Postdoc in generative AI for humanoid assistive robots

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at KTH

Job description

Recent advances in commercially mature humanoid robotic systems and advanced generative AI have created the technical foundation for meaningful robotic assistance in domestic environments. KTH has recently been awarded a Promobilia-funded project, Situated Agentic Interaction ( ?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speech.kth.se%2Fsaint%2F&module=jobs&id=3208762" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speech.kth.se%2Fsaint%2F&module=jobs&id=3208762" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.speech.kth.se/saint/ ), which aims to develop and evaluate humanoid assistive robots capable of understanding context, learning through spoken interaction, and providing proactive support. The overall objective is to move beyond traditional command-driven assistive robots by developing agentic systems capable of contextual understanding, inferring user goals through natural multimodal communication, and collaborating proactively as an integrated part of everyday activities.

We are now seeking a postdoctoral researcher with an interest in generative AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and human-robot interaction.

Your Role

You will collaborate with three principal investigators (PIs) and another postdoctoral researcher in co-supervising three PhD candidates who are developing the core technologies of the project. A central responsibility is to design and conduct human-robot interaction experiments to evaluate the iteratively developed humanoid robot. The robot is intended to understand user goals, actions, ongoing activities, and cognitive states, in order to determine when and how verbal and physical assistance should be provided.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree in computer science, machine learning, computational linguistics, robotics, human-computer interaction, or a closely related field. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Documented experience in experimentally evaluating robots that interact through speech.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, PyTorch).
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline
• Previous experience in developing and evaluating robots that interact through speech training.
• Awareness of diversity and equal opportunity issues, with specific focus on gender equality

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Join us at KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in advancing the transition towards a sustainable society. At KTH, you have the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic environment, with good working conditions and attractive benefits. Equality, diversity and equal opportunities are essential to quality and form an integral part of KTH’s core values as a university and public authority.

Learn more about our benefits and what it’s like to work and grow at KTH.

Trade union representatives

Contact information to  trade union representatives.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH’s recruitment system to apply for this position. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete according to the instructions in the ad.

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
• Brief account of why you want to conduct research, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Maximally two pages long.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

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It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant’s consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

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Type of employment

Temporary position

Contract type

Full time

Full-time equivalent

100%

First day of employment

According to agreement

Salary

Monthly salary

Number of positions

1

Location

Stockholm

County

Stockholms län

Country

Sweden

Reference number

PA-2026-0757

Published

03.Mar.2026

Last application date

15.Apr.2026

Contact

Joakim Gustafsson, jkgukth.se

+4687908965