Summary
The British Open-ended Learning and Discovery (BOLD) Lab at the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, is seeking two full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistants. This 12-month fixed-term position, funded by EPSRC, offers a unique opportunity to join a major UKRI-funded initiative dedicated to advancing the fundamental science of artificial intelligence. The BOLD Lab brings together over 80 researchers from Oxford, UCL, and Imperial to tackle some of AI’s most important challenges, with an emphasis on efficient and safe learning approaches for collaborative multi-agent reinforcement learning tasks.
Designation
Postdoctoral Research Assistant(s)
Research Area
- Fundamental AI Research
- Efficient and safe learning approaches for collaborative multi-agent reinforcement learning tasks
- Beyond Backpropagation
- Human-Centric Learning & Discovery
- Embodied Learning
- Agentic AI
- Human-AI coordination
- Zero-shot Coordination
- Multi-agent learning
Location
Central Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Eligibility/Qualification
- A PhD or DPhil (or near completion of) in Machine Learning or Mathematics.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities:
- Researching and developing novel algorithms and techniques, particularly focusing on efficient and safe learning for collaborative multi-agent reinforcement learning.
- Implementing developed techniques and algorithms in high-quality software, adhering to group standards, and evaluating them on large-scale benchmarks.
- Maintaining and further developing the lab’s research codebase.
- Contributing to the supervision and mentorship of DPhil students, CDT students, fourth-year project students, and interns.
- Participating actively in BOLD Lab activities, including providing technical guidance and engaging in scholarly discussions.
- Writing research papers for submission to leading journals and conferences.
- Presenting work at national and international venues.
- Contributing to scientific reports and publications.
- Supporting BOLD Lab’s industrial partnerships through site visits, technical demonstrations, and meetings.
- Assisting in the preparation of project reports and grant proposals.
Salary:
Grade 7: £39,424 – £47,779 per annum
How to Apply
Only online applications will be considered. As part of your application, you will be required to upload the following documents:
- A covering letter/supporting statement, including a brief statement of research interests (describing how past experience and future plans fit with the advertised position).
- A comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Details of two referees.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to: boldexec-team@eng.ox.ac.uk
For more information about working at the Department, please visit: www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/
The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology.
Last Date for Apply
9 October 2026, 12:00 (midday UK time)
