Intonation in human speech is essential for communication, as it conveys information about the speaker’s intent to listeners. As a postdoctoral researcher, you aim to understand how intonation is structured and functions in communication as a key contributor to the ERC-funded SPRINT project.

As a postdoctoral researcher you will join the team of SPRINT (Speech Prosody in Interaction: The form and function of intonation in human communication), a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and led by Prof Amalia Arvaniti. SPRINT investigates the phonetics, phonology and pragmatics of intonation in a number of varieties of English and Greek, examining both production and perception. Currently, the SPRINT team includes two postdoctoral researchers; a third postdoc will join SPRINT in early 2022. The team also includes a number of assistants at four locations in the UK and Greece.

You will be a key contributor to SPRINT, working alongside the PI, other postdoctoral RAs, local assistants, and the project's lab manager. You will undertake and manage primarily quantitative research addressing the research questions tackled by the project, author research papers on these questions (in collaboration with the rest of the team), and disseminate project research in seminars, workshops, conferences and public engagement activities, thereby contributing to the promotion of SPRINT in social media and other online platforms.

More specifically, you will have primary responsibility for two main strands of SPRINT’s research: (a) the collection, management, annotation, analysis and modelling of Greek and English data (the latter to a lesser extent), from Athens and Corfu and the South East of England and Bristol respectively; (b) the preparation and conduction of behavioural experiments related to the outcomes of the production research. For both strands, you will both supervise local assistants and contribute to the above tasks yourself.

You will have to be proactive and work independently for most of the time, under the PI's direction, and as part of a team, balancing multiple project demands so as to complete research according to the project's deadlines.

• You have a PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g. linguistics, cognitive science, psychology).
• You have solid knowledge of linguistics and familiarity with experimental methodologies, statistical modelling, languages and applications used in research on speech and language production and perception in general and in SPRINT in particular (e.g. Praat, R, Python); experience and familiarity with research on the production and processing of intonation will be a strong advantage.
• You have experience with or the willingness and technical aptitude to familiarise yourself with software and applications used by SPRINT at Radboud University (e.g. ROLEG, the Radboud in-house system for preparing and managing production and perception experiments).
• You have excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Working knowledge (or better) of Greek will be a strong advantage.

Fixed-term contract: 2 years and 9 months.

• Employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €3,807 and a maximum of €5,211 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant post-PhD work experience (salary scale 11). 
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 2 years and 9 months with the possibility of extension.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Faculty of Arts is committed to producing knowledge with a significant scientific and social impact. With over 500 academic and support staff, we teach and conduct research in the fields of history and art, languages and cultures, and linguistics and communication, using innovative methodologies and working in close collaboration between the disciplines. Our research is embedded in two research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) and the Radboud Institute for Culture & History (RICH). We currently have approximately 2,500 students, enrolled in three departments: the Department of History, Art History and Classics, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and the Department of Language and Communication. We aim to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world, which is why we especially seek applications from candidates who bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skills that will be assets to our study programmes and research profiles. 
Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!