Project Coordinator for RJ Program Unexplored Language Phenomena (UNLAP)

Project Coordinator for RJ Program Unexplored Language Phenomena (UNLAP): Identifying, Documenting, and Explaining the Outer Limits of Human Expressive Capacity.

The Department of Linguistics and Philology conducts research and education in linguistics and text studies in a number of different languages ​​and language-related subjects. The department's activities cover many of the classical and modern languages ​​and cultures of much of Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as computational linguistics and linguistics. Education is offered at undergraduate level, advanced level and postgraduate level. The department has around seventy employees and constitutes an international and intellectually lively environment. 

The Unexplored Language Phenomena (UNLAP) program is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at exploring the outermost boundaries of human linguistic capacity. UNLAP shifts the focus of language research from common features across languages to the discovery and investigation of exceptional linguistic phenomena that have so far eluded scientific attention. The world’s linguistic diversity is far from fully mapped, and our understanding of the full scope of human conceptual space—the “design space”—depends on identifying and studying unknown and rare phenomena in the grammar and lexicon of lesser-known languages. This task is urgent: unexplored languages and linguistic features are disappearing at an alarming rate. Drawing on the expertise of program members in endangered language communities worldwide, UNLAP launches an innovative agenda dedicated to uncovering the linguistically unknown. This includes a broad approach to fundamental conceptual domains—time, space, person, and knowledge—while pushing beyond the boundaries of current understanding. The program is based at Uppsala University and involves collaboration between researchers at Uppsala University, Lund University, Stockholm University, the University of Gothenburg, and the University of Oxford, with additional partnerships worldwide. 

Duties

The coordinator will facilitate collaboration among program researchers located at multiple institutions within and beyond Uppsala University. The role involves close cooperation with the program director and core research team, interaction with university administrations across institutions, and independent work under personal responsibility. Key tasks include managing internal communication, planning and organizing meetings, travel, seminars, and other activities. The coordinator will also prepare materials for external communication and carry out additional tasks assigned by the program director and core team. A significant part of the role involves administering the program’s ongoing operations, including budgeting, accounting, transfers, and preparing reports for external funders. Oral and written presentations, briefings, and drafting decision documents and reports in both English and Swedish are part of the responsibilities. Additional project coordination tasks may be added over time.

Requirements

• University degree equivalent to at least a Bachelor’s level. 
• Extensive experience in project work and delivering results in knowledge-intensive environments. 
• Experience in project administration, budgeting, and financial monitoring. 
• Strong proficiency in Excel. 
• Solid understanding of finance, budgeting, accounting, and reporting. 
• Ability to prioritize tasks under tight deadlines. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and good comprehension of Swedish. 
• Familiarity with academic communication in speech and writing. 
• Experience in strategic and proactive work, including the ability to communicate financial information effectively.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal experience, documented collaboration skills, and how these complement and strengthen the program’s administrative work. Interviews and reference checks may be part of the selection process. The successful candidate is expected to work independently, be meticulous and service-oriented, have a structured approach, and quickly learn the administrative and financial systems required. Flexibility, ability to meet deadlines, multitasking skills, and capacity to handle periods of high workload are essential. Practical work tests may be conducted.

Additional qualifications

Knowledge of linguistic research, especially language typology, experience in linguistic or anthropological fieldwork, and familiarity with Swedish and international research funding systems are considered advantageous. Ranking of applicants will be based on an overall assessment of qualifications and merits.

Application

Your application should include: 

• CV.
• Personal letter including contact details for two referees.
• Documentation of experience and competencies that demonstrate the required qualifications and merits. 

About the employment  

Permanent position (with a six-month probationary period). Part-time, 50%. Start date: February 1, 2026, or as agreed. Location: Uppsala. 

For further information, please contact: Head of Department: Dimitrios Iordanoglou, dimitrios.iordanoglou@lingfil.uu.se or Program Director: Harald Hammarström, harald.hammarstrom@lingfil.uu.se , +46 70 718 43 39. 

Please submit your application by 15 December 2026, UFV-PA 2025/3571. 

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