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
.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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