Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy
The School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for the position of tenure-track assistant professor of dramaturgy at the Department of Dramaturgy and Musicology. The tenure-track assistant professorship is a five-year, fixed-term appointment, with the possibility of permanent employment (tenure) as an associate professor. For information about attaining tenure, see the section on tenure review below.
The appointment begins on 1 January 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.
The successful applicant is expected to share this ambition and further enhance our practice-focused dialogues between academic research and education and the professional field. With their research expertise anchored in state-of-the-art theatre, dramaturgy, and performance scholarship, they are expected to actively contribute to keeping our academic, curricular, and research activities current and further innovating them. The successful applicant should also be willing to contribute to the multidisciplinary teaching environment in the school’s aesthetic subjects and to engage in educational and organisational tasks.
Research from the dramaturgy section has been instrumental in extending the established domains of theatre pedagogy and applied drama toward a broader range of applications of dramaturgical theories, tools and methods in the contexts of production and project management, creative process design and leadership, group facilitation and coaching, interpersonal and organisational communication and drama pedagogy – within theatre, education and other fields. We are particularly looking for applicants who will take on a key role in further advancing this research strand of applied dramaturgy.
In addition to contributing to the specific area of applied dramaturgy, it is highly desirable that the applicant’s research and teaching portfolio also engages with one or more of the dramaturgy section’s other core profile areas: cultural leadership and institutional dramaturgies, archival practice and theatre history, digitalisation and mediatisation, cultural diversity and sustainability, immersive, interactive and affective dramaturgies, applied theatre and theatre pedagogy, and artistic research.
In sum, we are looking for an ambitious, dedicated and theoretically and methodologically rigorous researcher and teacher who will strengthen the section’s research and teaching profile nationally and internationally while contributing to Aarhus University’s core activities in the areas of research, teaching and supervision, talent development and knowledge exchange.
The successful applicant is expected to publish internationally visible, peer-reviewed research and make scholarly contributions to the above-mentioned field. An interest in and experience of innovative forms and media of digital publication, as well as public engagement, is desirable. We are looking for a colleague who can cultivate active connections with the national and international theatre profession as well as other professional networks in ways that will enrich our research activities through new collaborative projects with internal and external partners, including in connection with applications for external research funding. Scholarly engagement with theatre and dramaturgy in other languages and/or geographical and cultural contexts is an advantage.
The successful applicant should also be able to teach in additional departmental and interdisciplinary core areas, including academically relevant courses at other departments within the school.
Given the international focus of Aarhus University’s degree programmes, the successful applicant will be expected to teach in English and Danish.
Please note that while the application process can technically be completed via Aarhus University’s electronic system without uploading the documents listed above, applications that do not include all four specified components will not be considered. Although the application system includes an option to upload letters of recommendation, we kindly ask applicants not to include letters of recommendation or references at this stage. Applicants invited to an interview may be asked to provide the names of referees.
The tenure-track assistant professor must have contributed actively to the academic, research and collegial environment of the dramaturgy section. At the time of the tenure review for the associate professor position, the tenure-track assistant professor will be expected to have developed a strong research profile at a high international level and to have published the equivalent of at least two peer-reviewed scholarly articles per year. The tenure-track assistant professor is further expected to have contributed actively to collaborative research and research initiatives with local, national and/or international researchers in the field, including participation in attracting external research funding. It will be considered an advantage if the tenure-track assistant professor has completed a research period at one or more recognised research institutions abroad by the time of the tenure review.
At the time of the tenure review for the position of tenured associate professor, the tenure-track assistant professor must document the ability to undertake teaching tasks independently at all levels within their core subject area and the breadth of their teaching competencies, including supervision. Depending on the nature and ECTS weighting of the specific classes, they must have taught three to four courses per year. In addition, they must have engaged in student mentorship and thesis supervision at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels and conducted both written and oral examinations. The tenure-track assistant professor is also expected to have participated in curriculum development. Finally, the university’s teacher training programme for assistant professors must be completed before the tenure review.
If the assessment is positive, the tenure-track assistant professor will be offered a tenured position as an associate professor at Aarhus University.
An appointee who does not speak Danish will be required to acquire sufficient proficiency in the language to carry out tasks, including administrative and managerial responsibilities, and fully participate in the school’s activities within approximately three years of commencing the appointment. These include, but are not limited to, reading work-related texts and participating in meetings and collegial gatherings conducted in Danish.
If you need help uploading your application or have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR support by email: hsi@au.dk.
The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society, the Danish School of Education, and the Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.
The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.
Read more at arts.au.dk/en
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
Apply
The appointment begins on 1 January 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.
The position
The study of dramaturgy at Aarhus University was established in 1959. It has a strong tradition of combining research-based theoretical and practical teaching in both classroom and studio-theatre settings in theatre practices, theatre history, theatre and performance theory, applied dramaturgy and theatre pedagogy, and cultural politics and arts management. The dramaturgy section, which is part of the Department of Dramaturgy and Musicology, has numerous collaborations with local, national and international theatre makers, cultural institutions and other professional partners. We aim to educate students who demonstrate creative and societal agency and responsibility as they pursue careers in theatre, the arts and beyond.The successful applicant is expected to share this ambition and further enhance our practice-focused dialogues between academic research and education and the professional field. With their research expertise anchored in state-of-the-art theatre, dramaturgy, and performance scholarship, they are expected to actively contribute to keeping our academic, curricular, and research activities current and further innovating them. The successful applicant should also be willing to contribute to the multidisciplinary teaching environment in the school’s aesthetic subjects and to engage in educational and organisational tasks.
Research from the dramaturgy section has been instrumental in extending the established domains of theatre pedagogy and applied drama toward a broader range of applications of dramaturgical theories, tools and methods in the contexts of production and project management, creative process design and leadership, group facilitation and coaching, interpersonal and organisational communication and drama pedagogy – within theatre, education and other fields. We are particularly looking for applicants who will take on a key role in further advancing this research strand of applied dramaturgy.
In addition to contributing to the specific area of applied dramaturgy, it is highly desirable that the applicant’s research and teaching portfolio also engages with one or more of the dramaturgy section’s other core profile areas: cultural leadership and institutional dramaturgies, archival practice and theatre history, digitalisation and mediatisation, cultural diversity and sustainability, immersive, interactive and affective dramaturgies, applied theatre and theatre pedagogy, and artistic research.
In sum, we are looking for an ambitious, dedicated and theoretically and methodologically rigorous researcher and teacher who will strengthen the section’s research and teaching profile nationally and internationally while contributing to Aarhus University’s core activities in the areas of research, teaching and supervision, talent development and knowledge exchange.
Research
As a uniquely dedicated dramaturgy section within a research university, we have a pronounced international profile and a robust research network, including formal and informal partnerships with artists and institutions. Dramaturgy researchers actively engage in international subject organisations such as the European Association for the Study of Theatre and Performance (EASTAP), which held its annual conference with more than 200 participants at Aarhus University in 2023, and the Association of Nordic Theatre Scholars (ANTS). Within the school’s interdisciplinary research organisation, dramaturgy researchers participate in research programmes such as Cultural Transformations, Historical Studies of Arts and Culture and Arts, Aesthetics & Communities. The section also hosts the dedicated research centres Centre for Historical Performance Practice, Centre for Cultural Evaluation and European Theatre Research Network. Furthermore, we hold a key editorial role in the publication of Peripeti – Tidsskrift for Dramaturgiske Studier, which publishes peer-reviewed research in Danish and English as well as professional and artistic articles.The successful applicant is expected to publish internationally visible, peer-reviewed research and make scholarly contributions to the above-mentioned field. An interest in and experience of innovative forms and media of digital publication, as well as public engagement, is desirable. We are looking for a colleague who can cultivate active connections with the national and international theatre profession as well as other professional networks in ways that will enrich our research activities through new collaborative projects with internal and external partners, including in connection with applications for external research funding. Scholarly engagement with theatre and dramaturgy in other languages and/or geographical and cultural contexts is an advantage.
Teaching and supervision
The successful applicant will teach and supervise students in the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in dramaturgy, focusing on the curricular area of applied dramaturgy, as outlined above. The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate competence and experience in teaching a range of courses across the curriculum, both in the classroom and in theatre studio environments. The successful applicant will be expected to apply innovative teaching methods such as collaborative student involvement, and to develop supervision capabilities at both Bachelor’s and Master’s level.The successful applicant should also be able to teach in additional departmental and interdisciplinary core areas, including academically relevant courses at other departments within the school.
Given the international focus of Aarhus University’s degree programmes, the successful applicant will be expected to teach in English and Danish.
Knowledge exchange
The successful applicant will be expected to engage in knowledge exchange through collaborative, practice-focused research with professional artists, theatre institutions and/or external partners in other fields. The successful applicant will find excellent opportunities to participate in relevant collaborative initiatives with partners inside and outside Aarhus University.Qualifications
Applicants must hold a PhD degree or be able to document equivalent qualifications in a relevant field related to dramaturgy, theatre and performance research, along with teaching and research experience equivalent to that attained through a PhD. Applicants must also be able to document the following as relevant to the position outlined above:- an internationally oriented research profile within the outlined areas of dramaturgy, theatre and/or performance studies, as documented by a published PhD dissertation and/or other research publications of international standard
- relevant university-level teaching experience, including the use of innovative teaching methods in both classroom and studio settings, as documented through a teaching portfolio.
- research, teaching and/or practice-based experience in the field of applied dramaturgy, as introduced above
- experience in collaboration with professional partners, knowledge exchange and public engagement
- participation in national and international research networks and/or research organisations
- research conducted abroad (that is, outside the country where the primary university education took place) and/or employment at one or more internationally recognised research institutions
- scholarly engagement with theatre and dramaturgy in other languages and/or geographical and cultural contexts.
Please note that while the application process can technically be completed via Aarhus University’s electronic system without uploading the documents listed above, applications that do not include all four specified components will not be considered. Although the application system includes an option to upload letters of recommendation, we kindly ask applicants not to include letters of recommendation or references at this stage. Applicants invited to an interview may be asked to provide the names of referees.
Tenure review
To obtain tenure, the tenure-track assistant professor must be assessed as qualified for an associate professorship no later than during the final six months of the fixed-term employment period. If the tenure-track assistant professor requests, the assessment may occur earlier within the fixed-term employment period. The assessment is based on the fulfilment of the qualification requirements applicable to associate professorships.The tenure-track assistant professor must have contributed actively to the academic, research and collegial environment of the dramaturgy section. At the time of the tenure review for the associate professor position, the tenure-track assistant professor will be expected to have developed a strong research profile at a high international level and to have published the equivalent of at least two peer-reviewed scholarly articles per year. The tenure-track assistant professor is further expected to have contributed actively to collaborative research and research initiatives with local, national and/or international researchers in the field, including participation in attracting external research funding. It will be considered an advantage if the tenure-track assistant professor has completed a research period at one or more recognised research institutions abroad by the time of the tenure review.
At the time of the tenure review for the position of tenured associate professor, the tenure-track assistant professor must document the ability to undertake teaching tasks independently at all levels within their core subject area and the breadth of their teaching competencies, including supervision. Depending on the nature and ECTS weighting of the specific classes, they must have taught three to four courses per year. In addition, they must have engaged in student mentorship and thesis supervision at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels and conducted both written and oral examinations. The tenure-track assistant professor is also expected to have participated in curriculum development. Finally, the university’s teacher training programme for assistant professors must be completed before the tenure review.
If the assessment is positive, the tenure-track assistant professor will be offered a tenured position as an associate professor at Aarhus University.
Work environment
Active participation in the daily life of the department is a high priority, and we emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students. The successful applicant is expected to be at the department daily to support and develop the department’s excellent teaching and research environment. We respect the balance between work and private life and strive to create a work environment to maintain that balance. You can read more about family and work-life balance in Denmark.International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to read about the attractive working conditions and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers various services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and an AU Expat Partner Programme. You can also find information about the taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU.An appointee who does not speak Danish will be required to acquire sufficient proficiency in the language to carry out tasks, including administrative and managerial responsibilities, and fully participate in the school’s activities within approximately three years of commencing the appointment. These include, but are not limited to, reading work-related texts and participating in meetings and collegial gatherings conducted in Danish.
Department of Dramaturgy and Musicology
The place of employment is the Department of Dramaturgy and Musicology, Langelandsgade 139, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark (Kasernen campus). Applicants are encouraged to visit the university’s websites for the dramaturgy section and the Department of Dramaturgy and Musicology for further information about the department, its sections and programmes.School of Communication and Culture
The department is part of the School of Communication and Culture, which is one of three schools forming Aarhus University’s Faculty of Arts. You will find information about the school and its research programmes, departments and diverse activities on its website.Contact
For further information about the position, please contact Steen Kaargaard Nielsen, Head of the Department of Dramaturgy and Musicology, by tel.: +45 8716 3095 or by email: musskn@cc.au.dk.If you need help uploading your application or have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR support by email: hsi@au.dk.
Qualification requirements
Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.
Formalities
Formalities
- Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
- 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 .
- Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
- The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than two examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.
If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.
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.
Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting
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.
Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.
The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.
The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.
The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society, the Danish School of Education, and the Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.
The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.
Read more at arts.au.dk/en
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 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/
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Deadline: 02 June 2025
Academic contact person:
Steen Kaargaard Nielsen
Lektor
musskn@cc.au.dk
+4551264809
Vacant positions: 1
Hours per week: 37
Number of months: 60
Expected date of accession: 01 January 2026
AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Nordre Ringgade 1
8000 Aarhus
Email: au@au.dk
Tlf: 8715 0000
CVR-nr: 31119103
Nordre Ringgade 1
8000 Aarhus
Email: au@au.dk
Tlf: 8715 0000
CVR-nr: 31119103