3-year postdoc in computational social science at Aarhus University

The Department of Political Science at Aarhus University invites applications for a three-year full-time postdoctoral researcher to join a new ERC-funded research project on youth and their conceptions of political power. The project is headed by Associate Professor Kristina Bakkær Simonsen with whom the postdoc will be working closely together.

The starting date is flexible and subject to mutual agreement but expected to be between September 2025 and February 2026.


The research project

Political marginalization, understood as the systematic underrepresentation of social groups in political office, is a major democratic problem. To understand its entrenched, structural nature, the YOPOW project will examine how societal norms take root already early in life and give rise to biased beliefs about who is fit for power. We will first document the messages young people receive about political power in school materials, children’s news media, and politicians’ social media. Next, we will examine young people’s beliefs about what political power is, who can hold it, and how it can be exercised. Finally, we will zoom in on the early experiences with political power of politically interested youth, and how these experiences are likely to teach them unequal lessons.

The project will focus on three dimensions of marginalization: gender, ethnic minority/majority status, and socio-economic background and compare three societies—Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands—that vary in terms of political representation on these dimensions. Methodologically, the project combines computational social science tools and in-depth interpretation of text and image/video data to establish patterns in messages, beliefs, and experiences.

This is the first position in the YOPOW research project, which will run for five years, from August 2025 until July 2030. Together with Associate Professor Kristina Bakkær Simonsen, the postdoc will lay the groundwork for conceptualizing and identifying patterns in messages and experiences. Later in 2026, two additional postdoctoral researchers as well as research assistants will join the team to examine young people’s beliefs about political power with the use of story-telling interviews. The project is funded by an ERC Starting Grant, the flagship funding programme of the European Union, which supports frontier, cutting-edge research. Read more about the project here in an interview with research leader Kristina Bakkær Simonsen.  


Job description

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to engage in collaborative research with Associate Professor Kristina Bakkær Simonsen and other project team members as they begin to join the project. The postdoc is envisioned a leading role in developing, designing, and coordinating studies to document messages about and experiences with political power from the perspective of young people. The methodological emphasis of the position is on computational social science tools to document patterns in text and images.

The project aims to deliver high-quality research with scholarly and societal impact, and the postdoc should be motivated to contribute to this ambition. Because of the methodological span of the project—ranging from large-scale, computational analysis to in-depth, qualitative interpretation—the successful candidate is expected to be openminded, intellectually curious, and respectful of different approaches to knowledge generation.

While research will primarily be carried out in collaboration with other project members, there are opportunities to pursue independent work within the overall focus of the project. The project offers significant funding for data collection, research assistance, travel, and workshops. The successful applicant will become part of an exciting and ambitious research project and a supportive research team with a collegial and respectful atmosphere. There will be excellent opportunities for intellectual development and mentoring, with a focus on how the candidate can make use of the postdoctoral position to develop their career.

In addition to the outlined research tasks, the position implies modest teaching obligations equivalent to one course per year. If the postdoc is interested, a one-year further extension in return for additional teaching might be negotiable (to be decided by the Head of Department), depending on the candidate’s prior teaching experience and the department’s need for teaching during the period of employment. Salary is according to the Danish pay schedule with the possibility to apply for publication bonuses and an annual qualification bonus.


Your qualifications

Applicants are expected to hold or be close to completing a PhD in political science or another field relevant to the project such as computational social science, communication studies, media studies, or sociology. In addition, applicants are expected to demonstrate the following qualifications:

Computational social science/machine-learning techniques

• Large-scale data collection
• Large-scale text analysis
• Large-scale visual analysis

Professional interest in and knowledge of one or more relevant literatures, for instance:

• Political socialization
• Political representation and -marginalization
• Political communication (on social media)
• Social norms
• News reporting (for children)
• Youth political behaviour

Language skills

• High level of professional English proficiency
• Proficiency in one or more of the languages covered by YOPOW’s country focus–Danish, Dutch, or German–is an advantage but not a requirement

Personal skills

• Capacity for working independently and taking initiative, sharing research ideas, and contributing to creative problem solving
• Interest in and potentially prior experience with collaborating in a team

What we offer

• A project that studies a highly relevant and societally important issue using computational tools
• A work environment at one of Europe’s leading political science departments with a vibrant, supportive, and collegial atmosphere
• Excellent development opportunities and research support, including funding for conferences/travel and research assistance
• Competitive salary

The Department of Political Science at Aarhus University

With around 130 academic staff members and 40 PhD students, the Department of Political Science is among Europe’s largest political science departments. The research at the department covers most political science disciplines including public administration and represents a variety of methodological approaches. We are among Europe’s highest ranked departments and our broad research profile enables us to focus on societal problems as they appear in the national and international political arena and allows us to contribute actively to the development of the discipline. We offer a lively and ambitious research and teaching environment characterised by pluralism and openness. We expect active
participation in the activities of the department which includes being present at the department at least three days per week. For more information about the Department of Political Science, please see here.


Further information

If you have any questions regarding the position or want to learn more about the project and specific tasks, please do not hesitate to contact Associate Professor Kristina Bakkær Simonsen at [email protected]

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, don’t hesitate to contact HR supporter Line Møller Kristiansen at [email protected].

Place of work
Department of Political Science, Bartholins Allé 7, DK - 8000 Aarhus C

 


International applicant?

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information here:
https://internationalstaff.au.dk/relocationservice/

Please find more information about research opportunities at Aarhus University here: http://international.au.dk/research/

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here:
http://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/


Terms of employment

The appointment is made in accordance with the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities as well as the circular on the Collective Agreement for Academics Employed by the State (in Danish).
The job content and qualification requirements are described in further detail in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.


Application procedure

When you apply for this position it is mandatory to attach the following:

• Application/Cover letter motivating your interest in joining the YOPOW project and laying out your qualifications (ca. 1 page).
• Research proposal (ca. 2 pages) outlining your idea for a specific study within the scope of YOPOW. The project idea(s) should relate to the study of messages and/or experiences, using computational tools in large amounts of text and/or image.
• Curriculum Vitae. You are encouraged to declare any periods of leave without research activity, including, for example, parental leave, since your research activities are assessed in relation to your actual research time.
• Education (diploma for master's, PhD and possibly higher doctoral degree). In case the PhD degree has not been awarded at the time of applying, documentation for submission, date of defense or letter stating expected submission date may be included.
• List of publications (the enclosed publications must be clearly marked on the list of publications)
• Publications. Up to three publications or work in progress can be included in the application. In the event of several authors the publications must be accompanied by a co-author statement concerning the applicant's share of the collaborative work with the consent of the co-authors. This template may be used for the purpose
• Teaching portfolio. The specific requirements regarding the documentation can be found here

Materials which cannot be uploaded together with the application may be submitted in three copies to Aarhus BSS HR & PhD, Aarhus University, Tåsingegade 1, 2nd floor, DK-8000 Aarhus C.

Read more about how to apply for an academic post at Aarhus BSS here


The evaluation process

After the application deadline, an assessment committee is appointed. Please note that the assessment of applicants is based solely on the material received prior to the application deadline. For further information, see Guidelines for Assessment Committee, Aarhus BSS.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
 


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/