About
The
Job.
School of English
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Research Associate in Sociophonetics
About
The
Job.
Pursue the extraordinary
Overview
About the Department
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Sheffield is one of the leading
centres for research in the arts and humanities in the UK.
The University of Sheffield is a
member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities and is currently ranked 8th in
the UK in the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities.
The 2008
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) ranked the University 5th in the UK in terms of the
number of subject areas with 50% or more of their research judged to be ‘world-leading’
(4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*). The performance by the Arts and Humanities in
RAE 2008 was particularly impressive with 9 out of our 10 subject areas having 50%+ of
their research in the 4* and 3* categories.
We have an international reputation for high-quality and innovative learning and teaching,
delivered by staff who are both committed to providing an outstanding student experience
and who are at the cutting edge of research in their own disciplines.
The University of Sheffield has been awarded the Times Higher Education University of the
Year for 2011, and Arts and Humanities is a major contributor to this success.
The Faculty comprises the following departments:
 Archaeology
 Biblical Studies
 History
 School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
 School of Languages and Culture
 Music
 Philosophy
Six of the seven units are located in the Jessop quarter of the university campus, adjacent to
the award-winning Humanities Research Institute. The Faculty has its own governance
structures and is one of the five faculties of the university.
Colleagues in the School of English are known for their international-quality research in
English Language, Applied Linguistics, Cultures of the British Isles, English Literature,
Theatre and Performance, and Creative Writing. The English Language team currently
comprises twelve full-time members of academic staff, with three further appointments to
be made in September 2012. Our research specialisms include variationist sociolinguistics,
historical linguistics, conversational analysis, applied linguistics, and language acquisition.
Our staff are world leaders in their specialisms. In addition to authoring key texts, they also
serve on editorial boards for esteemed publications (including Cambridge University Press'
Studies in English Language Series and Edinburgh University Press' Dialects of English
Series) and hold key positions in important learned societies (including the Arts and
Humanities Research Council, The British Association of Applied Linguistics, the Henry
Sweet Society for the History of Linguistic Ideas, The Philological Society and the Worldwide
Universities Network).
Members of our team have also undertaken consultancy roles for institutions such as the
BBC and the English Subject Centre. We have also been successful in winning research
grants from a wide range of funding bodies, including the British Academy, the Leverhulme
Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities
Research Council (AHRC).
Job Role
The appointed Research Associate will have a strong research profile in sociophonetics, and
experience in working at the interface between this area and variationist sociolinguistics. An
interest in ethnographic methodologies will be an advantage. You will undertake research
on the AHRC funded project, Scilly Voices: Language Variation and Distinctiveness on the
Isles of Scilly, working as part of a project team. The post will involve undertaking interviews
with children.
Job Description
Main Duties and Responsibilities

Undertake background research into demographic context, and complete a literature
review

Complete quantitative and qualitative analysis of spoken data, using linguistic software
where appropriate

Undertake interviews with study participants, where appropriate

Assist in training linguistic fieldworkers to undertake interviews and use data recording
equipment, and provide support and advice for these fieldworkers, where appropriate

Conduct perception testing, using software developed in collaboration with
programmers at the University of Sheffield

Write and prepare journal articles and research papers for conferences in collaboration
with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Emma Moore.

Create and maintain a corpus of interviews using an on-line database

Represent the project at project meetings and conferences

Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.
Person Specification
Applicants should provide evidence in their applications that they meet the following
criteria. We will use a range of selection methods to measure candidates’ abilities in these
areas including reviewing your on-line application, seeking references, inviting shortlisted
candidates to interview and other forms of assessment action relevant to the post.
Criteria
Essential Desirable
Qualifications and experience
1.
Have a good honours degree (or equivalent experience) in a
X
relevant subject area.
2.
Have or be close to completing a PhD (or equivalent experience)
X
in in Sociophonetics or Variationist Sociolinguistics.
3.
Proven ability to carry out high quality research and disseminate
X
research findings.
4.
Have experience in phonetic analysis and using software such as
5.
Praat and R-Brul.
Ability to demonstrate some record of quality peer reviewed research
publications.
X
X
Communication skills
6.
Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report
X
writing skills and experience of delivering presentations.
7.
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise effectively
X
with colleagues, students and others in the University and
beyond.
8.
Ability to communicate research activities and ideas to the wider
X
public.
Team working
11.
Ability to think strategically and innovatively.
X
12.
Ability to analyse and solve problems with an appreciation of
X
longer-term implications.
Project management
13.
Experience of managing projects, people and resources.
X
Personal effectiveness
14.
15.
Proven ability to work to and meet deadlines.
Experience of adapting own skills to new circumstances.
X
X
Further Information
This post is fixed-term with a start date of 1 June 2013 and an end date of 31 January 2015.
This post is full-time.
Benefits
Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for Grade 7 staff.
Salary for this grade: £28,401 - £39,935 per annum.
More details on salaries, terms and conditions and our wide range of benefits for staff are
available at www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/reward/structures
Informal enquiries:
For all on-line application system queries and support, contact:
e-Recruitment@sheffield.ac.uk .
For informal enquiries about this job and department, contact:
Selection-Next Step
Following the closing date, you will be informed by email whether or not you have been
shortlisted to be invited to participate in the next stage of the selection process. Please note
that due to the large number of applications that we receive, it may take up to two working
weeks following the closing date before the recruiting department will be able to contact
you.
The University of Sheffield is committed to achieving excellence through inclusion.
The University of Sheffield is proud to be a Two Ticks employer
www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/twoticks/
Pursue the extraordinary