University of Oxford – Faculty of English Language and Literature
Postdoctoral Research Assistant – A Consolidated Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Location: Oxford
Salary: £31,076 to £38,183 p.a.
Hours: Full Time
Contract Type: Contract / Temporary

Following the award of a European Research Council Advanced Grant to Professor Andy Orchard (‘A Consolidated Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry’), the Faculty of English Language and Literature is seeking to appoint two Postdoctoral Research Assistants to work on the project.

The project involves the creation of an interactive online edition of the 60,000 or so lines of verse, roughly half in Old English and half in Latin, that comprise the entire combined corpus of Anglo-Saxon poetry. This will be marked up through TEI P5 XML to facilitate the identification of idiosyncratic features of sound, metre, spellings, diction, syntax, formulas, themes, and genres across the corpus. The project will produce a linked series of conferences, workshops, and print publications, including monographs, conference-proceedings, and a themed issue of an academic journal. Further details of the project are included in the Further Particulars.

The two postdoctoral researchers, with training in both Latin and Old English, will each have primary responsibility for either the Old English or Anglo-Latin elements of the project and will be expected to take a leading role in establishing the research base for the project, establishing the normalized mirror corpus and creating the bibliographic database in conjunction with the other members of the project team. Throughout the project, the RAs will be expected to present their research at several conferences a year, to undertake original research leading to the production of articles and/or a monograph, and to co-edit conference proceedings and other publications. They will also help to organise the seminars, workshops, and conferences, and will co-edit the conference proceedings and special journal issue.

Two full-time posts are offered from 1 March, 2017 (or as soon as possible after this date), for a fixed-term of 54 months.

Applicants should possess a PhD in Anglo-Saxon Literary and linguistic studies or a related field by the time of taking up the post; experience of work with Anglo-Saxon texts and manuscripts, including accuracy in transcription and translation; proficiency in Old English and/or Latin, especially with regard to language and metre; the ability to work flexibly and in a team; a willingness to participate in the overall running of the project and public engagement activities; a high level of communication skills, including the ability to address a range of audiences; a high level of organisational skills and an ability to meet deadlines; excellent computer skills; and the capability to work independently across disciplinary boundaries.

Applications (which should include a CV and a supporting statement explaining your suitability for the post) should be made online. Candidates short-listed for interview will be asked to submit a sample of written work (8,000 – 10,000 words) in advance of the interviews, and will be requested to give a short presentation as part of the assessment process. Two references will be sought for short-listed candidates.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 9 January, 2017. Interviews are expected to be held in Oxford during week beginning 23 January, 2017.

For full details and to apply, please visit: https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=126483