Vacant job

Job Description

This postdoctoral position is linked to the research project Listen Up, which develops an interactive training program to increase awareness of gender bias in how voices are perceived, using controllable neural text-to-speech and voice conversion.

The project combines research on speech perception, sociolinguistics, gender studies, and speech technology. We study how listeners interpret voices and how perceptions of gender, authority, self-confidence, and professionalism arise through listening. The goal is to develop an interactive training program that helps users reflect on listening biases. A key part of the project is designing listening experiments that lead to reflection and awareness.

We are looking for someone who is intellectually curious, creative, collaborative, and genuinely interested in issues related to gender, communication, and social perception. The ideal candidate enjoys designing perception experiments, working closely with participants, and thinking across disciplinary boundaries.

Applicants may come from several relevant fields, such as speech technology, sociolinguistics, phonetics, psycholinguistics, human-computer interaction (HCI), interaction design, cognitive science, gender studies, media technology, or related fields.

The position is partially funded by InspireLab, a research center at KTH that supports research projects developing and using technology to improve conditions for women and address concrete gender equality challenges. More information: https://tinyurl.com/3d2ssu8c (https://tinyurl.com/3d2ssu8c)

The duties include, among other things:

• designing and conducting speech perception experiments on how listeners interpret and evaluate voices
• developing engaging listening tasks, interactive experimental setups, and speech stimuli using neural text-to-speech and voice conversion
• analyzing qualitative and quantitative data on voice perception, gender bias, and sociolinguistic variation, including how participants reflect on and describe their own listening assumptions
• collaborating with researchers and students in an interdisciplinary research environment
• publishing research results in leading scientific forums within speech research, sociolinguistics, HCI, and speech technology

The position is located at the Department of Speech, Music and Hearing (TMH) at KTH, which offers an interdisciplinary research environment at the intersection of speech technology, phonetics, and human-computer interaction.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A completed PhD degree or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a PhD. This eligibility requirement must be met at the latest by the time the employment decision is made.
• PhD in speech technology, linguistics, phonetics, psycholinguistics, HCI, cognitive science, gender studies, media technology, or a related field.
• Experience in experimental research on speech, language, listening, communication, or human behavior.
• Experience in data analysis and scientific programming (e.g., Python, R, or similar).
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Personal qualities

• We are particularly looking for someone who is creative, sensitive, collaborative, and motivated by creating research that people genuinely enjoy participating in.
• Awareness of diversity and equal treatment issues, with a particular focus on gender equality.

Merits

• At the application deadline, no more than three years have passed since the PhD degree or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a PhD was awarded.
• Experience in speech perception, sociophonetics, experimental linguistics, or speech technology.
• Experience in designing interactive experiments or studies.
• Research related to gender, communication, bias, or social perception.
• Experience with text-to-speech, voice conversion, or interactive systems.
• Interest in research communication or public interaction.

We will place great emphasis on personal qualities.

Become part of KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research, and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in driving and contributing to the transition to a sustainable society. Here, you are offered the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic workplace with good working conditions and benefits. Gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities are a quality issue and a clear part of KTH's value base as a university and public authority.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work and develop at KTH.

Trade Union Representatives

Contact details for trade union representatives.

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you are primarily responsible for ensuring your application is complete when submitted.

The application should include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents are not issued in either of these languages.
• A brief statement on why you wish to conduct research, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Max 2 pages long.

The application must be received by KTH no later than the last day of the application period by midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the Position

The employment is permanent, but for a maximum of two years.

A postdoctoral position is a time-limited merit-based appointment with a main focus on research, intended as a first career step after the PhD.

Other

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An employment at KTH may be classified in a security class. If this is the case for this specific position, a security clearance check will be conducted on the applicant in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) with consent. In these cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved after the security clearance check.

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