Postdoctoral Researcher - Linguistics & English Language

Overview

The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The appointment is a full-time, fixed-term Postdoctoral Researcher position within the Linguistics & English Language Department, part of the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences at The University of Edinburgh. The ERC-funded project explores suprasegmental morphology in West Nilotic languages, focusing on descriptive analysis of Burun languages. The role combines rigorous research with collaborative teamwork and offers the chance to engage with linguistics in diverse real-world settings, including regular fieldwork in East Africa.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with project colleagues and contribute to producing high-quality analyses of the sound systems and morphosyntactic structures of understudied languages.
• Engage in in-depth descriptive analysis of Burun languages and their suprasegmental features.
• Undertake fieldwork in East Africa as part of the ERC project.
• Collaborate with project colleagues and contribute independently to analytical work.

Qualifications

• PhD (completed or near completion) in Linguistics or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative analysis of the sound systems of understudied languages based on first-hand data collection.
• Expertise in morphosyntax analysis and experience with suprasegmental phenomena.
• Strong collaborative research skills and capacity to contribute independently to analytical work.
• Deep understanding of field methods in linguistic description and analysis.
• Proven ability to work effectively within a research team and in cross-cultural research environments.
• Excellent academic writing and communication skills suitable for publication and dissemination.

Salary Details

This post is graded UE07 with a competitive salary ranging between £41,064 and £48,822 per year, reflecting full-time employment terms and progression within the pay scale.

Application Deadline

The deadline for submitting complete applications was 17 December 2025. Interviews were anticipated to be held in January 2026.