back-end (e.g., analysis of the conversations), integrating with APIs (e.g. Twilio and LLMs) and possibly some front end-development (e.g., platforms like WhatsApp, or mobile apps in Flutter). You will also be expected to write presentations and publications.

What we are looking for:

We are looking for someone who holds a PhD or is working towards a PhD in computer science software or design engineering and has practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and refereed journals.

You should be experienced in developing:

• software for message processing
• LLM applications using LangChain
• in Python
• for Flutter or React Native
• with Twilio or other messaging platforms

You should also have advanced computer and statistical skills in using tools like SPSS or R, and knowledge of research methods and statistical procedures.

What we can offer you:

• Opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity
• Benefit from sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes)
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day 1, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities, a cycle-to-work scheme, or an interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel
• Being part of a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources designed to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further Information

The role is full-time and is a fixed-term contract for 2 years.

Please refer to the Job Description for a full list of the key responsibilities and the essential and desired requirements.

Should you require any further details on the role, contact Prof Rafael Calvo, Chair in Engineering Design, via r.calvo@imperial.ac.uk.

Should you have any queries about the application process, contact Monika Delczyk, Senior Finance and Staff Administrator, via m.delczyk@imperial.ac.uk.

The interview date will be confirmed in an invitation to shortlisted candidates.

Planned start date: February 2025 or later

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don’t hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We’re here to help.