Postdoctoral Researcher Position in Labour Immigration and Institutional Change

Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen

The Employment Relations Research Centre (FAOS) at the Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, invites applications for two fixed-term postdoctoral researcher positions (2½ years) starting 1 March 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.

These positions are part of the project ‘Labour Migration as a Source of Institutional Change’, which investigates how companies’ use of migrant labour can cause changes in receiving countries labour market institutions. The postdoctoral researcher will undertake comparative case studies of companies’ use of migrant labour across three sectors (manufacturing, construction and hospitality) in two countries (either Austria and Netherlands or Ireland and Sweden). The case studies will contribute to all aspects of the project, including a five-country comparison.   

The project is led by Associate Professor Jens Arnholtz (PI) and is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. The research team will consist of the two postdoctoral researchers and the PI.

Job Description
In many Western European countries, labour migrants’ share of employment has expanded substantially the last decades reaching beyond 25 percent in some countries. However, our current understanding of how labour market institutions change ignores labour migration. Therefore, we know little about the long-term impact of labour migration on receiving countries’ labour market institutions.

To address this issue, this project proposes and tests a new theory of how labour migration causes institutional change: Companies pursuing deviant business strategies can use labour migrants to overcome institutional obstacles and the proliferation of such deviant business strategies can cause incremental institutional change. The cumulative effects of those changes have transformative potential for how labour markets are governed.

To test and develop this theory, the postdoctoral researcher will conduct sector case studies in different countries focusing both on the link between deviant business strategies and the use of migrant labour, and on the cumulative effects of labour migration over time in different sectors and countries.

Key Tasks:

• Conduct comparative case studies of the use of migrant labor in three sectors across two countries.
• Utilize process-tracing methodologies to analyze to what extent inflow of migrant labour and proliferation of deviant business practices are related.
• Conduct and analyze interviews with company representatives, trade unions, labour inspectors and other authorities, and experts.
• Gather and analyze supplementary data such as statistics, archival data, media sources, policy documents, and studies to reconstruct historical development.
• Compare cross-national and cross-sectorial variations in how divergent business strategies and labour migration co-develop.
• Write academic articles based on findings for submission to top sociology and political science journals.
• Present findings at international conferences (e.g., SASE, CES, EPSA, ESA).

The project includes 1½ month research stay in each case country, hosted by members of the project’s advisory board.

The postdoctoral researcher position is mainly a research position, but there is a 10 % teaching obligation.

For further information, including more details on project, please contact Associate Professor Jens Arnholtz (jh@faos.dk).

Qualifications
Appointment as a postdoctoral researcher requires research qualifications at a level at least equivalent to those obtained through the satisfactory completion of a PhD programme within the relevant field.

We seek candidates with the following qualifications:

• A PhD in Sociology, Political Science, Comparative Political Economy, Industrial Relations or a related field (completed or near completion).
• Expertise in qualitative research methods, particularly comparative case study analysis, qualitative interviews and process-tracing.
• Knowledge of political economy, labour market institutions or labour migration.
• Fluency in English and either German and Dutch or Swedish is required; proficiency in Danish is desirable but not a requirement.
• Experience with or willingness to engage in academic collaboration.

You can find further information about the qualification requirements for postdoctoral positions here: Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (In Danish only).

You can also find further information about the postdoctoral position on our English webpage on career paths for early‑career researchers at the University of Copenhagen: Career at The University of Copenhagen.

Strategy of the Faculty of the Social Sciences
Employment Relations Research Centre (FAOS) 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’s strategy, please see: Strategy for the Faculty of Social Science.

Work Environment & Research Team
The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with Associate Professor Jens Arnholtz, another postdoc and an international advisory board. The postdoctoral researcher will become a part of the Employment Relations Research Centre (FAOS), which has a strong focus on labour market institutions, and the Department of Sociology, which provides a dynamic research environment, offering access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure.

The project will provide opportunities for collaboration on high-impact publications, networking with experts in labour migration and labour markets, and participation in international research events.

Application Process
Please submit your application online. To apply, please click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this page. The application must be written in English, and include the following attachments in PDF or Word format:

• Cover Letter detailing research interests and fit for the project (max. 1 page)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (max. 3 pages)
• Documentation of qualifications (exam certificates and PhD diploma)
• Complete publication list (attached publications must be marked with an asterisk). The list must be structured systematically and divided into the following categories:
  • Peer-reviewed publications:
    • Monographs and anthologies
    • Articles in journals
    • Book chapters/anthology contributions, etc.
  • Non-peer-reviewed publications:
    • Publications disseminating research findings, etc.
• Research Statement (max. 2 pages) outlining past experience and future research agenda.
• Two Writing Samples (published papers or dissertation chapters).

Salary and Terms of Employment
Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range for postdoctoral positions starts at DKK 39,900/approximately EUR 5,300 + an 18.07 % pension contribution. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

Recruitment Process
After the application deadline, the Head of Department will consider advice from the appointment committee and select the applicants for assessment. All applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted. The Head of Department will set up an expert assessment committee to assess the shortlisted applications. The selected applicants will be informed who is serving on the committee. Each shortlisted applicant will be offered the opportunity to comment on the committee's assessment before the appointment is announced.

You can find further information on our recruitment process at: Recruitment process.

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 our services at: For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen.

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, regardsless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. To learn more about our diverse workplace and our participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, please visit HR Excellence in Research.

Contact Information
For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Jens Arnholtz at jh@faos.dk.

For more Information about the recruitment process, please contact HR South at hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number: 211-2642/26-2I #2.

The application deadline is 30 October 2026 at 23:59 [CEST].

Any applications or additional material submitted after the deadline will not be considered. However, changes may be made to the submitted application right up until the deadline.

We look forward to receiving your application!