Postdoc in law on maternal rights during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period, with a focus on welfare and labor law
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Postdoc in law on maternal rights during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period, with a focus on welfare and labor law
The Department of Social Sciences and Business at Roskilde University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher as part of the European Research Council 5-year interdisciplinary project “Mapping and Conceptualizing Maternal Rights during Pregnancy, Birth, and the Postpartum Period (MaMas)”, led by Associate Professor of law Céline Brassart Olsen (principal investigator). Read more about the project here.
The position is for 2,5 years, starting from October 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. It is a research only position and does not involve teaching.
The Department of Social Sciences and Business
ISE conducts excellent, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research based on anthropology, business studies, development studies, economics, legal studies, political science, and sociology. We offer an innovative and interdisciplinary university environment characterized by academic and methodological diversity in research and education. Our faculty put a strong emphasis on research methodologies and are dedicated to gaining insights into businesses and society in diverse contexts of change and global engagement. We produce research at the highest international level that feeds into our educational programmes, while simultaneously leveraging our research to impact social, economic, and political change. Research in the department is organized in research groups. The selected candidate is expected to join Crossroads of Care and Social Reproduction (CARE). Read more about the department here.
The position
The postdoc will be part of the interdisciplinary 5-year research project “Mapping and Conceptualizing Maternal Rights during Pregnancy, Birth, and the Postpartum Period (MaMas)” funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant of EUR 1,5 million, and led by principal investigator (PI) Céline Brassart Olsen.
European Research Council grants are competitive EU funds for excellent, frontier research focusing on groundbreaking ideas and scientific excellence.
The MaMas project combines law and anthropology to uncover women’s rights and experiences of rights during the transition of becoming a mother. The postdoc will be part of a supportive, interdisciplinary team, and will work closely with the principal investigator and collaborate with a postdoc in anthropology and a PhD in health and human rights. The postdoc will be affiliated with Roskilde University’s interdisciplinary research group Crossroads of Care and Social Reproduction (CARE), which conducts research on social reproduction and care. The postdoc will have the opportunity to advance their academic skills and career as part of this interdisciplinary research project, and will be part of an international network of collaborators in Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The overall aim of the MaMas project is to develop the first legal framework of maternal rights during the interconnected times of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Using comparative, socio-legal methods, MaMas maps and analyses rights in health, labour, and welfare laws at international, European, and national levels. At national level, the project focuses on three selected Welfare European countries: Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom (England). The goal is to uncover which rights women have during the transition of becoming a mother, and to identify potential gaps and fragmentation across the different legal regimes.
Through qualitative methods, it investigates women’s awareness and experience of rights during this time in various spaces (health-care facilities, workplaces, home, and public spaces). Based on the legal and qualitative analyses, the project identifies gaps in the current legal approach, develops new legal language and concepts, and re-imagines maternal rights from women’s vantage point.
The postdoc in law will map and investigate women’s rights during the transition of becoming a mother in the workplace (labor rights) and during parental leave (welfare rights). The position requires the ability to conduct complex, legal, comparative analysis between laws in Denmark, England and/or France. The postdoctoral researcher is also expected to collaborate closely with the PI and postdoc in anthropology for the design of questionnaires for interviews, and to attend some interviews with mothers to understand their awareness and lived experience of rights.
The ideal candidate has experience with conducting in-depth analysis of public law (e.g. welfare law, labour law, administrative law…) in Denmark or another Scandinavian country and has some knowledge of comparative legal methods. However, another evaluation criterion is that the candidate is genuinely interested in interdisciplinarity, particularly qualitative methods from anthropology such as interviews, as well as in critical legal theory and feminist theory. They must be able to demonstrate that they can take responsibility for the research in law in dialogue with the PI and in close collaboration with the interdiscipinary team. They also need to show relevant research skills and methodological competencies that enable them to make an independent contribution to the project.
Responsibilities and tasks
A postdoc at ISE is expected to;
The ideal candidate for this position is expected to;
The ideal candidate possesses good communication skills and will be visible and involved in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across the department.
Qualifications
Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent within the field of law. Qualifications within the following areas are required:
It is advantageous if the candidate has knowledge of Danish welfare law or labor law, prior experience with comparative legal research, and an interest in feminist legal theory. Proficiency in English and Danish (or a Scandinavian language) is required. Some knowledge of French is not required, but an advantage.
Assessment
In the assessment of the candidate, consideration will be given to:
Questions
For further information about the postdoc positions, please contact Céline Brassart Olsen at celinebo@ruc.dk.
Terms of employment
The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Documentation of education
4. If duties include teaching: Min. two pages reflecting on the applicant’s approach and experience with teaching or alternatively a full teaching portfolio (read more about teaching portfolio at Roskilde University here)
5. A complete list of publications
6. A maximum of 5 relevant scientific works that you want included in the assessment
If any of the publications that you want included in the assessment are the result of a joint effort, the extent and the nature of your contribution to each individual work must then be clarified in a co-author statement (find template here)
Please submit your application no later than April 12, 2026.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
The position is for 2,5 years, starting from October 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. It is a research only position and does not involve teaching.
The Department of Social Sciences and Business
ISE conducts excellent, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research based on anthropology, business studies, development studies, economics, legal studies, political science, and sociology. We offer an innovative and interdisciplinary university environment characterized by academic and methodological diversity in research and education. Our faculty put a strong emphasis on research methodologies and are dedicated to gaining insights into businesses and society in diverse contexts of change and global engagement. We produce research at the highest international level that feeds into our educational programmes, while simultaneously leveraging our research to impact social, economic, and political change. Research in the department is organized in research groups. The selected candidate is expected to join Crossroads of Care and Social Reproduction (CARE). Read more about the department here.
The position
The postdoc will be part of the interdisciplinary 5-year research project “Mapping and Conceptualizing Maternal Rights during Pregnancy, Birth, and the Postpartum Period (MaMas)” funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant of EUR 1,5 million, and led by principal investigator (PI) Céline Brassart Olsen.
European Research Council grants are competitive EU funds for excellent, frontier research focusing on groundbreaking ideas and scientific excellence.
The MaMas project combines law and anthropology to uncover women’s rights and experiences of rights during the transition of becoming a mother. The postdoc will be part of a supportive, interdisciplinary team, and will work closely with the principal investigator and collaborate with a postdoc in anthropology and a PhD in health and human rights. The postdoc will be affiliated with Roskilde University’s interdisciplinary research group Crossroads of Care and Social Reproduction (CARE), which conducts research on social reproduction and care. The postdoc will have the opportunity to advance their academic skills and career as part of this interdisciplinary research project, and will be part of an international network of collaborators in Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The overall aim of the MaMas project is to develop the first legal framework of maternal rights during the interconnected times of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Using comparative, socio-legal methods, MaMas maps and analyses rights in health, labour, and welfare laws at international, European, and national levels. At national level, the project focuses on three selected Welfare European countries: Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom (England). The goal is to uncover which rights women have during the transition of becoming a mother, and to identify potential gaps and fragmentation across the different legal regimes.
Through qualitative methods, it investigates women’s awareness and experience of rights during this time in various spaces (health-care facilities, workplaces, home, and public spaces). Based on the legal and qualitative analyses, the project identifies gaps in the current legal approach, develops new legal language and concepts, and re-imagines maternal rights from women’s vantage point.
The postdoc in law will map and investigate women’s rights during the transition of becoming a mother in the workplace (labor rights) and during parental leave (welfare rights). The position requires the ability to conduct complex, legal, comparative analysis between laws in Denmark, England and/or France. The postdoctoral researcher is also expected to collaborate closely with the PI and postdoc in anthropology for the design of questionnaires for interviews, and to attend some interviews with mothers to understand their awareness and lived experience of rights.
The ideal candidate has experience with conducting in-depth analysis of public law (e.g. welfare law, labour law, administrative law…) in Denmark or another Scandinavian country and has some knowledge of comparative legal methods. However, another evaluation criterion is that the candidate is genuinely interested in interdisciplinarity, particularly qualitative methods from anthropology such as interviews, as well as in critical legal theory and feminist theory. They must be able to demonstrate that they can take responsibility for the research in law in dialogue with the PI and in close collaboration with the interdiscipinary team. They also need to show relevant research skills and methodological competencies that enable them to make an independent contribution to the project.
Responsibilities and tasks
A postdoc at ISE is expected to;
- conduct and publish research at the highest international level
- participate in research groups, seminars and other relevant activities
- contribute to both the academic and social life of the research group and the department
- show good academic citizenship
The ideal candidate for this position is expected to;
- collaborate with the PI and team to develop a research design rooted in critical legal theory and critical maternal theory
- map and analyse women’s welfare and labor rights during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period at international, European, and national levels - primarily in Denmark, and in England and/or France
- conduct comparative legal analysis between the welfare and labor laws of the selected countries
- in collaboration with the PI and the postdoc in anthropology, share and translate legal analysis to inform the design of interviews and ethnographic work, and incorporate qualitative data into the legal analysis
- present findings at international conferences in law
- organize and participate in activities related to the MaMas project, including group meetings, workshops with academics and stakeholders (e.g. midwives, employers, parents, policymakers…)
The ideal candidate possesses good communication skills and will be visible and involved in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across the department.
Qualifications
Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent within the field of law. Qualifications within the following areas are required:
- Skills in complex legal analysis
- Knowledge of the Danish legal system or a Scandinavian legal system
- Skills in workshop facilitation and stakeholder engagement
- Strong academic writing skills in English
- The ability to work independently as well as collaborate with other members of the research team
It is advantageous if the candidate has knowledge of Danish welfare law or labor law, prior experience with comparative legal research, and an interest in feminist legal theory. Proficiency in English and Danish (or a Scandinavian language) is required. Some knowledge of French is not required, but an advantage.
Assessment
In the assessment of the candidate, consideration will be given to:
- Relevant research experience that enables the candidate to work independently on the topic
- Ability to demonstrate research skills that are valuable to the topic and project deliverables
- Scientific production and research prospective
- Ability to promote and utilize research results
- Ability to contribute to the development of the department’s internal and external cooperation
Questions
For further information about the postdoc positions, please contact Céline Brassart Olsen at celinebo@ruc.dk.
Terms of employment
The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Documentation of education
4. If duties include teaching: Min. two pages reflecting on the applicant’s approach and experience with teaching or alternatively a full teaching portfolio (read more about teaching portfolio at Roskilde University here)
5. A complete list of publications
6. A maximum of 5 relevant scientific works that you want included in the assessment
If any of the publications that you want included in the assessment are the result of a joint effort, the extent and the nature of your contribution to each individual work must then be clarified in a co-author statement (find template here)
Please submit your application no later than April 12, 2026.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.