Postdoctoral Fellow in Australian Languages and Linguistic Processing

Job no: 0057158
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full time; Fixed-term until March 2024
Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Department/School: School of Languages and Linguistics
Salary: Level A.6 – $97,558 – $104,717 p.a. plus 17% super

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrung People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal Peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

About the Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and strongly encourages people with diverse experiences to apply. This includes First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse people, Deaf and hard of hearing people, people with a disability, LGBTIQ+, and neurodiverse people. If you have any accessibility requirements for the application or interview, please contact us. We are dedicated to ensuring barrier-free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. A position description is available in alternate formats if required, including USB, Large Print and Plain English.

The Faculty actively seeks to welcome and value the unique contributions of people from all backgrounds and is committed to diversity and inclusion practices to achieve our vision.

About the Role
The School of Languages and Linguistics seeks a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne to undertake research on language processing in Australian Indigenous languages as part of a collaborative project led by Prof Rachel Nordlinger and Prof Evan Kidd (MPI, ANU), and involving collaboration with Prof Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky and Matthias Schlesewsky from the University of South Australia. The project is funded by the ARC project DP210102836 ‘How free is free: word order in Australian Indigenous languages’, which runs from April 2021-March 2024.

In collaboration with the project leaders, the postdoctoral fellow will undertake experimental linguistic processing research (both production and comprehension) on selected Indigenous languages of Australia. This position will engage closely with the Research Unit for Indigenous Language (https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/indiglang/) within the School of Languages and Linguistics.

Due to Australian immigration regulations, we will prefer applicants with Australian work rights. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Responsibilities include:

• Undertaking research within the overall project, with a particular focus on experimental studies of linguistic processing in the Australian languages Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri
• Working with the project leaders on the design of experiments to address project research questions
• Performing statistical analysis of project data, in collaboration with project leaders
• Undertaking fieldwork in Indigenous Australia as required to contribute to experimental studies for the project and/or oversee PhD student data collection

About You
You have a developing research profile in linguistics with a focus on Australian languages and experience doing fieldwork in remote Indigenous communities of Australia. You possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a demonstrated capacity to work in a team environment and deal efficiently with academic and administrative tasks relevant to the position. Your experience in conducting experimental research and analysing datasets using up to date statistical approaches will be vital to your success in this role.

You will also have:

• A PhD in Linguistics
• Experience creating, analysing and coding corpus data
• Knowledge of language transcription and analysis
• Capacity to undertake complex tasks independently, and ability to work in a team environment

To ensure the University continues to provide a safe environment for everyone, this position requires the incumbent to hold a current and valid Working with Children Check.

About the University
The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked amongst the leading universities in the world. We are proud of our people, our commitment to research and teaching excellence, and our global engagement.

Benefits of Working with Us
In addition to having the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to be part of a vibrant campus life, our people enjoy a range of rewarding benefits:

• Flexible working arrangements, generous personal, parental and cultural leave
• Competitive remuneration, 17% super, salary packaging and leave loading
• Free and subsidised health and wellbeing services, and access to fitness and cultural clubs
• Discounts on a wide range of products and services including Myki cards and Qantas Club
• Career development opportunities and 25% off graduate courses for staff and their immediate families

To find out more, visit https://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/staff-benefits .

Be Yourself
We value the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and encourage and celebrate diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, females, people of all ages, with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live.

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please submit your application including a brief cover letter, your resume and your responses against the selection criteria^ (found in the Position Description) for the role.

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments with the recruitment process, please contact  us at hr-talent@unimelb.edu.au .

Please note: To be considered for this role you must have current valid work rights for Australia.

Position Description