We are seeking a multimodal designer to take on a central role in the Shared Reality Lab?s open source IMAGE project (image.a11y.mcgill.ca), focused on making photos, charts, and maps available to people who are blind or low vision. We are currently operating under two grants, focused on integrating haptic force feedback and pin array devices into IMAGE. You will work with a multidisciplinary team of user experience researchers, designers, and developers who will support you in designing and releasing multimodal audio and haptic experiences that will delight our end users. The primary requirement is a strong background and passion for owning both design and iterative testing of combined audio/haptic end-user experiences. Since the goal of IMAGE is to release a practical solution that can be used on a daily basis, the candidate will work directly with developers and the rest of the team to make sure that ideas and designs get translated into implementable requirements, then deployed into production.

Requirements:

• Demonstrated experience designing and creating multimodal experiences, including audio and haptics. Please include portfolio, or links to projects.
• Ability to work with user experience researchers to clearly define user needs and specific implementation requirements to meet them.
• Comfortable working directly with developers to make sure the experiences are implementable within the project timeline and available resources.
• Prototyping experience.
• Designing and carrying out methodologically sound user testing in consultation with our existing user studies lead.
• Strong plus: Sensitization to development issues, software release cycles, software architecture, client-server tradeoffs, audio synthesis.
• Bonus: French, spoken and/or written.
• Bonus: Experience working with the blind/low vision community.

Other useful skills (not required). If the candidate has the desire and capability, they are also welcome to participate in software architecture and implementation, for example:

• Audio synthesis experience. (IMAGE currently uses SuperCollider)
• Software architecture, design, and documentation, including creating usable solutions for developers and content creators in a client/server model.
• Mentoring junior designers/developers.

Candidates applying as a research assistant must be eligible to work in Canada.

Those applying as postdoctoral candidates should refer to McGill?s requirements on postdoctoral appointments, www.mcgill.ca/gps/postdocs, for conditions and additional information on the status of the position. (In Quebec, a Postdoctoral Fellow is a full-time student status and trainee category, and the Ministère de l'Education, Enseignement Supérieur et Recherche (MESRS) stipulates that all postdocs must be registered on a university student registration system.) Please note that non-Canadian postdoctoral fellows must obtain valid Citizenship or an Immigration Canada (CIC) work permit to legally work in Canada.

To apply for the position, please email the following items to Jeremy Cooperstock (srl-jobs@cim.mcgill.ca):

• A brief letter of application, describing your qualifications and relevant experience to the position of interest, along with your dates of availability.
• Detailed CV with links to online papers and/or project portfolios.
• Two (2) reference letters (sent separately).

The position is available immediately, with an initial appointment of up to one year. Informal inquiries are welcome.

About us: The Shared Reality Lab conducts research in audio, video, and haptic technologies, building systems that leverage their capabilities to facilitate and enrich both human-computer and computer-mediated human-human interaction. The lab is part of the Centre for Intelligent Machines and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of McGill University. McGill, one of Canada's most prestigious universities, is located in Montreal, a top city to live in, especially for students.
 
McGill University is committed to equity in employment and diversity. It welcomes applications from Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, visible minorities, women and others who may contribute to diversification. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, although Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.