Program Manager , Linguistics

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

As a world‑leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic, and social value.

The Department of Linguistics, within the Social Sciences Division of the College of Letters and Science, is highly regarded in the linguistics community. Our faculty and students collaborate with other departments and programs on campus, including Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Education, Native American Studies, Philosophy, Psychology, and many language and literature departments. We host several laboratories and a language archive and include 25 faculty (adjuncts and emeritus), approximately 40 graduate students, 100 undergraduate majors, and 6 staff FTE.

The responsibilities of this position are to:
1) develop a GUI for speech acoustic analysis using an existing library of analysis functions, with a primary requirement of a suite of editing tools for users to place and edit text tags on stretches of speech;
2) revise and extend the current Python speech analysis library to improve its stability and processing speed, making decisions about software design guidelines, dependencies, and repository integration;
3) lead three Zoom workshops on the software library and GUI for members of the user community. This 12‑month contract position is on a three‑person team (PI, part‑time IT specialist, and programmer).

• Design a graphic user interface for speech acoustic analysis in Python, implementing the design and leading the coding effort. Consult with the PI weekly and deploy intermediate versions for feedback from team members monthly.
• Modify the Phonlab library to improve speed and efficiency, standardize function call syntax, and expand documentation. Share this responsibility with the PI and other team members, focusing on code sections that interface closely with the GUI.
• Lead online workshops training new users, gather feedback, and guide software design improvements. Present material to participants and compile feedback forms to identify development priorities.
• Add new capabilities to Phonlab, particularly implementing deep neural network methods for acoustic analysis. This work is primarily the programmer’s responsibility, supported by the PI with training materials and feedback.

• Intermediate knowledge of secure software development.
• Advanced skills in software design, modification, implementation, and deployment, including object‑oriented programming concepts.
• Ability to understand functional needs and translate them into system solutions.
• Experience developing Deep Neural Network AI models.
• Regular interaction with management.
• Contribution of technical narrative to grant proposals.
• Proficiency in identifying and using code libraries, open‑source forums, and AI tools to accelerate code development.
• Planning for deployment and creation of feedback mechanisms.
• Proficient in software repository management, testing, and test planning.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to convey technical information to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Self‑motivated, independent, and collaborative with effective time management.
• Broad problem‑solving skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience/training.

The budgeted annual salary is $82,800.00 – $. This position is exempt, monthly‑paid, and 12‑month full‑time (40 hours per week), contract, eligible for full UC benefits.

• This is an exempt, monthly‑paid position.
• This is a 12‑month, full‑time (40 hours per week), contract appointment eligible for full UC benefits.

• This is not a visa opportunity. The position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H‑1B visa petition…