Postdoc in Organizing Local Sustainability

The Department of Digital Design and Information Studies within the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for a postdoctoral position in sustainability and organizational studies. The postdoc position is affiliated with the research project ‘Jordfast: Mapping paths to democratic sustainability’ funded by Velux Foundation and School of Communication and Culture.

The postdoc position is a full-time and 2-year fixed-term position. The position begins on 15/10/2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.

Project

“Jordfast” is a four-year research-to-practice project (2026–2029) designed to bridge the democratic gap in sustainable rural development by anchoring environmental transitions in local participatory processes. Using the Danish island of Samsø as a “living laboratory,” the project combines critical placemaking theories with deliberative democracy to develop tools like a digital/physical atlas that empower citizens—such as farmers, fishermen, and youth—to co-create solutions for land-use conflicts and climate adaptation. The initiative is led by the Samsø Energy Academy (SEA), which handles the project’s coordination. The research project is led by a team from Aarhus University and Southern Denmark.

Postdoc position

The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Conduct independent fieldwork and data collections
• Public research insights in high-impact journals
• Engage in research dissemination activities such as attending conferences
• Coordinate practice-based activities

Note: since it is a collaborative project led by the Samsø Energy Academy, the candidate is expected to conduct a significant amount of work on site at the Academy, which is located on the island of Samsø (https://energiakademiet.dk/).

Teaching and supervision

As postdoc in the Department of Digital Design and Information Studies, your position is primarily research-based, but it will also involve a small degree of teaching and supervision. To that end, the successful applicant will be expected to take part in the department’s teaching and supervision activities and to teach and supervise at BA and MA levels.

Given the international focus of the degree programmes, the successful applicant will be expected to teach in English as well as Danish.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a PhD degree or must document equivalent qualifications in a relevant field related to organizations, society, and sustainability. Applicants must be able to document, relevant to the position:

• An internationally oriented research profile within organization studies, sustainability, or other related social sciences (such as sociology, anthropology, geography) as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or research publications
• Experience in the self-directed management of research projects
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, in order to engage productively both within the research team and with external organisations and institutions.

Application deadline

15 September 23:59 CEST

To apply, click the 'Apply' button