Postdoctoral positions in Innovation Management

The Department of Business & Management (DBM) at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for one or more 2-year Postdoctoral positions (with possibility for a 1-year extension) within the Carlsberg Foundation project Exnovation in Manufacturing: Revealing the Hidden Agent of Change (Ex-Man) headed by of Martin Kalthaus. The positions are located at SDU’s Campus in Odense and are vacant from 1st May 2025 or as agreed. 

Job description
The Ex-Man project seeks to understand the exnovation process in manufacturing firms. Exnovation is the process of how old technologies, artefacts, or practices in an organization get removed to make space for the introduction of new technologies and innovations. The project will provide novel insights on how to manage and strategically conduct exnovation and to understand the underlying mechanisms, barriers, and facilitators of phasing out old innovations and its influence on firm performance and innovativeness. The project will collect and utilize qualitative case studies and quantitative survey data from the manufacturing sector in Denmark, Germany, and Slovenia. Theoretically, the project draws on innovation management, economics of innovation, technology management, organizational learning, and strategy. 

The positions offer a unique opportunity to explore a novel phenomenon in innovation research and to contribute groundbreaking new insights. The applicants’ role will be to conceptualize the exnovation process from a theoretical point of view and conduct empirical analysis. In particular: 

• Developing a theoretical framework for exnovation that guides empirical research.
• Conducting, analyzing, and interpreting firm and stakeholder interviews.
• Designing novel survey items and conducting econometric analyses using survey data. 
• Writing comprehensive analysis reports and high-impact research publications. 
• Participating in dissemination activities to share findings with academic, industry, and public audiences.
• Teaching in the broader field of innovation management.
   

The project is embedded in the Center for Integrative Innovation Management (C*I2M). The research in C*I2M is cross-disciplinary integrating management, marketing, and technology. We seek to understand and promote insights of innovation from the initial idea to the fully commercialized or implemented innovation. The center is currently hiring a number of younger researchers for various project ensuring a vibrant research environment. 

Applicants’ profile
We are looking for applicants with a PhD in the relevant field of management, economics, or adjacent disciplines with a strong or promising publication track.  Moreover, we expect applicants to: 

• Have excellent English skills, both in speaking and writing. Danish, German, or Slovenian would be an asset.
• Have excellent communication skills. 
• Have substantial experience in conceptual research and theory building.
• Have command of quantitative or qualitative research methods and related software.  
• Preferably first teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level. 
• Be engaged, proactive, cooperative, able to work independently and in a team.

The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the various activities within the department and to be present on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact associate professor Martin Kalthaus [email protected]. 

How to apply for this position
Potential applicants must be post-doc qualified in accordance with the Danish Ministerial order on job structure for academic staff at Danish universities.

The appointment takes place in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the Danish state with the associated circular on the protocol on job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for the position of postdocs as described herein.  

For more information on the department guidelines for qualification and recruitment please visit our website.

An application must include:

• Motivated application.
• Detailed CV, where education and work history must be month and year specific.
• Certified copies of your master’s and PhD degree certificates including all examination results. Alternatively, the expected date of the PhD defense.
• A translation of grades according to the European ECTS system obtained in BA and MSc programs. 
• Complete list of publications, indicating which publications are most relevant for the position. 
• Brief research plan linking previous research to the research in the Ex-Man project 
• Teaching portfolio – you can find instructions for this here.
• Up to 5 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a pdf for each publication. If your publications have been co-authored, please briefly describe the extent of the co-authorship or your contribution to the individual joint publication. You can do so by using this form or you can describe the co-authorship in such a way that the committee can assess the extent of your contribution. 

All documents not in Danish, German, or English must be translated into English. The application documents must be written in English. Use of large language models or related AI tools in any capacity must be disclosed in accordance with best academic practices.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number), if they do – the CPR number must be crossed out. 

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the candidates to provide the necessary material.

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the candidates will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. The appointments committee will manage and complete the job interviews, should such be conducted.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process.

Applications that are incomplete with regard to the above requirements may be rejected without any substantive evaluation.

Deadline for applications is: February 13, 2025, 23.59 CET.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply now" on our website.

The application and CV must not exceed 10 MB.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.