Assistant/PhD Position in English Literature, University of Zurich

Your responsibilities

Your work duties include individual research leading toward a PhD thesis, independent teaching (two hours per week at BA level, starting with the Textual Analysis course), holding oral reading list exams at BA level, as well as collaboration in various research projects of the chair for English Literature, including conference and workshop organisation, participation in internal networks, contribution to the preparation of funding proposals and applications to external bodies, project administration, and other (modest) administrative duties. You will also be expected to participate in the research culture of the department and university.

Your profile

You will have an outstanding MA degree in English Literature (completed or near completion), demonstrate a track record of successful academic study, and show an excellent command of written and spoken English. Candidates will also have a reasonably well-developed research proposal for a PhD project, preferably in one of the following areas: the long nineteenth century, gender studies, intermediality, film, celebrity culture, economic criticism (especially debt studies, money and gender). You will have or will develop a strong research profile in one or several of these fields and contribute to the department’s research output through high-quality publications, presentations of papers at conferences and workshops, as well as participation in public engagement events to disseminate research (citizen science). You are a team player and interested in joint research and publication activities. Last but not least, applicants should be independent, self-reliant, highly motivated, and well organized.

What we offer

We offer an assistant/PhD position with a workload of 60% (initially limited to a one-year period, with possible extensions to a maximum of six years, salary according to canton regulations), allowing the successful candidate to develop and strengthen her or his research profile. Contract renewals are dependent on the satisfactory progress with your research (especially your PhD thesis) and the fulfilment of your other tasks and duties. The English Department offers an attractive, cooperative working environment with good infrastructure in an international, interdisciplinary, and stimulating setting. While teaching and administration are conducted in English at the department, this is not the case with the university administration, and candidates are strongly encouraged to acquire a working knowledge of German. Diversity and inclusion are important to us.

Place of work

University of Zurich, English Department, Plattenstrasse 47, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.

Start of employment

1 February 2021

Applications must be submitted by 30 September 2020 in the form of a single PDF file including the following materials:

• a cover letter outlining how you meet the requirements of the post
• a CV
• copies of degree certificates
• a research proposal for a PhD thesis (maximum 3 pages)
• contact information for two academic references
• a writing sample of ca. 15-20 pages (please explain in your cover letter what your writing sample is and why you have chosen to submit it)

Further information

Prof. Dr. Barbara Straumann

bstraum@es.uzh.ch

Please apply via our job portal http://www.jobs.uzh.ch