Associate Professor or Assistant Professor in Social Interventions / Digital Participation and Public Outreach

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) at the University of Luxembourg brings together expertise from the humanities, linguistics, cognitive sciences, social and educational sciences.

People from across 20 disciplines are working within the Faculty. Along with the disciplinary approach a very ambitious interdisciplinary research culture has been developed. The faculty’s research and teaching focuses on social, economic, political and educational issues with the common goal of contributing to an inclusive, open and resourceful society.

Your role

The cohesion of liberal societies increasingly depends on high-quality, participatory human services spanning social, educational, and cultural domains. Strategies for reducing barriers to service uptake and enhancement, including through the co-production of specialist knowledge, are essential for the legitimacy of services and underlying policies.

The University of Luxembourg aims to play a key role in this public-facing co-productive knowledge landscape. This position will contribute to the development of digital and face-to-face methods for public involvement, by shaping the theories, methodologies, and tools that underpin participatory knowledge production in human services. Active in research, innovation and teaching, the position holder will, in particular:

• Analyse and develop innovative approaches to service user engagement, public outreach, and multi-stakeholder dialogue focusing on unequal power relations and conflicting interests. These approaches should combine data-intensive digital tools with face-to-face interventions, enabling exchanges between human service providers and hard-to-reach populations. Examples include collaborative digital platforms, co-creative living labs, interactive exhibitions, and multisensorial participatory interventions
• Organize participatory events and lead the development of the department’s outreach initiative ALICES (Agora Luxembourgeoise partICipative de l’intErvention Sociale) - a living lab launched in 2023 that engages with Luxembourg’s human services sector
• Design and theorise participatory interventions and public outreach within the context of human services as well as in empirical research methods
• Teach conceptual and methodological courses in the Bachelor en Sciences Sociales et Éducatives (BSSE), playing a key a key role in its ongoing development and expansion. The postholder will also have the opportunity to contribute to the construction of a projected new Master’s programme and to teach within the doctoral and lifelong learning programmes of the university

For further information about the role, please contact: Prof. Dr. Boris Traue, Director of the Bachelor en Sciences Sociales et Éducatives, Email: boris.traue@uni.lu

Your profile

• A doctorate in Sociology, Social Work, Education, Anthropology or related fields
• Ideally a minimum of three years of postdoctoral experience acquired at a university or comparable research institution. Experience in participatory, qualitative, and digital research methodologies is essential
• Documented experience in at least two thematic areas among: digital and face-to-face user involvement; engagement of underserved or marginalised publics; and academic outreach and knowledge dissemination strategies
• An international research profile demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications
• Ability to develop conceptual frameworks that integrate both face-to-face and digital participatory interventions. Experience in user-centred digital technologies and visual or multi-sensorial strategies for reaching vulnerable publics is desirable
• Involvement in outreach initiatives
• Experience in the acquisition of external research project funding, conference participation, and collaboration in national and international research and/or policy initiatives
• University-level teaching experience at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels should be documented

Language requirements

The University of Luxembourg is set in a multilingual context. The person hired on this position must be proficient in English and French. Additional knowledge of German is advantageous. The University encourages its staff to learn German (and other languages) and provides access to language courses to this end.

We offer

• A modern and dynamic university with a personal atmosphere. Multilingual and international character. Staff coming from 90 countries. Member of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.
• An exceptional research environment and skilled support staff. High-quality equipment. Close ties to the business world and to the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban site with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and with numerous non-academic partners such as ministries, local governments, associations, NGOs, …
• Competitive salary and benefits packages. Very good opportunities for external funding. Support for career development and mentoring. Services to promote staff well-being and work-life balance

How to apply

Applications should be submitted online only and contain:

• Cover letter
• Detailed CV, including periods of absence from work (or where the effect has been equivalent to absence) including family-related leave and career breaks
• Complete list of publications and copies of 3 recent publications relevant for the field of the position
• Copies of diplomas
• List and short description of external research funding acquired over the past 5 (five) years
• List of PhD theses supervised
• List of teaching activities over the past 5 (five) years, including courses taught
• Statement of research, teaching and other activities planned at the University of Luxembourg
• The names, contact information and present position of 3 referees who can, upon request, provide an assessment on the application. Please indicate their relationship to you

Applications should be addressed to Prof. Dr. Robert Harmsen (Dean of the Faculty).

We encourage early application. To ensure full consideration, candidates should apply by 30th of November 2025. Applications will be handled in strict confidence.

Gender equality:

The University of Luxembourg is committed to achieving gender parity among its academic staff and aims to eliminate obstacles to recruitment of female professors and their career development. Should candidates present equivalent CVs, preference will be given to female candidates in all departments where gender parity is not yet achieved.

The University of Luxembourg embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.