Research Assistant

Job Description

Research Assistant

Job Title:

11099

Job ID:

Department:

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Job Posting Details

We are doing an R&D project involving one development team and one research team.  For the development team, we plan to recruit 2 to 3 Research Assistants. 

The positions are part of the UpCareer Project, an AI-driven gamification platform for neurodiverse career development. The platform leverages interactive simulations, adaptive accessibility features and data-driven dashboards to help individuals explore, train and succeed in diverse career pathways.

The appointees will take a hands-on lead in full-stack development in partnership with a separate development team, translating research ideas and UX designs into robust, user-facing applications. The appointees will also collaborate with external/internal programmers and the research team to integrate AI-driven features and accessibility tools tailored to neurodiverse learners into an existing software stack.

The appointees will work closely with the AI Research Team of HKUST for the research component about the recommendation system, led by Professor Raymond WONG of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, as well as Redmer Productions for the development of the job simulation platform, including full stack gamification and analytics dashboard, reporting and the integration of the AI recommendation system. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Manage the complete software development process from conception to deployment
2. Develop user-facing features and implement UI/UX designs into responsive, scalable applications
3. Design and implement authoring interfaces for procedurally generated scenarios, AI-driven item authoring and behavioural profiling
4. Implement conversational and voice-enabled interfaces for user interaction
5. Design and develop interactive dashboards and reporting tools with AI explanations, “what-if” scenario simulations and career-fit recommendations
6. Collaborate closely with the development and research teams on the seamless integration of AI-driven components
7. Optimize applications for performance, responsiveness and scalability across devices, including mobile
8. Contribute to continuous improvement by testing, debugging and documenting front-end features
9. Maintain and upgrade software after deployment 

Requirements

1. A bachelor’s degree or above in computer science, software engineering or related disciplines
2. Strong practical experience in front-end technologies: JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3, Vue.js (or React.js/Angular), etc.
3. Experience with Bootstrap and familiarity with material design, ideally experience with Vuetify
4. Familiarity with accessibility standards and usability testing, especially for neurodiverse users
5. Demonstrated ability to build reusable component libraries and responsive UI/UX design, as well as specialized, custom visualizations for rich graphical data reports
6. Strong practical experience in back-end technologies: Node.js, Express.js, TypeScript, MongoDB, Mongoose ODM, etc.
7. Practical experience in Python/Flask for web APIs
8. Experience in NumPy, SciKit Learn, SHAP/BorutaShap; understanding of the mathematics behind machine learning models is a plus
9. Familiarity with DBMS technology, including MongoDB and caching mechanisms such as Redis or Memcached
10. Experience in Git, agile methodologies and collaborative workflows
11. Excellent writing and communication skills
12. Proficiency in written and spoken Chinese and English
13. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while achieving benchmarks
14. Familiarity with end-to-end hosting infrastructure is a plus
15. Knowledge of/experience in Voice recognition/NLP integration, and exposure to cloud platforms (especially managed Kubernetes services, managed database/object storage services, etc.) is preferred

(Duration: 1 to 2 years, renewable)

Starting salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.  Fringe benefits including annual leave, medical and dental benefits will be provided. A gratuity will be payable upon successful completion of the 2-year contract.

Review of applications will start from Wednesday, 3 June 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

(Information provided by applicants will be used for recruitment and other employment-related purposes.  Applicants should read the Personal Information Collection Statement before submission of application.)

HKUST is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to our core values of

inclusiveness, diversity, and respect.