Research assistant – Socioeconomic analysis of agriculture- and food systems

Would you like to be part of an engaged team, that works with the social and political foundations for the green transition of agriculture and food production?

We offer a position in an engaged and multicultural environment, where you have the opportunity to develop your skills in close collaboration with researchers, farmers and other agriculture and food production actors. The position is available from August 1st 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter at the Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Campus Viborg.

You will be employed in the section for Agriculture and Sustainability, where we are engaged in a series of national and international projects aiming at developing future sustainable food production through land restoration, transition to agroecological production, development of sustainable business models, the integration of stakeholder perspectives on landscape management as well as methodological foundations for green transition.  We work with systems analysis, case studies and comparative studies of transition initiatives, policies and strategies across Europe. An important aim for this work is to advise decision-makers at local, national and international levels about the opportunities and barriers for advancing the green transition through the implementation of new production technologies, institutional arrangements, regulatory initiatives and decision-support tools.

Your primary tasks will include:

• Planning data acquisition on private farms
• Analysis and reviews of scientific and grey literature
• Completion of interviews, focus groups and surveys with organic and conventional farmers
• Data processing and analysis (experience with qualitative and quantitative methods is an advantage)
• Written and oral dissemination of results
• Optionally, teaching at bachelor and master level courses.

Qualifications

You have a Master’s degree in, for instance, sociology, anthropology, geography, or political science with a focus on agriculture and food production, as well as relevant experience. You speak Danish fluently, and English at a high level. The working environment is international and much of the communication is English. You bring a cooperative attitude and aim to support a healthy and constructive working environment.

Who we are

At the Department of Agroecology, our main goal is to contribute to sustainable solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems within the areas of soil, plants, animals, humans, and the environment. We want to make a difference by contributing to both fundamental knowledge generation and the attainment of sustainable production systems via innovative research, contracted policy advice, and education. We offer professional laboratories, greenhouses, semi-field, and field-scale research facilities, advanced computing capacities as well as an extensive national and international researcher network. The department consists of nine research sections with around 350 highly skilled employees, of which approximately 50% are scientific staff. More information can be found here.

We believe in encouraging inclusion, acceptance, and understanding by employing staff who bring unique perspectives to our department.

Living and working in Denmark

• Subsidised childcare and free education from primary school through university.
• Universal healthcare for you and your family as residents.
• Five weeks of paid holiday per year.
• Generous parental leave – up to 52 weeks shared between parents, with full or partial salary.

Place of work

You will be working at Campus Viborg, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, at Aarhus University and associated institutions.

Additional information

Additional information about the position can be obtained by making an enquiry with Associate Professor Martin Hvarregaard Thorsøe phone: 93522518, mail: martinh.thorsoe@agro.au.dk

Application deadline

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website, June 15th at latest.
 

Application procedure

Short-listing is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee and will receive his/her assessment.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

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.
 

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/