Phonetician
Job in
Menlo Park, San Mateo County, California, 94025, USA
Listed on 2026-09-01
Listing for:
TEKsystems
Full Time
position Listed on 2026-09-01
Job specializations:
-
IT/Tech
Job Description & How to Apply Below
1. Phonetician that can understand and Annotate in the International Phonetics Alphabet (IPA)
2. Degree in Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, or Cognitive Science. Preferably holding a Masters or PHD
3. Collaborative, proactive, accountable, adaptable, resourceful, and results-driven attitude/mindset
Strong Plus if they are native Spanish, French or Mandarin speaking
Description
Linguist - IPA Annotation Specialist
About the Role
We are looking for a skilled Linguist with expertise in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to join our team as an Annotation Specialist. In this role, you will produce high-quality phonetic transcriptions and annotations to support speech and language technology development.
Responsibilities
Perform narrow and broad phonetic transcriptions of speech data using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Annotate audio recordings with accurate IPA representations, including segmental and suprasegmental features (stress, tone, intonation, length)
Review and quality-check annotations produced by other team members
Follow and contribute to annotation guidelines, style guides, and labeling conventions
Collaborate with engineers, researchers, and project managers to clarify annotation requirements and edge cases
Flag ambiguous or problematic data and propose principled resolutions
Maintain high accuracy and consistency while meeting throughput targets
Participate in calibration sessions and inter-annotator reliability exercises
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Linguistics, Phonetics, Speech-Language Pathology, or a closely related field
Demonstrated proficiency in IPA transcription (both broad and narrow)
Strong understanding of articulatory and acoustic phonetics
Familiarity with phonological theory and its relationship to phonetic realization
Experience with at least one annotation tool (e.g., Praat, ELAN, Audacity, or similar)
Excellent attention to detail and ability to work systematically through large datasets
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
Skills
International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA, Linguistics, Linguist, team player, spanish, french, mandarin
Top Skills Details
International Phonetic Alphabet,IPA,Linguistics,Linguist
Additional
Skills & Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
Master's or PhD in Phonetics, Phonology, or a related subfield
Experience annotating speech data in a production or research environment
Familiarity with multiple languages or dialects beyond English
Knowledge of prosodic annotation frameworks (e.g., ToBI, IViE)
Experience with forced alignment tools or automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems
Prior work with speech technology teams (TTS, ASR, voice assistants)
Training or certification in phonetic transcription (e.g., IPA exam, SPS certification)
Nice to have
Scripting skills (Python, R, or similar) for data processing or automation
Experience with corpus linguistics tools and methodologies
Familiarity with Unicode IPA input methods and font standards
Background in sociolinguistics or dialectology
Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge speech and language technology
Collaborative, linguistically-informed team environment
Professional development and training opportunities
Experience Level
Intermediate Level
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Menlo Park, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $45.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
- Medical, dental & vision
- Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
- Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the…
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