Lab Manager

Department

Language and Linguistic Science

Salary

£30,487 - £34,980 per year (reduced pro rata for part time working)

Grade

Grade 5

Contract status

Fixed term

Hours of work

Part-time

Based at

University of York campus (with some remote working options available)

Interview date

To be confirmed

Posted Date

11/03/2024

Apply by

12/04/2024

Job Reference

13204

Documents

The Department of Language and Linguistic Science is seeking to appoint a Lab Manager for a fixed term of up to 3 years, working on a part-time basis (0.5 FTE). The successful applicant will work on a project entitled “Identifying the role of sensorimotor feedback as a mechanism for language learning in the first three years of life” funded by an UKRI grant held by Dr Catherine Laing, as well as conducting general administration tasks within the York BabyLab. The project will examine how infants' vocal development during the first year of life interacts with their early language environment to provide feedback that can be drawn upon in acquiring and developing speech sounds and, ultimately, producing first words. The project will involve working with a cohort of families and their infants aged 2-18 months to collect home-recorded data, with accompanying experiments in the York BabyLab. We will be implementing an existing methodology - ultrasound imaging of the tongue - to a new population - young infants - to understand changes taking place in the speech articulators (in this case, tongue and lips) over the course of development, and how these are affected by different language environments. Ultimately, we are aiming to test whether infants draw on sensorimotor feedback (the simultaneous sensory events experienced during vocal production, such as proprioception, muscular function, and auditory input) to drive their language learning.

The Lab Manager will support the administration and research taking place within the York BabyLab in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science. We work on early infant development, typically upto age 2, and run studies in person in the lab as well as remotely over Zoom.

The post-holder will be required to support the administration of the research project by managing participant recruitment and retention. This will involve communicating regularly with participants via email and phone, as well as some home-visits. There will also be ample opportunity to develop research skills by assisting in data collection; the Lab Manager will support team members to run experimental procedures, as well as managing home-recorded data collection.

Interview date: To be confirmed

For informal enquiries: please contact Catherine Laing on [email protected]

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork