About us
The department of Music at King's College London invites applications for an 8-months position as Postdoctoral Research Associate on the project DORMEME - Dissemination, Ownership and Reading of Music in Early Modern Europe. This project, led by Dr. Elisabeth Giselbrecht, aims to rewrite the history of the printed musical source from the perspective of its consumption - the owners and readers of music books. Operating in the intersection of musicology, book history (in particular, the history of reading) and bibliography, it offers new ways of assessing who owned music in early modern Europe and how they read it, bringing music into the discourse around early modern literacies. At the heart of this project (originally funded by the ERC, now UKRI) stand sources of 16th century polyphony and the marks of ownership and use they contain. Together with the PI, the postdocs survey these sources across European libraries (and online) and use their findings to investigate patterns of dissemination and ownership of 16th century music books as well as different ways in which these books were read and used. One major component of the project is the development of a knowledge base (in conjunction with a digital humanities agency).
This database is a xml-based database based on TEI (Text Encoding Initiative).
About the role
The postholder is expected to work on the database collaboratively with the PI and a second postdoctoral researcher. This mainly means examining copies of 16th century music books for any signs of use and recording these elements in our xml-files.
The post holder will also be expected to maximise the academic impact of this project by helping with the planning of a conference (to be held in May 2026) and presenting work where appropriate. The ideal candidate for this position is ambitious, imaginative and flexible, able to work collaboratively and independently.
We are looking for a researcher with a background in early modern history, literary studies, musicology or a related field and extensive experience of working with primary sources. Ideally, the candidate has a demonstrable interest in book history and palaeography and a good knowledge of working with xml, ideally even TEI databases.
This is a full time post and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 8 months (maternity cover)
Research staff at King's are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.
About you
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
1. PhD qualified in Music, English, literary studies, History or relevant area
2. Experience in working with early modern sources
3. Demonstrable interest in book history or bibliography
4. Ability to work in a team in an open, sharing manner & to engage in independent working
5. Capability and willingness to undertake administrative tasks necessary for the effective management of the project
6. Capability and willingness to work with databases
Desirable criteria
1. Experience with xml, ideally TEI or similar datasets
2. Experience reading sixteenth century handwriting
3. Knowledge of music and notation
4. Experience organising conferences
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
**Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.*
Further information
We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.
We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ' How we Recruit' pages.
Interviews are due to be held in early December.