Assistant Professor in Political Science

The Department of Political Science at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, is seeking ambitious and dedicated scholars to join one of Europe’s leading political science environments, offering excellent opportunities to develop an international research profile and contribute to high-quality teaching. We invite applications for one or more positions as Assistant Professor in Political Science.

The assistant professorship is a full-time fixed-term position for up to four years starting in January 2027 or as soon as possible hereafter subject to mutual agreement.

Job description

The successful applicant is expected to contribute significantly to the department’s research and teaching environment and to the overall research strategy of the department.

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

We expect you to teach and supervise students at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels 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 subsection.

Your qualifications

1. Relevant PhD. Applicants are formally deemed qualified if they hold a PhD in political science or related fields. If the degree is not obtained yet, the applicant may start as research assistant and advance to an assistant professor position when the degree is granted. Applicants should have obtained their PhD within the past 0–3 years, and only in rare cases more than 3 years ago.
2. Teaching qualifications. The applicant documents teaching experience and positive evaluations of the teaching. 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.
3. Research qualifications. The applicant documents the ability to write high-quality research products publishable in outlets relevant for political science. The Department prioritizes applicants who demonstrate the talent and ability to produce solid and original research results and who are believed to be able to contribute to the further development of the Department’s research portfolio. To assess such talent and ability, publication in top political science or top field journals or with internationally recognized publishers is one element, however, the assessment panel’s evaluation of research quality carries the greatest weight, and the Department also welcomes applications from early-career scholars without publications but with high-quality working papers.

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, Professor Christoffer Green-Pedersen tel.: +45 87 16 56 92, 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 Alle 7, DK-8000 Aarhus C.

 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: internationalstaff.au.dk/relocationservice

Please find more information about research opportunities at Aarhus University here: 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 three publications may be submitted. 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

Read more about how to apply for an academic position 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.

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.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

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