Position Summary

This position is for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr. Rebecca Treiman and Dr. Brett Kessler in the Reading and Language Lab in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will contribute to grant-funded research on the relations between spellings and sounds in English words, particularly words of more than one syllable, and on how these are taught in phonics and spelling programs. The start date for this position is between July 1st and November 1st of 2022.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop computer programs to analyze rules taught in phonics and spelling instruction; conduct analyses of sound-spelling relationships in comprehensive sets of words at different reading levels; contribute to development and analysis of experimental studies of spelling and reading in children and adults.
• Write manuscripts and contribute to grant proposals.
• Attend conferences and workshops, develop new skills, develop program of research.
• Meet with the PI and members of the lab regularly to discuss research progress and address any issues that arise.
• Mentor advanced undergraduate and graduate researchers on research projects related to area(s) of expertise.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent terminal or doctoral degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in psychology, computer science, linguistics, education, or a related field.
• Excellent computer programming skills, including use of R.
• Demonstrated ability to complete projects.
• Knowledge of linguistics, particularly phonology, phonetics, and morphology.
• Advanced statistical skills knowledge of issues related to reading and spelling instruction.
• Excellent computer programming skills.
• Skilled at data management, statistical analysis, open science practices, and scientific writing, and an interest in mentoring junior lab members in these areas.
• Excellent professionalism and trustworthiness, including communicativeness and the ability to deliver on agreed-upon tasks.

Salary Range

Base pay is commensurate with experience.

Applicant Special Instructions

Please apply through Workday and submit a CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references.

In your cover letter, please include the following:

• Your motivation for applying for this position and future career goals.
• Your research interests.
• A description of how you meet each of the criteria listed under the minimum and preferred education/experience and critical skills and expertise sections. ​

When you are ready to apply, creating an account only takes a minute. Your account creates a candidate home page which we will use to communicate with you and allows you to apply for jobs and view your application statuses. The first page of the application offers two “Quick Apply” options. Quick Apply allows you to either use a previous application or create a new application using a resume to populate the work experience and education sections of your job application. If using a resume to populate your application, check to ensure the application fields populated accurately. You may skip the “Quick Apply” page by clicking “Next” at the bottom of the page. Documents may be uploaded in the My Experience section of the application. You also have the option to apply with a LinkedIn feature, which allows you to apply by using your LinkedIn profile to populate some of the job application fields.

Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO/AA Statement
Washington University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability status, protected veteran status, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation. Women, minorities, protected veterans and the disabled are strongly encouraged to apply.

Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.

Job Description

Position Summary

This position is for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr. Rebecca Treiman and Dr. Brett Kessler in the Reading and Language Lab in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will contribute to grant-funded research on the relations between spellings and sounds in English words, particularly words of more than one syllable, and on how these are taught in phonics and spelling programs. The start date for this position is between July 1st and November 1st of 2022.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop computer programs to analyze rules taught in phonics and spelling instruction; conduct analyses of sound-spelling relationships in comprehensive sets of words at different reading levels; contribute to development and analysis of experimental studies of spelling and reading in children and adults.
• Write manuscripts and contribute to grant proposals.
• Attend conferences and workshops, develop new skills, develop program of research.
• Meet with the PI and members of the lab regularly to discuss research progress and address any issues that arise.
• Mentor advanced undergraduate and graduate researchers on research projects related to area(s) of expertise.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent terminal or doctoral degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in psychology, computer science, linguistics, education, or a related field.
• Excellent computer programming skills, including use of R.
• Demonstrated ability to complete projects.
• Knowledge of linguistics, particularly phonology, phonetics, and morphology.
• Advanced statistical skills knowledge of issues related to reading and spelling instruction.
• Excellent computer programming skills.
• Skilled at data management, statistical analysis, open science practices, and scientific writing, and an interest in mentoring junior lab members in these areas.
• Excellent professionalism and trustworthiness, including communicativeness and the ability to deliver on agreed-upon tasks.

Salary Range

Base pay is commensurate with experience.

Applicant Special Instructions

Please apply through Workday and submit a CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references.

In your cover letter, please include the following:

• Your motivation for applying for this position and future career goals.
• Your research interests.
• A description of how you meet each of the criteria listed under the minimum and preferred education/experience and critical skills and expertise sections. ​

When you are ready to apply, creating an account only takes a minute. Your account creates a candidate home page which we will use to communicate with you and allows you to apply for jobs and view your application statuses. The first page of the application offers two “Quick Apply” options. Quick Apply allows you to either use a previous application or create a new application using a resume to populate the work experience and education sections of your job application. If using a resume to populate your application, check to ensure the application fields populated accurately. You may skip the “Quick Apply” page by clicking “Next” at the bottom of the page. Documents may be uploaded in the My Experience section of the application. You also have the option to apply with a LinkedIn feature, which allows you to apply by using your LinkedIn profile to populate some of the job application fields.

Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO/AA Statement
Washington University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability status, protected veteran status, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation. Women, minorities, protected veterans and the disabled are strongly encouraged to apply.

Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.