Linguistic Engineer Intern (PhD)

Key Skills

Python Programming, SQL, Cloud computing

Job Description

As an LE intern, you will contribute to language data systems for NLP development. You will be responsible for contributing to product language needs, contributing to the strategic vision for data-based model and product improvements, working with cross-functional partners to create consistent language products across dialects and languages, and helping to design and develop Facebook’s language data infrastructure. You will use your analytical mindset, strong communication skills, collaborative attitude, and personal drive to achieve team goals.
We value expertise in any subfield of linguistics -- expect a passion for the scientific study of language -- and value research experience that includes an understanding of the scientific method and experimental design. We are seeking interns who work well on teams, are open to different viewpoints, and can quickly agree on the most optimal solutions to language data problems.

Linguistic Engineer Intern (PhD) Responsibilities

• Provide linguistic expertise in the areas of syntax, semantics, pragmatics, dialog, ontology, and NLP.
• Build datasets, pipelines, and models for ML applications.
• Clearly communicate expertise with project stakeholders.
• Identify best practices and improve procedures across NLP systems.
• Identify linguistic needs and gaps within project ontologies and NLP systems.
• Anticipate language-based problems before they occur.
• Drive projects from conceptualization through launch and beyond with continual improvement and support.
• Design and conduct language experiments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently has, or is in the process of obtaining, a PhD degree in the field of Linguistics, Language Technologies, Computational Linguistics, Speech Science, or a related field.
• Training in various areas of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, and field work.
• Basic familiarity with programming techniques and with languages and platforms such as Praat, Python, SQL, PHP, Hack, JavaScript, and React.
• Demonstrated ability to cooperate within smaller projects or teams.
• Experience contributing to language data experiments.
• Experience with hierarchical structures and ontologies.
• Experience with text labeling problems.
• Experience forming internal team relationships and foster external relations.
• Must obtain work authorization in country of employment at the time of hire, and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Actively pursuing advanced degree in Linguistics, Language Technologies, Computational Linguistics, Speech Science, or related field.
• Experience with larger scripting projects that involve combining language data from different sources, computing complex metrics over large datasets, etc.
• Strong understanding of the relationship between data and machine learning models in order to increase linguists’ impact on ML projects.
• Familiarity with core data processing techniques and tooling (including version control, unit tests, and other programming best practices).
• Fluency in two or more natural languages.
• Intent to return to degree-program after the completion of the internship.