Postdoctoral Research Associate: Late Antique History; GREEKWEST – Grade 7

University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

The University of Liverpool invites applications for the position of Postdoctoral Research Associate in Late Antique History as part of the research project “Greek in the West:
Language Communities, Migration and the Transformation of Society in Western Europe (GREEKWEST)”. The project is led by Dr Alison John and funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. It is hosted within the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology in the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The GREEKWEST project seeks to reconstruct the role of the Greek language in the sociolinguistic landscape of western Europe during Late Antiquity (approximately 300–700 CE). The research integrates approaches from sociolinguistics, philology, prosopography, and epigraphy to investigate key questions including who used and understood Greek in the late antique West, which social groups engaged with the language, the motivations behind learning or using Greek, and how individuals and communities accessed Greek knowledge and education.

The project team will develop a comprehensive four-part database corresponding to the project’s central themes:
Literary Culture and Education;
Political and Religious Networks between East and West;
Material Culture, Migration and Non-Elite Bilingual isms; and Translation. The resulting dataset will support four regional case studies focusing on Calabria and Sicily, Carthage, the southern coast of Gaul, and Gallaecia. The findings will contribute to three edited volumes and a major monograph arising from the project.

The successful candidate will primarily contribute to Theme 2:
Political and Religious Networks between East and West. The role will involve conducting independent and collaborative research on late antique history, analysing textual and historical evidence, and contributing to the development of the project’s research database. The postholder will be based in the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool and will work closely with other members of the GREEKWEST research team.

These postdoctoral positions are designed to support career development. In addition to contributing to the collaborative project, the successful candidate will pursue their own research related to the project themes and will be supported in accessing training opportunities, expanding professional networks, and strengthening their academic profile. Funding is available to cover visa costs for successful applicants from outside the United Kingdom.

The post is offered on a fixed-term basis for 36 months starting from 1 September 2026. Shortlisted candidates are expected to be interviewed online via Microsoft Teams in early May.

Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants should hold a PhD in Late Antique History, Classics, Ancient History, or a closely related discipline. Candidates nearing completion of their PhD may also apply, although they will initially be appointed at a lower grade until their doctorate has been formally awarded. Applicants should demonstrate a strong academic background and research profile relevant to the themes of the project.

• Strong research background in Late Antique history or closely related fields.
• Excellent knowledge of both Latin and Ancient Greek.
• Demonstrated experience working with ancient and/or late antique textual sources.
• Interest in the historical interaction between language and society in the ancient and late antique worlds.
• Familiarity with sociolinguistic approaches or related interdisciplinary research methods is desirable.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary research team and contribute to large-scale research projects.

Salary details: £39,906 to £46,049 per annum (Grade
7). Candidates who have not yet been awarded their PhD will be appointed at Grade 6 (Spine Point 30) until confirmation of the doctoral award, after which the salary will increase to Grade 7 (Spine Point 31).