Department of Music

Location:  Egham
Salary:  £35,931 starting salary per annum pro rata - including London Allowance
Closing Date:  Friday 16 April 2021
Interview Date:  To be confirmed
Reference:  0321-055

2-Year Fixed-Term, Part-Time [FTE 0.5] 

Starting Salary is £33,797 per annum pro rata, inclusive of London Allowance rata (£2,134 London Allowance is payable in addition to salary)*

*This is the expected starting salary for this post however appointment at a higher point may be made for candidates who demonstrate exceptional skills and experience relevant to the role.

Applications are invited for the post of Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Music Department, as part of the UKRI-funded research project Cyborg Soloists: Advancing Interdisciplinary Music in the Post-Internet Age Through New Musician-Technology Interactions, working closely with the Principal Investigator, Dr Zubin Kanga. 

Cyborg Soloists explores interdisciplinary interactions between music, the other arts, and new digital technologies. Dozens of composers and performers will work together with 12 industry partners to develop artistic and technological innovations including new types of interaction between musicians and live computer-generated video, AI interactive co-performers, virtual reality performances, new digital instruments, the interactive use of mobile phones in performance, and expanding the bodies of musicians with robotics, motion-sensors and brain-scanning biosensors. Research outputs will include journal articles, conference papers, an edited book, performances, performance films, software patches and exhibitions. 

The Postdoctoral Research Assistant will work closely with the PI to document and analyse the research collaborations between performers (including the PI), composers, technology industry partners and other researchers. A number of documentation techniques will be utilized, including audio-video documentation of all meetings. The role will focus on directed and independent research outputs, including sole and co-authored journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, public lectures and other public communication of the research. Assistance in the management of the research workstreams, suggestions of new approaches to the research, management of research outputs, and overseeing major output events such as a conference and festival will be required. 

The applicant should have a PhD (or close to completing) related to contemporary music. The applicant should also have a track record of published research or strong potential to deliver published research. Experience in documenting practice-based research, or ethnographic research, and management of practice-based outputs (including performances and recordings) is desirable. Excellent communication and organization skills are essential. 

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including generous annual leave and training and development opportunities. The post is based in Egham, Surrey where the College is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London. 

To view further details of this post and to apply please visit https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk. 

Applicants should apply online, responding to a series of questions on how their knowledge, skills and experience make them an ideal candidate for the position. They should also upload a CV and cover letter to their online application. For queries on the application process, the Human Resources Department can be contacted by email at: recruitment@rhul.ac.uk. 

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Dr Zubin Kanga: zubin.kanga@rhul.ac.uk

Please quote the reference: 0321-055
Closing Date: Midnight, 16 April 2021  
Interview Date: TBC 

Please note that it will not be possible for the College to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. Successful candidates will therefore need to be eligible to work in the UK or have limited leave to remain in the UK and associated right to work for the duration of their employment with the College, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.