Linguistics Expert (Germany)

Opportunity Overview

Handshake is looking for experienced linguists and computational linguists to support AI research through flexible, part-time contract work. This is not a traditional job — you'll draw on your hands-on experience in linguistic analysis, corpus methods, or computational/NLP tooling to evaluate AI-generated content and provide feedback that helps AI reason like a practicing linguist.

This is an ongoing, project-based opportunity you can take on alongside your current role.

What You'll Do

• Use your domain expertise to create expert-level linguistics problems and scenarios grounded in real analytical, corpus, and computational workflows
• Review and evaluate AI-generated responses for technical accuracy, analytical rigor, and alignment with how the work is actually done
• Provide structured written feedback to help improve AI model performance
• Complete tasks at your own pace with no set schedule or minimum hour requirement

Qualifications

Ideal candidates meet all three of the following:

• Research experience — publications and demonstrated expertise in a language or linguistic phenomenon that AI models handle poorly
• Degree — PhD or MS in Linguistics or Computational Linguistics
• Sub-domain depth — demonstrated expertise in one of the following areas:
• Morphology, syntax, or phonology, including formal grammars
• Corpus methods and low-resource languages
• Phonetics (Praat, IPA) and computational/NLP tooling

Candidates who meet at least 2 of the 3 qualifications above are also encouraged to apply.

Additional qualifications (not required, but strengthen your application)

• Proficiency with computational/NLP tooling and corpus analysis software
• Experience working with low-resource or typologically diverse languages

Required for all applicants

• Must have German work authorization
• Strong written communication and attention to detail
• Ability to explain complex linguistic concepts clearly
• Ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment