Research Associate

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906.

Hours: Part Time (11.25 hours per week)

Contract Type: Fixed Term contract up to April 2026

Background

To assist in ASK Stroke Information Directory development and research by carrying out software development including front-end and back-end. The candidate will work with a team of research fellows and an industry partner to develop a LLM chatbot, ASKSiD. 

Role Summary

We are seeking a part-time AI Developer to support the design and implementation of a Large Language Model (LLM) chatbot tailored to the needs of stroke patients and their caregivers. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and embedding the chatbot into a web-based platform, ensuring it delivers accurate and accessible support for stroke patients and their carers. This role combines technical expertise in AI and software development with a strong commitment to inclusive design and ethical technology in healthcare. The developer will work collaboratively with the research team and industry partner to ensure the solution is both technically robust and user-centred. The role is for the duration of 10 months commencing on 1st October 2025. The work is funded by the EPSRC network, N-CODE.

Main Duties

• Support the design and deployment of a Large Language Model (LLM) chatbot tailored to the needs of stroke patients and caregivers.
• Integrate the chatbot into a secure, accessible web-based platform with a user-friendly interface.
• Apply Neurosymbolic AI techniques to enhance explainability and reliability of chatbot responses.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals, researchers, and user representatives to ensure the chatbot meets clinical and emotional support needs.
• Fine-tune and evaluate LLM performance using real-world dialogue data and feedback.
• Ensure compliance with data protection regulations and ethical standards, particularly in healthcare contexts.
• Manage cloud infrastructure (AWS) for hosting and scaling the chatbot application.
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and iterate based on user feedback and evolving project goals.

Person Specification

Essential skills 

• Degree/Masters in Computer Science or in relevant subject area. 
• Hands-on experience with Neurosymbolic AI, including integration of neural networks with explainable AI techniques (e.g. Inductive Logic Programming [ILP], Meta-Interpretive Learning [MIL]).
• Experience working with AWS, including deployment and scaling of AI models and web applications.
• Proficiency in Python, with a solid understanding of relevant libraries (e.g. Hugging Face Transformers, PyTorch/TensorFlow, Flask/Django.
• Experience embedding LLMs into web platforms, with a user-centred approach to interface design and accessibility.

Desirable skills

• Understanding of the needs of stroke survivors and caregivers, with a commitment to inclusive design and ethical AI.
• Familiarity with LLM fine-tuning and prompt engineering, especially for healthcare-related conversational agents.
• Understanding of data privacy and security standards, particularly in healthcare contexts (e.g. GDPR compliance).
• Experience working in interdisciplinary teams, including clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates.

Informal enquiries can be made to Sandeep Shirgill, email: s.shirgill@bham.ac.uk 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.  

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We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

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