Postdoctoral Research Assistant - Multilingual Markets Project

About the role

The Multilingual Markets project investigates language use and language attitudes in the informal labour market in Malawi, focusing on urban and semi-urban marketplaces across the country. It is an international, interdisciplinary project managed by researchers from the University of Malawi, the University of Sterling and Glasgow University, using a mixed-methods approach of qualitative ethnography and a quantitative skills survey. The University of Malawi is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) to lead data collection and analysis until April 2026; part-time positions may also be considered.

Key responsibilities

• Collect data in all six research sites, meeting targets and following ethical procedures
• Lead tidying, transcription and analysis of the data, including translations where needed
• Manage a team of four Fieldwork Research Assistants
• Contribute to team meetings, stakeholder engagement, academic talks and publications
• Develop public-facing outputs such as infographics and audio/visual material
• Maintain the project website

Required profile

• PhD in Linguistics or a closely related field obtained within the last seven years
• Experience of ethnographic methods and qualitative data analysis
• Experience of working in a team
• Knowledge of English and Chichewa; other Malawian languages are desirable
• Desirable: experience managing teams, international partnership experience and a publication history appropriate to career stage

Applications include a CV, a cover letter explaining how the candidate meets the criteria and gives reasons for a part-time arrangement if applicable, and an example of recent academic writing. Applications are submitted by email to the project team by 30 December 2024.