Postdoctoral Researcher / Postdoctoral Researcheress

Postdoctoral Position in Textual Scholarship and Digital Humanities

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Start Date

01.03.2027 or by arrangement

Employment Relationship

Fixed-term

Institution / Workplace

The Bit Philology project at the Digital Humanities unit is offering a postdoctoral position in the field of textual scholarship and digital humanities. This position is available from March 2027 for three years, funded by the SNSF.

Research Focus

The Bit Philology project investigates born-digital materials in literary archives, with a particular emphasis on Swiss collections in French and Italian. As a large portion of contemporary literature is produced digitally, literary archives are increasingly incorporating these born-digital documents, presenting unique challenges for their analysis. The project aims to:

• Develop methodologies for cataloguing these archives.
• Create prototypes for scholarly editions.
• Explore authors' creative processes through digital materials.
• Train future researchers and enhance practices in textual scholarship and digital humanities.

The project team currently includes two PhD students and a research associate, in addition to the Principal Investigator (PI).

Your Tasks and What We Offer

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will engage with born-digital archives of Swiss writers from the 1980s to the early 2000s (Swiss Literary Archives, Centre des littératures en Suisse romande, Archivio Prezzolini). You will have the opportunity to develop your own research project, concentrating on one or more authors and/or works. One potential topic includes the interplay between paper and digital documents within hybrid archives.

Your responsibilities will involve:

• Conducting archival research;
• Addressing rights and ethical concerns;
• Communicating with archivists and authors/rights holders;
• Utilizing legacy hardware and software through digital forensics methods;
• Analyzing the writing processes of authors across various media;
• Examining archival materials such as unpublished texts and drafts;
• Publishing and presenting your research locally and internationally;
• Assisting in the organization of scholarly events;
• Collaborating effectively with the project team.

Participation in teaching is optional. The starting date is March 2027, with flexibility for a later start.

What We Offer

• A dynamic and collaborative research environment at the Digital Humanities unit.
• Work-life balance through flexible work schedules.
• Training opportunities across all project areas and related fields.
• Salary according to SNSF regulations.

Candidate Profile

• PhD in textual scholarship (philology, textual criticism, scholarly editing, genetic criticism), literary studies, or digital humanities.
• Prior experience working with archives.
• Strong interest in contemporary Swiss French and/or Italian literature and born-digital archival records.
• Experience in computational literary studies is a plus.
• A high level of motivation to work independently and collaboratively in a diverse, interdisciplinary team.
• Proficiency in English and French is essential; Italian is an advantage.
• Self-discipline and creative thinking abilities.

Your Benefits

• Collaborative environment and ambitious team.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Team-oriented work culture.
• Future-oriented career prospects.

Working at the University of Bern

The University of Bern offers not only exciting tasks but also a supportive environment that promotes development, diversity, and equal opportunities. Discover what sets us apart as an employer and how you can grow with us.

Application Process

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.