Associate Professor in Political Science

The Department of Political Science at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, is seeking dedicated and ambitious scholars to join our dynamic academic environment. As one of Europe’s largest and highest‑ranked political science departments, we offer excellent opportunities to develop your research profile and contribute to high‑quality teaching. We now invite applications for one or more permanent associate professor positions in Political Science, starting January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter subject to mutual agreement. 

Job description

We are hiring within the fields of one or more of these subjects:

• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Political Behaviour
• Political Sociology
• Political Theory
• Public Administration
• Public Policy

The successful applicant is expected to contribute significantly to the department’s research and teaching environment and activities. We expect you to teach and supervise students at Bachelor’s and Master’s level and to carry out individual and group-based research of the highest international standard. We expect active participation in the activities of the department and the relevant sub section. 

Your qualifications

Applicants must possess research qualifications and teaching skills corresponding to those obtained after successful completion of a period of employment as an assistant professor, but equivalent academic qualifications may also be accepted, i.e. applicants ideally have typically 3-8 years of teaching and research experience after completion of their PhD.

It is required that non-Danish speakers learn Danish and will be able to teach and conduct examinations in Danish within a short period (3 years at the most). If necessary, the department will grant time off from teaching to attend Danish courses during the first two years of employment.

Permanent employment as associate professor at Aarhus BSS requires completion of the supervision course and also the course Online and blended learning provided by Centre for Educational Development at Aarhus University. If you have not completed the courses before commencement of employment, continued employment will be conditional on completion of the courses within a two-year period. 

The required qualifications are elaborated below:

Research qualifications

Applicants are expected to have an international research profile with an emphasis on original research of high quality and show progress and momentum in research activities. The department is particularly looking for applicants with the potential of defining the future research agenda within their field. This potential must be documented through a significant body of high-quality research.

To assess research qualifications, the assessment and hiring committee will consider the following parameters:

• Progression in research. The applicant must also demonstrate progression in the form of research publications that go beyond the PhD dissertation thematically, theoretically, methodologically or empirically. Emphasis will be put on recent research, and the evaluation of the applicant’s research will take number of years at current academic level into account. Periods of leave will be observed in the assessment of productivity.
• Quality of research. The assessment will focus on the scientific originality and contributions of the publications submitted for assessment regardless of outlet. Publication in top political science or top field journals carries weight in this assessment and so does publication of monographs with internationally recognized publishers. However, assessed quality of research carries the most weight and research metrics will only be used in relation to careful assessment of the submitted work.
• Independence in research. The applicant’s capacity to carry out independent research is also an important assessment criterion and can be documented through, for instance, single-authored publications, coauthor statements declaring the applicant’s contributions, diverse co-authorship, or being PI on research projects. Co-authored publications must be accompanied by co-authorship declarations allowing for an assessment of the independent contribution of the applicant.

Didactical/pedagogical competences and experiences

The Department will prioritize candidates who demonstrate talent and ability to perform independent, high-quality teaching in subjects that contribute to the Department’s teaching portfolio. Applicants are expected to have substantial teaching experience: a) minimum five courses in total (possibly including teaching tasks as PhD student) and preferably experience with different types of teaching, and b) have completed a pedagogical course in university teaching. Applicants must submit a teaching portfolio clarifying their teaching experience and approach.

To assess teaching qualifications, the assessment and hiring committees will consider the following parameters:

1. Breadth of teaching, i.e., a) level of teaching (BA, MA, PhD), b) teaching formats (e.g., TA, seminars, lectures, supervision), or c) subject of teaching relating to diversity in subject matters contributing to the Department’s teaching portfolio.
   b. Responsibility in teaching, i.e., a) course development and organization (planning syllabus and teaching program), b) exam (formulating exam questions, grading and feedback), or c) course coordination (TA management, co-teaching organization).
   c. Generally positive teaching evaluations.

Who we are

With around 120 academic staff members and 50 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. This allows us to contribute actively to the development of the discipline. We offer a lively and ambitious research and teaching environment characterized 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.

The Department of Political Science is part of Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University – a top 100 university. Aarhus BSS has achieved the triple-crown AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations.

Further information

For further information about the position and the department, please contact Head of Department, Christoffer Green-Pedersen, tel.+45 8716 5692, email: cgp@ps.au.dk.

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Coordinator Astrid Valdgård Schmidt, email: avs@au.dk.  

Place of work

Department of Political Science, Bartholins Allé 7, DK - 8000 Aarhus.

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/

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 position is at the level of Assistant Professor, with salary determined in accordance with the collective agreement.

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
• Curriculum Vitae. You are encouraged to declare any periods of leave without research activity, including, for example, maternity 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)
• List of publications (the enclosed publications must be clearly marked on the list of publications)
• Publications. Up to five publications 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 five copies to Aarhus BSS HR & PhD, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 16, DK-8000 Aarhus C.

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

The evaluation process

Shortlisting is applied. This means that an appointment committee (assisted by the chair of the assessment committee) advises the head of department on which applicants possess the qualifications, competencies, experience and potential described above under “Your qualifications”, notably in fields with specific departmental research and teaching needs and in accordance with the faculty’s criteria and guidelines for evaluating candidates to permanent positions.

Through the shortlisting process, the head of department selects the applicants who will receive a thorough assessment of their professional qualifications. The applicants will then be assessed by an expert assessment committee. All applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been shortlisted and forwarded to the assessment committee for evaluation. Shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee.

Please note that the assessment of applicants is based solely on the material received prior to the application deadline.

Read more about the recruitment process, shortlisting procedure and guidelines for assessment committees here. 

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 37,000 students (FTEs) and 8,700 employees and has an annual revenue of EUR 1.106 billion. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/