The Department of Business and Sustainability, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), invites applications for one or more positions as part-time assistant professor for up to four years as of April 1, 2026, or as agreed.

The department is organized around eight research units and centers, and we have activities at three campuses in Kolding, Esbjerg, and Sønderborg  For the open positions we are interested in applicants for our European Center for Risk & Resilience Studies located at Campus Sønderborg.

Shape the Future of Resilience - Not Just Study It

You will be part of the European Center for Risk & Resilience Studies, where we don’t just observe complexity - we design clarity. We believe the future of global stability depends on how we understand and act on risk. That’s why we’re building the intellectual infrastructure to do just that.

We’re launching a new research pillar focused on Supply Chain Risk. To succeed, we invite researchers with a passion for rethinking how resilience is built across systems, sectors, and societies to apply. This is your opportunity to help architect the next generation of risk intelligence, not as a technician, not as a theorist, but as a thought leader whose ideas move markets, shape policy, and redefine how organizations prepare for the unknown.

We’re offering two part-time research positions (approx. 18–20 hours/week, with flexibility across the year) for professionals who are already shaping the industry and now want to advance thought leadership to shape the future of research and supply chain resilience.

What You’ll Do

You’ll help build the intellectual foundation that doesn’t just model risk, but redefines how the world understands it, through:

• Author or co-author publications that set the standard for what risk intelligence should be.

• Collaborate with a global ecosystem of thinkers, builders, and decision-makers.

• Staying in industry, and bring its reality into the heart of academia, ensuring our work is grounded, relevant, and transformative.

• Supporting the growth of a movement, helping us raise capital, build partnerships, and shape the narrative that will make this center the global thought leader in Risk & Resilience by 2030.

Who you’ll join

The department’s main teaching activities are related to the bachelor’s program in Economics and Business Administration (HA) and several profiles in the master’s program in Economics and Business Administration (cand.merc). We are currently developing a new profile on supply chain management to be taught in Sønderborg. You will be involved in this work, and you will be part of the teaching team. We also run a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and contribute to several other study programs at SDU. We highly prioritize engagement and quality in the study programs and the study environment at our three campuses.

The department strongly encourages collaboration between colleagues across the department and the university. The perhaps most obvious possibilities for such collaborations count our own department’s research group on “Supply Chain and Technology Management” and the new “Center of Supply Chain Digitalization” situated in Sønderborg at the Faculty of Engineering.

Your new colleagues

Your colleagues in the department are experienced academics with a broad academic skillset in diverse fields and disciplines. We strive for academic excellence, and your colleagues are embedded in strong international research networks and projects. The department prioritizes cross-disciplinary work, and most colleagues engage in research projects and/or study programs that are based on active collaboration with colleagues from other areas of social sciences and beyond. We apply qualitative and quantitative methods and have a long tradition of strong engagement with external partners in the private and public sector. Moreover, we take pride in didactical innovation and the offering of relevant study programs of the highest quality.

The Department of Business and Sustainability offers a dynamic and entrepreneurial work environment in which collaboration and team spirit are fundamental parts of the culture.

Who are we looking for?

You’re not just applying for a job. You’re answering a call to build something that matters. We’re looking for experienced professionals who want to take their expertise further—by shaping the future of risk intelligence through research. You’ve spent years solving real-world problems. You understand how systems behave under pressure, how decisions are made in uncertainty, and how resilience is built—not just modelled. Now, you want to contribute to the frameworks and ideas that will define the next decade of risk and resilience. We imagine that you have deep professional experience working in complex environments—such as risk management, underwriter, procurement or supply chain strategy, resilience consulting, systems design or analytics, or strategic decision-making under uncertainty.

You’ll be tasked with a range of obligations in the department:

• Develop your own research agenda aligned with the center’s research strategy and embedded in international networks

• Conduct and continuously publish research at a high international level.

• Utilize your knowledge about and network in the industry to help us build and engage industry partners in our research projects

• Develop and deliver high-quality teaching within the department’s portfolio of study program – and complete SDU’s Lecture Training Program

• Perform academic citizenship locally and globally, e.g. engaging in the local campus environment, arranging seminars and workshops, and taking on minor admin. tasks in the department

To qualify for the position, you’re expected to document:

• Relevant professional industry experience

• A relevant PhD degree (economics, business administration, computer science, systems engineering, applied mathematics, actuarial science or a closely related discipline)

• Ability to formulate an ambitious and credible research plan for the coming years

• A strong grasp of quantitative risk modeling, systems thinking, or applied analytics

• Experience with conference/workshop participation and ability to engage in professional networks.

• Willingness to contribute to the social and professional life at the workplace

• Documented teaching/supervision experience, and reflections on own teaching practice.

• Experience with communication science outside of academia

• Fluency in English (the working language of the center)

For a more detailed description of the qualification criteria, please consult the department’s Scholarly Qualification Guidelines

It is important that applicants have good interpersonal skills and are dedicated to taking part in the everyday professional and social environment in the department. Such engagement can be documented by, for example, past engagement in social and professional activities. Within a three-year period, applicants with no current Danish skills must master the language at a level which enables them to read Danish exam papers and administrative documents (free language courses will be offered).

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

Contact information

For further information about the Department and position, please contact the Head of Department, Christian Elmelund-Præstekær cel@sam.sdu.dk or Center Director, Simon Sølvsten simos@sam.sdu.dk.

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk.  

The application

Applicants are encouraged to read the information "How to apply" before applying. 

To qualify for the position as Assistant Professor you must have obtained a PhD degree by the employment date.

Assessment of the candidates is based on the application material, and the application must include:

• Letter of motivation.

• Detailed CV including the required documentation of experience and possible periods of leave, month and year specific

• A research and publication plan (approx. 2 pages) for the next four years that describes the envisioned research agenda

• Certificates/Diplomas (Master and PhD degree).

• Complete list of publications, indicating which publications are most relevant for the position.

• Up to 3 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a pdf for each publication. For co-authored publications, briefly describe the extent of the co-authorship or your contribution to the publications (please do this for each co-authored publication). You can do so by using this form or by describing the co-authorship in such a way that the committee can assess the extent of your contribution.

All non-Danish and non-English documents must be translated into English. Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

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

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the faculty may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated. Incomplete applications may be desk-rejected without any substantial evaluation.

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than December 2, 2025, at 11.59 PM / 23.59 (CET/CEST), using the link "Apply now" on our website. Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF (unlocked).

 

Conditions of employment

Appointment as an Assistant Professor is temporary and for a period of up to four years.

During employment, the assistant professor will complete the Lecturer Training Programme. 

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 assistant professor as described herein. Please check links for more information on salary (only available in Danish) and taxation.

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

We recommend that as an international applicant, you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU. 

The assessment and evaluation process

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will receive an assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU. 

Applicants’ qualifications will be assessed by an assessment committee. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. Once 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 Department who will form an appointment committee. The appointment committee will manage and complete one or more job interviews with especially promising applicants. Based on information from the entire recruitment process, the Head of Department determines which applicant(s) will be offered a position.

Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation. 

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

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.

Position refernece number: 3290