Talk:Employment opportunities, postdoctoral positions, summer jobs

Employer: Educational Testing Service

Title: Research Scientist, NLP and Speech

Speciality: Natural Language Processing

Location: Princeton, NJ or San Francisco, CA

Date Posted: 5/21/2013

Apply to position at: www.ets.org

Research Scientist Positions, NLP and Speech JOB ID: 148123

Job Description:

Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, ETS is the world’s premier educational measurement institution and a leader in educational research. As an innovator in developing achievement and occupational tests for clients in business, education, and government, we are determined to advance educational excellence for the communities we serve.

ETS Research & Development has openings for Research Scientists at all levels in Natural Language Processing and Speech Group. The ongoing projects in this group focus on natural language processing for topics including automated evaluation of writing and speaking assessments. Future projects may include (1) research projects, (2) development projects that use scientific principles to create (a) tools to improve the efficiency or quality of the practice of test development; (b) innovative item types; (c) the evaluation and scoring of test-taker and student responses to open-ended items; and, (d) new educational products or product prototypes that leverage NLP and speech technology.

This is an excellent opportunity to be a part of a research and development team and have a significant impact on existing and next generation assessments.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Pursue or collaborate in interdisciplinary projects, transferring techniques to a new context or connecting scientific fields that are usually separate. Successful candidates are self-motivated and self-driven, and have a strong interest in emerging technology that can contribute to education in assessment and instructional settings.

• Provide scientific and technical skills to conceptualize, design, obtain support for, conduct, and manage new research projects, grants, or parts of existing projects.

• Generate or contribute to new or modified methods that support research and development in the automated analysis of student responses as well as other written or spoken materials relevant in assessment and instructional settings.

• Design and conduct scientific studies, functioning as an expert in the major facets of the projects; respond as a subject matter expert in presenting the results of acquired knowledge and experience. Consult and collaborate on problems arising from research and/or testing programs, or corporate management concerns.

• Develop or assist in developing proposals for external and internal research grants and obtain financial support for new or continuing research activities. Prepare initial and final proposal and project budgets.

• Participate in dissemination activities through the publications of research papers in peer-reviewed journals and in the ETS Research Report series, the issuing of progress and technical reports, the presentation of seminars at major conferences and at ETS, or the use of other appropriate communication vehicles, including books and chapters, that impact practice in the field or at ETS.

• Develop professional relationships as a representative, consultant or advisor to external advisory and policy boards and councils, research organizations, educational institutions and educators.

• Consult on ETS projects or external contracts that related to the research focus of the group.

Required Experience:

REQUIREMENTS FOR A JUNIOR LEVEL POSITION

A Doctorate in computer science, linguistics, cognitive psychology, or a related field is required. Research experience in education is desirable. Candidates should be very skilled in programming and be able to work effectively as a research team member.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MID-LEVEL POSITION

A Doctorate in computer science, linguistics, cognitive psychology, or a related field is required. Research experience in education is desirable. Candidates should be very skilled in programming and be able to work effectively as a research team member. Three years of progressively independent substantive research in the area of computer science, linguistics, cognitive psychology, or education are required.

REQUIREMENT FOR A SENIOR-LEVEL POSITION

A Doctorate in computer science, linguistics, cognitive psychology, or a related field is required. Research experience in education is desirable. Candidates should be very skilled in programming and be able to work effectively as a research team member. Eight years of progressively independent substantive research in the area of computer science, linguistics, cognitive psychology, or education are required.

About the Center for Assessment Innovation: The NLP and Speech Group focuses on automated scoring of text and speech, support for technologically-enhanced assessment methods, and the application of NLP and speech technology to educational problems generally. The group builds partnerships and collaborations with other institutions. External grants are pursued, and internally-funded fundamental research and capability development is also supported.

ETS offers competitive salaries, outstanding benefits, a stimulating work environment, and attractive growth potential. ETS is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer.