Postdoctoral Researcher to the Centre for Military Studies, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Postdoctoral Researcher to the Centre for Military Studies, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen

The Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH) seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher focusing on research in defence, security, and strategic studies at the Centre for Military Studies.

The position is available for two years, starting from 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

We invite applications from candidates with research and teaching experience within the field of defence, security, strategic and military studies. Applicants with experience in applied research in foreign, security, or defence policy are especially welcome. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to both scientific excellence and relevance.

Introduction
Based at the Department of Political Science, the Centre for Military Studies is a research centre focusing on defence, security, and strategic studies. In order to provide new knowledge and identify relevant strategic options for Denmark in particular, we conduct both curiosity-driven fundamental as well as problem-driven independent research. The Centre works closely with the Danish Ministry of Defence, the Danish Armed Forces and other national and international stakeholders when investigating issues and developing ideas and options. As a fully integrated part of the Department of Political Science, the Centre engages actively in teaching and research activities at the Department. For more information, please consult our webpage:
Centre for Military Studies – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

Duties and Responsibilities
As a Postdoctoral Researcher you will contribute to the scholarship and intellectual life of the University by conducting world-class research and teaching.

The general duties of the position include:

• Research within the field of defence, security, and strategic studies.
• Applied research and other commissioned analytical tasks for the Danish Ministry of Defence and the political parties to the Defence Agreement
• Knowledge sharing with society, including media appearances and public lectures.
• Teaching, supervision, and examination of undergraduate and post-graduate students at the Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

The weighting of the different duties may vary periodically.

Your Qualifications

Essential qualifications:
To be qualified for the position the applicant must have a PhD in Political Science or equivalent academic qualifications as well as:

• An aspiration to increase our understanding of the world and its problems as evidenced in a proven record of outstanding research, a well-received PhD dissertation, and an emerging international reputation based on a publication profile that complements the existing research strengths of the Centre for Military Studies.
• Documented experience with knowledge exchange and / or policy-impact in an international context and in Denmark. We encourage proactive engagement with government, business, and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students.

• Documented teaching experiences in one or more of the main areas covered by the Department, and commitment to the delivery of an excellent student experience. The Department prefers candidates, who can cover more than one of the main courses taught at BSc level.
• Robust interpersonal skills, which enable the candidate to be a constructive and empathic colleague in a diverse and vibrant working environment.

We will expect candidates to present a clear, well-developed, and viable strategy for future outstanding research that will result in world-leading publications, as well as showcase a commitment to innovate teaching and approaches to societal impact.

Preferable qualifications:
Besides these essential qualifications, a strong candidate will have:

• Proven ability to engage in policy-innovation and policy formulation.
• Publication, impact and /or appointment record that documents knowledge of theinstitutions and changing threat landscape of Danish and/or Western security
• Publication, impact and /or appointment record that documents knowledge of theinterest in the challenges faced by small European states
• Proven ability to work on or lead specific projects in teams.
• Proven ability to communicate complicated issues to the wider public.

Danish language qualifications are notable advantage but not a requirement.

Your Opportunities
The position offers a range of attractive opportunities for the candidate, including:

• Being part of a vibrant and ambitious team that aims to produce high quality research
• The opportunity to develop an independent research agenda
• Engaging with key stakeholders within defence, security, strategic and military studies
• Engaging with media and other impact work
• Funding for conference and/or workshop participation

About the Department of Political Science
The Department is a top-ranked European Political Science department, which offers a vibrant, collegial, and pluralist academic working environment for ambitious scholars.

The pluralism of Political Science in Copenhagen is evidenced in the various epistemological andmethodological approaches as well as subfields adopted by faculty, and in a wide range of core subjects in the MSc programme.

The Department consists of some 75 faculty members, which currently includes more than 10 tenure-track assistant professors, as well as some 25 PhD students, organized in various research groups and a few centres. For more on the Department, please consult our webpage:

About the Department of Political Science – Department of Political Science - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

Terms of Employment

• Employment with the Faculty of Social Sciences and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit. We do this by applying academic criteria of the University of Copenhagen which are related to the duties and conditions of each particular post and the needs of the Department concerned.
• Further information on qualification requirements as Postdoctoral Researcher can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities here:
  Job Structure for Academic Staff at universities
• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• The salary range starts at DKK 36,575 per month + a 17.1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: Recruitment process – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see HR Excellence in Research – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

The Code of Conduct of the Department of Political Science is available here:
Code of Conduct – Department of Political Science - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here:
For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: [email protected] - please refer to ID number: 211-1895/24-2I #1.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from the Director of the Center for Military Studies Kristian Søby Kristensen (e-mail: [email protected], phone: +45 28729017)

How to Apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply.

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application. A cover letter (max. 2 pages) with a motivation for your application and detailing how your profile matches the qualifications required for this post.
• Curriculum vitae
• Certificates and Diplomas including certified/signed copy of PhD certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor must be attached as well.
• Publication list. A complete list of all publications with clearly marked publication dates.
• Documentation of societal impact including through applied research. Documentation of any ability to and/or experience with societal impact including through applied research.
• Documentation of ability to disseminate information. Documentation of any ability to disseminate information to and share knowledge with society.
• Research plan stating the focus and expected achievements of the research planned during the time of employment (max 2 pages).

The closing date for applications is at 23:59 (CEST) 8 September 2024.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.