The Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense invites applications for an associate professorship in Public Administration as of February 1, 2027, or as agreed.

The successful applicant will be affiliated with the Public Administration Research Group The Public Administration Research Group aims to improve decision-making, management, and organization in the public sector. We do this by (1) conducting high-quality research on topics of high societal relevance, (2) delivering high-quality research-based teaching and supervision at the professional master programme in public management (Master of Public Governance, FMOL) and the Political Science programme, and (3) disseminating research knowledge to key stakeholders in and around the public sector and contribute to on-going public debates.

Based on strong and rigorous methodological approaches, ranging from quantitative experimental approaches and advanced statistical techniques to various qualitative approaches, members of the Public Administration Research Group study public management, leadership, organization, public employees, civil servants, citizen-state interactions, local and central government, and local elections. Members of the group publish both in leading public administration, management, and political science journals as well as Danish and English monographies and anthologies. The successful candidate is expected to support the Public Administration Research Group’s strategic objectives. For more information about the group’s strategy for 2022-2026, please see here In alignment with the group’s strategy, we put great emphasis on successful applicant being able to:

• Publish research at a high international level in areas of relevance to the Public Administration Research Group such as public administration, management, and political science,
• Contribute to development of collective collaborations and/or research projects,
• Strengthen the group’s national, international, and interdisciplinary network/research collaborations,
• Support the development of the group’s research, including helping young scholars (e.g., PhD students and/or postdocs) in their career via e.g., supervision, mentorship, co-authorship, and introduction to network,
• Conduct teaching and supervision within the executive master programmes in public management (Master of Public Governance), and full-time Political Science programme,
• Engage in knowledge exchange activities with the surrounding society.

For applicants to be deemed qualified for the position, they must meet the criteria in the department’s Scholarly Qualification Matrix (please consult the matrix):

• Substantial publication of research at an inter­nationally recognized level (beyond the topic of and data used for the PhD dissertation),
• Proven ability to participate in and develop research collectives as well as international networks,
• A strong teaching profile that demonstrates ample experience with various teaching and supervision formats,
• Proven ability in the development and implementation of new pedagogical or didactical techniques,
• Documented participation in fundraising and coordination of research projects,
• An experience with and genuine interest in outreach or knowledge-sharing activities.

Applicants are expected to have good interpersonal skills and be dedicated to taking part in the everyday academic and social environment at the department. Within a three-year period, non-Danish-speaking applicants are expected to master the Danish language at a level which enables reading Danish exam papers and administrative documents. The department offers free language classes and a reduction in workload to support non-Danish speaking employees.

For further information, please contact Head of Department, Lars Tønder ltoe@sam.sdu.dk or Head of the Public Administration Research Group, Mette Kjærgaard Thomsen, mtho@sam.sdu.dk

Application, salary, etc.

Appointment to the position requires a PhD or equivalent and will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.

• An application must include:
• A motivated application letter
• A detailed CV
• A research plan (max 3 pages) for the next 4-5 years that includes:
• Overall ambitions and potential to advance the field (both empirically and theoretically)
  • Major sub-projects
  • Publication strategy
  • Planned national and international collaborations
  • Potential for obtaining external funding
• Certificates/Diplomas (Master and PhD degree)
• Teaching portfolio (please see below)
  • In either the motivated application or the teaching portfolio we would like the applicant to describe how they can contribute to teaching and supervision within the executive master programmes in public management (Master of Public Governance), and full-time Political Science programme.
• Complete list of publications, indicating which publications are most relevant for the position
• 1 to 5 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a pdf for each publication. NOTE: If publications have been co-authored, co-author statements must be a part of this pdf and must include information like in this example

Applicants applying for an associate professorship are requested to submit a teaching portfolio with the application as documentation for teaching experience as well as supervision qualifications. Formal application instructions and guide for teaching portfolio may be found here

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English, and all documents must be in pdf format, no more than 5 MB per file. Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

Applicants are encouraged to read the information "How to apply" before applying. If you experience technical problems when uploading the application, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk

UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application should be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’, Curriculum Vitae should be uploaded as ‘Resume’. All other documents should be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’.

The application deadline is October 5, 2026, at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST)

Assessment and selection process

Assessment of applications will be done under existing Appointment Order for universities. Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. Incomplete applications may be rejected without any substantial evaluation.

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, applicants will receive the part of the assessment that concerns themselves. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Management, who will form an appointment committee. Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation by the appointment committee.

Based on information from the entire recruitment process, the Head of Department determines which applicant will be offered a position.

Conditions of employment

Appointment as an associate professor is permanent.

Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the protocol for the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for associate professor as described herein. Please check links for more information on salary (only available in Danish) and taxation

Employment as an associate professor requires academic qualifications at PhD level as well as scientific and teaching qualifications at a level achievable based on satisfactory completion of a period of employment as assistant professor/researcher but may be achievable by other means.

For a detailed description of the entry criteria and a job description for an associate professor, as well as a description of the assessment and hiring processes at the Department of Political Science and Public Management, please consult the department’s Scholarly Qualification Matrix – REEAD

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organiser”.

SDU recommends that international applicants take the time to visit Work in Denmark, where there is information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU

Salary

Salary is determined in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and based on objective and gender-neutral criteria, including the content of the position, responsibilities, and qualification requirements.

As an applicant, you are entitled to information about the starting salary and salary range for the position. This information will be provided during the recruitment process.

SDU does not collect information on applicants’ previous salary.

About the Department of Political Science and Public Management

The Department of Political Science and Public Management is part of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences and currently has approximately 90 permanent employees as well as several part-time employees. Currently, the department attracts around 2,500 students in its various full-time bachelor and master programs as well as part-time professional master programs. The department is located on three of the University of Southern Denmark’s campuses in Odense, Sønderborg and Esbjerg, respectively.

The department is organized around three research sections in Public Administration, Welfare and Politics, International and Regional Politics, and Journalism as well as several cross-disciplinary research centres and research groups.

The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department's ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to be gender balanced and reflect the diversity of society and, thus, welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

For a detailed description of the department's profile and activities and more information about its strategy, please visit the department's website

About SDU

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.