at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu
The Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL) in San Sebastian (Basque Country, Spain) is looking for a RESEARCH ASSISTANT to join its team.
- INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION
- Position: RA Speech & Bilingualism
- Researcher profile: Research Assistant
- Number of vacancies: 1
- Project: ERC Bilingual LENS
- Founding source: PID2023-148756NB-I00. Proyectos I+D+i 2023. Foreign Directed Speech: Didactic Function and Impact (DIFI)
- Location: Spain > Donostia-San Sebastián
- Research field: Psychology > Cognition and Language
- Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Temporary, 1 year (or adjusted part-time equivalent)
- Job Status: Full-time (12 months) or part-time (contract duration adjusted according to the percentage of appointment)
- Hours per week: 35 full-time (or hours adjusted according to the percentage of appointment)
- Starting date: April 15, 2026
- Application deadline: 20 February 2026
The Speech & Bilingualism research group (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/research/research-groups/speech-bilingualism) at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (Donostia-San-Sebastián, Spain) is offering a 12-month full-time (or part-time with the contract duration adjusted according to the percentage of the appointment) Research Assistant position.
Job description
The Speech & Bilingualism research group investigates speech perception and production from cognitive and linguistics perspectives, including their interplay and control. We put special emphasis on language interactions in the bilingual and multilingual mind, including children and adult language learners.
We are looking for a highly motivated Research Assistant with a strong interest in psycholinguistics, bilingualism, and experimental research on speech and language processing. The selected candidate will support the research group in day-to-day research activities.
The main responsibilities of the Research Assistant include:
- Data pre-processing with a special emphasis on speech data analysis
- Experiment programming
- Preparation of stimulus materials
- Participant recruitment
- Data analysis
PI and research group:
The candidate will form part of the Speech & Bilingualism research group (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/research/research-groups/speech-bilingualism#show) under the direct supervision of Prof. Clara Martin (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/conocenos/equipo/clara-martin).
- CANDIDATE PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Required skills:
- Experience in phonetic data analyses in Praat software
- Previous experience in psycholinguistic research
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish
- Working knowledge of French
- Excellent computer skills (including familiarity with Windows and common office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel) and willingness to learn specialized software
Desirable skills:
- Statistics skills (e.g., R)
- Programming skills (e.g., Python, Matlab)
- Educational background (Bachelor’s and/or Master’s) in Psychology, Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience
Additional considerations:
- The candidate should be legally entitled to work in Spain
- Applicants interested in gaining research experience before starting a PhD position (potentially in the Speech & Bilingualism group) are especially welcome to apply.
- WORKING CONDITIONS
Salary: 19.200 € gross annual salary (to be adjusted as needed for part-time)
Entitlements and other benefits:
https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl
Training opportunities and Career development plan:
Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes
(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision
(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public
(3) Network-wide training in theory and methods
(4) Complementary training courses
(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination
(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events
BCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, sociocultural background, nationality or impairments. We are proud to have in place both an LGTBIQ+ Plan and a Gender Equality Plan to actively promote inclusion and equal opportunities. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us.
- OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
Language policy
- The corporative language at the center is English, additionally knowledge of Spanish is required for this particular position
- Knowledge of Basque will be an asset for this particular position, but it is not required
- The center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members
- The interview will be conducted entirely in English
- APPLICATION PROCESS
Submission of the application and documentation:
To submit your application, please follow this link: applying for “RA SPEECH & BILINGUALISM” and attach the following documentation by 20 February 2026:
- A curriculum vitae
- A statement outlining research interests and motivation to apply for the position (1 page maximum)
- Transcript of records for the master and bachelor degrees
- Two letters of recommendation (submitted by the referees no later than the application deadline)
Learn more about the BCBL’s OTM-R policy
Application process timetable:
- Deadline for application: Friday, February 20, 2026
- Evaluation by committee: Monday, February 23 – Friday, February 27, 2026
- Interviews: Monday, March 2 – Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- Final decision: Thursday, March 5, 2026
- Feedback to all applicants: Monday, March 9, 2026
- Work contract start date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Contact details for enquiries:
For technical problems please contact: hr@bcbl.eu
For inquiries or questions related to the content of the position and/or information about the research group please contact: c.martin@bcbl.eu
