Job title: Postdoctoral Researcher in Gujarati
Department: Religions and Philosophies
Contract Type: Fixed term until 30th June 2027
Grade: 7
Salary: £42,762.57 to £49,926.57 pro rata (Incl. of London Allowance)
Location: Bloomsbury
Hours: 31
Start date: 1st September 2025
SOAS University of London is the leading Higher Education institution in Europe specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. SOAS University of London is positioned to play a leading role in reimagining higher education globally, with a new strategic plan in place as the basis for the renewal and revitalisation of the School which commits SOAS to both student responsiveness and research intensity. SOAS is moving towards a new model of international partnerships which is responsive to the transnational character of our global challenges.

The Department Religions and Philosophies is looking to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher (0.5 of FTE) in Parsi Gujarati Studies, to work on the project ‘Avestan Ritual in India’ (AVINDIA; PI: Almut Hintze), funded by the European Research Council. The main purpose of the role is to a) analyse treatises in Gujarati on Zoroastrian high rituals, b) write a historical grammar of Gujarati with special emphasis on Old Gujarati, c) contribute to the editing of the Visperad film, d) provide support to the AVINDIA project, e) contribute to Indo-Aryan and Zoroastrian studies at SOAS and beyond.
To be successful in the role, you will have a PhD relating to Indo-Iranian Studies and a track record of excellent knowledge of the Sanskrit, Middle and Modern Indo-Aryan languages, and Indo-Iranian philology, at least basic knowledge of Avestan and Middle Persian, experience in working with manuscripts, and an excellent command of the English language. You will work as a member of a research team and demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with other collaborators in the AVINDIA project and with members of SOAS’s Department of Religions and Philosophies.
The role is expected to start on 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible afterwards.
About the Department & Almut Hintze
The Department of Religions and Philosophies covers a wide range of religious and philosophical traditions. With its highly diverse expertise, comprehensive resources, and interdisciplinary approach, it offers a unique learning and research environment for a truly inter-cultural approach to systems of belief and thought in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Almut Hintze is Zartoshty Brothers Professor of Zoroastrianism at SOAS, University of London, Co-Chair of the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute, and Fellow of the British Academy. She specialises in Zoroastrianism and the tradition of its rituals and texts, of which she has published several editions. In 2016–2023, she directed a collaborative project on the Multimedia Yasna, funded by European Research Council with an Advanced Investigator Grant, to produce an interactive film of a complete performance of the Yasna ritual, electronic tools for editing Avestan texts, and a text-critical edition, translation, commentary and dictionary of the Avestan Yasna. She is currently directing a second ERC project (2024–2028) to investigate the ritual tradition of the Avesta in India. The project team will film the performance of a full Visperad ceremony, provide a critical edition of the Sanskrit translation of the Yasna, and study the interpretation of Avestan rituals in Gujarati language sources.
She takes a great interest in the long-term and sustainable preservation of Zoroastrian heritage in both material and digital form. Through her work, she hopes to contribute to a better understanding and greater appreciation of the Zoroastrian religion, and of its significance and value in the history of human and religious thought.
You can find further information on the key criteria for the role in the Job Description and Person Specification, along with a full list of duties and responsibilities, which can be found on the SOAS website