Assistant Professor in Political Science

The Department of Political Science at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, invites applications for one or more assistant professor positions in Political Science.

The assistant professorship is a full-time fixed-term position for up to four years starting on January 2026 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:

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

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

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. The PhD degree is expected to be 0-3 years old, only on rare conditions older than 3 years.

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 ability to write high quality papers 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.

Who we are

With around 130 academic staff members and 40 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 AASCB, 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 supporter Line Møller Kristiansen Tel.: +45 93 52 29 04 Email: lmkr@au.dk.

Place of work

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

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 are the best overall match for the department’s and the faculty’s recruitment needs and which possess the qualifications, competencies, experience and potential described above and in the faculty’s criteria for evaluating candidates to permanent positions here.

Through the shortlisting process, the head of department selects the applicants who are to receive a thorough assessment of their professional qualifications. The assessment committee will then assess these applicants. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been shortlisted and sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee.
 

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 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. Please use this template

• Teaching portfolio. The specific requirements regarding the documentation can be found here

Materials that cannot be uploaded together with the application may be submitted in three copies to Aarhus BSS HR & PhD, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 16, Building 1328, DK-8000 Aarhus C.

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

The evaluation process

After the application deadline, an assessment committee is appointed. Please note that the assessment of applicants is based solely on the material received prior to the application deadline. Further information can be found here

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.

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