One or more tenure-track Assistant Professorships in Sociology

The Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites excellent candidates for one or more tenure-track assistant professorships in sociology.

The position is available from 1st October 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

A tenure-track assistant professorship is a six-year, fixed-term academic position involving both research and teaching. The successful candidate will be obliged to complete a teacher-training course designed especially for assistant professors, and will be expected to be able to take part in all activities of the Department, including examinations and administration.

Approximately six months before the end of the six-year period as tenure-track assistant professor, a committee set up by the Dean will assess whether the assistant professor can be considered for promotion to a tenured position as associate professor.

Read more about the tenure-track program at Copenhagen University here: Tenure track at the University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

Introduction
The Department of Sociology is an international department with an ambitious and friendly atmosphere, comprising at present 30 faculty, 15 Post Docs, 15 Ph.D. Students, and an administrative unit. We pursue problem-oriented research and investigate topics such as social mobility, facilitative cultures and structures that tackle climate change, migration and processes of integration, the role of education in (re)production of inequalities, social movements, the role of the digital in practices that are harmful, understanding practices of violence, impact of AI, and the sociology of science. We share a pronounced commitment to social theory – both classical and modern. We engage with and innovate around both qualitative and quantitative methods, and have in recent years invested a significant amount of resources in the area of social data science. The Department is located in the very center of the old city of Copenhagen and shares a campus with the other departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences: Anthropology, Economics, Political Science and Psychology with whom we have close collaborations.

To fulfill the research requirements of the position the applicant chosen is expected to be physically present on a regular basis and actively participate in the teaching and research activities of the Department.

Duties and Responsibilities
General duties attached to the position as tenure-track assistant professor are:

• Individual and group-based research, and research-based publishing, meeting high international standards within the field of Sociology
• Teaching, supervision and examination of undergraduate and graduate students in existing programmes and courses of the Department of Sociology
• Contributing to the administrative responsibilities of the Department of Sociology and Faculty wide tasks
• Communicating research findings to the public in general and to the stakeholders of the Department of Sociology and Faculty of Social Science in particular
• Taking an active interest in the employability of our graduate students
• Participation in the Faculty of Social Science ‘Teaching and Learning at Higher Education Programme’ for assistant professors
• Initiating and contributing to external funding activities
• Active participation in research activities such as conferences, workshops and seminars
• Promoting the Department nationally as well as internationally.

Your Competencies and Opportunities
In order to be assessed qualified for a tenure-track assistant professor position at the University of Copenhagen, the candidate must meet the University’s criteria of academic merit.

Six overall criteria apply for professor appointments at the University of Copenhagen. The six criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) are considered a framework for the overall assessment of candidates.

You can read more about the criteria for recognising merit for assistant professors here:  5a_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-Assistant_professors.pdf (ku.dk)

Qualified candidates are expected to have a thorough training in the field of Sociology and an in-depth understanding of sociological methods. They also have a keen interest to expand that knowledge further and to initiate and conduct research in the Department of Sociology and its areas of research. Furthermore, qualified candidates will have a plan to conduct this research collaboratively within the Department of Sociology and with other departments and research centres at the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Successful candidates will have to have strong interpersonal skills as well as an aptitude for working collaboratively with colleagues in planning and delivering teaching, in research projects and in the discharge of administrative duties.

Furthermore, qualified candidates must demonstrate a commitment to student learning, supporting student welfare and enhancing the student experience.

Strategy of the Faculty of the Social Sciences
The Department of Sociology is part of the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The Faculty is a successful academic community that strives to put knowledge into action by:

• Engaging partners in the co-creation of knowledge, learning and social change.
• Empowering our students to become reflective and responsible citizens who have the vision, the knowledge and the competences to change society for the better.
• Energising global, European and Danish communities of knowledge by innovating research methodologies and by research findings with impact

For more on the Faculty strategy 2018-2023, see: Fakultetsstrategi – Det Samfundsvidenskabelige Fakultet - Københavns Universitet.
A Strategy for 2024-2028 is currently in the process of being formulated.

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.
• As this is a tenure track position, and therefore we strongly encourage the appointed assistant professor to acquire the proficiency in Danish required to teach and interact with colleagues in that language in 2-4 years. The Department will provide and pay for the necessary language training
• Further information on qualification requirements as assistant professor can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities here: Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf (ku.dk)
• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• The salary range starts at DKK 36.400 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 Recruitment process – 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: hrsc@hrsc.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-0582/24-2E.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from the Head of Department Benedikte Brincker, e-mail: bebr@soc.ku.dk, phone +45 2118 0736

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
  Curriculum vitae
• Certificates and Diplomas
• Publications. The 6 most important publications, of which at least three must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for application. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and named from 1 to 6.
• Publication list. A complete list of all publications with clearly marked publication dates. The uploaded publications must be marked with * on the list to be assessed.
• Teaching portfolio. Documentation of teaching qualifications in accordance with the University guidelines for teaching portfolios when appointing academic staff at the University of Copenhagen
• Documentation of ability to disseminate information. Documentation of the ability to disseminate information to and share knowledge with society.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavors, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly specified. The hiring committee may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors specifying the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.

The closing date for applications is 29th April 2024, CEST

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.