Professorship of English Linguistics with a focus on language variation including computational methods (W2)

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg; Oldenburg; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International environment

Family-friendly university

Research funding support

Job summary

The Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg invites applications for a Professorship of English Linguistics with a focus on language variation and computational methods (W2). The position is a 100% appointment, suitable for part-time work, located in Oldenburg.

You will lead research using corpus-based computational approaches, teach English linguistics, and foster cross-faculty Digital Social Sciences and Humanities initiatives. Deadline 22 November 2026.

Qualifications

• PhD in English linguistics with a focus on variation.
• Evidence of research in variation in English using corpus methods.
• Qualified in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (didactics).

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement research projects using quantitative corpus-based, computational methods.
• Teach across Bachelor's and Master's programmes in English linguistics.
• Collaborate on cross-faculty Digital Social Sciences and Humanities initiatives.
• Mentor students and support career development.

Skills

English language skills

German language skills

Mentoring

Cooperative working style

Education

PhD in English linguistics

Tools

Corpus linguistics tools

Computational methods

Job description

Professorship of English Linguistics with a focus on language variation including computational methods (W2) Salary Scale: W2 Working Hours: 100% position (also suitable for part-time work) Institution: School III of Linguistics and Cultural Studies, Institute of English and American Studies Place of work: Oldenburg (Oldb) Application Deadline: 2026-11-22 First day of work: as soon as possible Limited: unlimited Notes: Funded by zukunft.niedersachsen, the joint science funding program of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation.

About us

In School III - Linguistics and Cultural Studies, research and teaching focus on analysing and interpreting language, literature, art, music, and everyday culture. The school benefits from a remarkable combination of philologies with cultural studies and arts-related disciplines and a diverse range of interdisciplinary options. This also includes participation in a university-wide initiative to establish the Digital Social Sciences and Humanities (DSSH). The Institute of English and American Studies located within this school focuses on the local specifics of anglophone linguistic and cultural spheres and their historic and contemporary global inter-relationships. The various research perspectives in literature, cultural studies and linguistics as well as in subject didactics are reflected in a diverse range of courses - both at the polyvalent Bachelor's level and in the Master of Education degree programmes for all types of schools in Lower Saxony as well as in research-oriented Master of Arts programmes.

Your tasks

• Your new position will focus on the development and implementation of research projects using quantitative corpus-based, computational methods in the field of synchronic and/or diachronic variation in English, possibly with a focus on contact linguistics, on acquiring third-party-funded projects in this field and also on providing teaching resources to all Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at the institute. You strengthen the institute/department team-oriented in research and teaching.
• You will contribute to integrating the Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Oldenburg across schools by strengthening DSSH methods and working to improve digital literacy. Current computational methods, e.g. for analysing language corpora, play an important role here.
• You actively work on cooperation or collaboration projects. We would like you to leverage the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with other institutes of the school and the university, such as the cross-school research focus "Advanced Language Acquisition".
• You mentor and promote the academic career development of students and employees.
• In teaching, you will represent the entire field of English linguistics in all its breadth.
• You will offer courses taught in English or possibly German.
• As the universities of Bremen and Oldenburg are connected by a cooperation agreement, active participation in the cooperation is expected.
• You participate in academic self-governance.
• You promote a university culture that is diverse and equitable.

Your profile

Required:

• You meet the appointment requirements specified in section 25 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG).
• You have a doctorate in the field of English linguistics or linguistics with a focus on English.
• Your expertise includes research achievements in the field of variation in English, especially with an areal reference, using corpus linguistics and computational methods, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications.
• You must have qualifications in the full range of Teaching English as a Foreign Language in didactics.
• You have successfully acquired competitive third-party funding.
• You have a cooperative working style that promotes a diverse and equitable working environment.
• You have experience in mentoring and promoting academic career development.
• You will demonstrate your ability to connect to the described research and teaching areas in a concept of max. 3 pages each. Please also describe your contribution to the cross-faculty Digital Social Sciences and Humanities initiative.
• You have very good English language skills.
• You have at least good German language skills. If you do not have these skills, you are willing to acquire sufficient language skills within two years after appointment.

Desirable:

• You have research and teaching experience in the linguistic fields of syntax, semantics and/or pragmatics.
• You have experience in international cooperation.

We offer

• A creative, international and inspiring working environment. We promote interdisciplinary cooperation within the university, with universities and research institutions around the world, as well as renowned university institutes and external research institutions.
• A wide service and advisory offers, e.g. for international researchers, for reconciling family and work or for applying for national, European and international research funding.
  
• A diverse range of further education offered for all career levels, as well as services for occupational health promotion.
• A certified family-friendly university on a lively and sustainable campus with good infrastructure.
  

Our standards

The university is committed to transparent and quality-assured procedures. We aspire to increase the proportion of female professors and encourage women to apply. Women will be given preference in the selection process in case of equal qualifications. Applications from people with disabilities or those with equal status will be given preference in the selection process in case of equal suitability, qualifications and performance. To protect your interests, please indicate in your application letter whether you have a disability or equal status.