Assistant professorship in the social science of digital green transitions at IT University of Copenhagen

The IT University of Copenhagen invites highly motivated individuals to apply for an Assistant Professor position starting 1 March 2025 or soon thereafter.

We invite applicants who want to contribute to the IT University's vision of creating and sharing knowledge that is profound and leads to ground-breaking information technology and services for the benefit of humanity. The new Assistant Professor will work in the Business IT department.


Job description
We invite applicants who can contribute to strengthening the IT University’s research and teaching in how digital technologies are deployed in green transitions. The candidates must have a background in qualitative social science and be competent in taking a sociotechnical and ethnographic perspective on the topic.

The position is open to candidates from different disciplines including – but not limited to – anthropology, sociology, and science and technology studies. The candidate will be a member of a research group (either Technologies in Practice or REFLACT), and they will also be affiliated with the ITU’s Center for Climate IT, which creates a space for interdisciplinary conversations across the different research sections of the ITU, including the computer sciences and design fields.

We particularly welcome candidates who have previous experience with conducting research on the role of digital technologies in for example:

• Sustainability: whether as discourses, practices, organisational forms, and expectations, or as modes of governance (including climate governance – local or global).
• Capitalist responses to climate change: including questions or dilemmas around the continued role of (green) growth, or turns towards post-capitalism and degrowth, whether relating to markets, social movements, businesses, finance or socioeconomic transactions more broadly.
• Climate actions and social change: including digital green transitions or transformations, or how to mobilize agencies at various scales of climate mitigation and adaptation or climate movements more broadly.
• Green infrastructures: including the roles of existing or future infrastructures in supporting or delimiting climate actions (e.g. data commons, automated climate solutions).

The qualified candidate will engage in interdisciplinary research and be able to deliver advanced research-based teaching in the areas mentioned above. The teaching will approximately involve a 40% teaching load and be within the BSc programme Global Business Informatics or in the MSc programme Digital Innovation Management. The specific courses could be specialized courses such as ‘IT and Green Transitions’ or ‘Digital Sustainability’, but also more basic social science courses such as ‘Society and Technology’. ‘IT Governance’ or ‘IT, Globalization and Culture’. All courses are conducted in English. We invite candidates to further familiarize themselves with the study programmes before applying. To support the pedagogical development of the candidate, they will be invited to follow the ITU’s Teaching Development Programme.

Qualified candidates will be offered a 3-year contract.

Applicants will be evaluated based on the Competency Development Profiles for research and the Competency Development Profiles for teaching at the IT University, which outlines the qualifications expected at the Assistant Professor level.

The position requires academic qualifications at PhD level and the candidate must have the ability to read/speak a Scandinavian language or the willingness to learn Danish.


General information
The IT University of Copenhagen (ITU) is a teaching and research-based tertiary institution concerned with information technology (IT) and the opportunities it offers. The IT University has more than 160 full-time Faculty members. Research and teaching in information technology span all academic activities that involve computers including computer science, information and media sciences, humanities and social sciences, business impact, and the commercialization of IT.


About the Business IT Department
Business IT is organized into three interdisciplinary research groups Technologies in Practice, Information Systems and Digital Innovation, and REFLACT. The groups share an interest in the socio-technical fabric of digitalization and digital transformation and comprise more than 30 assistants, associates, and full professors. Research at Business IT provides the basis for reflecting on how digital technologies may be used mindfully and beneficially in the private and public sector. Business IT offers a BSc in Global Business Informatics, an MSc in Digital Innovation & Management, and a professional part-time master programme in IT management. It hosts three research centers Center for Digital Welfare, Center for Climate IT , and European Blockchain Center in addition to two academic labs ETHOS lab and BUILD lab.


Working at the IT University
Located in modern architecture, a 6-minute metro ride from the center of Copenhagen, the IT University offers an informal working environment, a varied everyday life, and a highly motivated, ambitious, competent, and diverse international faculty, with PhD degrees from 17 different countries. The IT University is an equal opportunity employer and prides itself in actively and successfully pursuing an improved gender balance among students and faculty.


Working in Copenhagen
Copenhagen has a solid educational system, a rich cultural life, universal healthcare, good childcare, and well-functioning infrastructure. Copenhagen is among the world’s most livable cities according to the Economist Global Livability Index. Living and working in Copenhagen will be a good experience for you and your family.


Salary and terms of employment
Appointment and salary will be in accordance with the Ministry of Taxation’s agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and job structure for academic staff at universities.


Application
The application and all other documents should be in English and include:

• A motivated application (cover letter), including a detailed description of your qualifications and brief statements of research and teaching plans that relate to the criteria in ITU´s Competency Development Profiles (https://en.itu.dk/About-ITU/Vacancies/Faculty-Competence-profiles).
• A full CV, including name, address, phone number, e-mail, previous and present employment, and academic background.
• Documentation of academic degrees (copy of degree certificates etc.)
• Copies of max. 5 different publications of research at a high international level in well-respected peer-reviewed venues that are relevant to the position (the publications should be numbered)
• Documentation of pedagogical experience and teaching record within the teaching areas listed for the position.

Applications without the above-mentioned required documents will not be assessed.

The applicant will be accessed according to the Appointment Order from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of 13 March 2012.

The IT University may use shortlisting in connection with the recruitment process. In case of shortlisting, the Chair of the hiring committee selects applicants for assessment in consultation with the hiring committee after the application deadline. All applicants are notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The shortlisting of candidates for assessment is based on the criteria in the job posting.


Further information
Questions about the positions can be directed to the Head of the Center for Climate IT, Steffen Dalsgaard, IT University of Copenhagen, [email protected].

Questions related to the application procedure may be directed to HR, [email protected].


Application procedure
You can only apply for this position through our e-recruitment system.

Apply by pressing the button "Apply for position" in the job announcement on our website.

Please note that all application materials will be destroyed after the assessment.

The IT University uses tests in connection with the recruitment process and we might upon request in the interview process contact 1-2 references.


Application deadline: 1 December 2024, at 23:59 CET.


Applications/enclosures received after the application deadline will not be taken into consideration. If you apply, it is your responsibility to ensure that it arrives before the deadline, so please allow sufficient time for upload of publications and other documents.

At The IT University of Copenhagen, we have an international environment and view diversity as a valuable resource. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive working environment for all our employees and encourage all qualified applicants, regardless of age, gender, religious affiliation, or ethnic background to apply for the position.