About the position

Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? We offer an exciting 3-year postdoctoral position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher. You will also gain valuable experience that might be relevant for your further career. The purpose of a postdoctoral position is to build up a researcher profile that qualifies for a position as associate professor. The position may also offer additional skills that are relevant to the postdoctoral fellow's future career. Apply for this position to become part of our research environment and take the next step in your career with us.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. 

About the project 

The post doc position is connected to ongoing research addressing democracy as a social phenomenon. This research is focused on the complexities of the threats and multiple deficiencies of democracy in an age of “post-democracy” and “managed democracy”. The post doc will especially address the urgent need for and emerging practices of “democratic innovation” and reinvention. The position is linked to the newly established NTNU Team on “Democratic resilience” as well as the “Democracy Lab” These initiatives address the urgent need for democratic innovation and resilience as democratic ideals, practices, and institutions face increasing threats.

The post doc will examine the crisis of democracy and the rise of democratic innovations through ethnographic approaches, understood in broad and innovative ways. The position will be part of the research group “Ethnography” at the department, and might be active in other groups as well. The overarching goal is to develop and strengthen the research group’s competence in the area of methodology and democratic challenges and innovations, in close collaboration with sociology and political science expertise at ISS, nationally and internationally. The group also seeks to contribute to knowledge production in interdisciplinary democratic theory, innovative methodological and democratic experiments, and to maintain a close collaboration with local and national authorities in Norway and international actors on this topic. 

Duties of the position

• Carry out research of good quality
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the research group Ethnography
• Apply for research funding and write applications and report on progress to funding sources
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Teaching
• Other career-promoting work

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree, or corresponding foreign doctoral degree as quivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in Political Science, Sociology, or Media and Communication Research (or other relevant fields such as Social Anthropology)
• If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted or that the defense date has been confirmed, your application can be considered even if you have not defended. NOTE: Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position.
• Good oral and written skills in English
• High quality of the project sketch that is to be submitted with the application 

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

If you do not already have educational competence that meets the requirements for a position as associate professor in Norway, NTNU will arrange for you to acquire such competence during the employment period. In such cases, you will also be assigned relevant teaching as part of the career-promoting work.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) and Regulations for the degrees philosophiaedoctor (ph.d.) and philosophiaedoctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• The candidate must be familiar with some of the key scientific debates on democratic threats and democratic innovation.
• The projects the employs ethnographic approaches, multiple and multisited case studies and mixed methods, including interviews, participant observations, document studies, quantitative approaches and social interventions. The candidate must be familiar with some of these approaches. 
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian

If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 upon employment NTNU will facilitate so that you can complete relevant Norwegian courses before the end of the employment period. 

Personal characteristics

• Independent
• Ability to stay motivated and take initiative over long-term projects
• Cooperative skills and ability to work well with others
• Structured and efficiently managing time to balance multiple tasks and deadlines
• Ability to familiarize quickly with new research fields, topics, and methods
• Willingness to contribute to a good work environment

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer 

• An exciting job with an important social mission
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which containsthe skills and knowledge you will acquire
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Mentor programmeas a new employee at NTNU
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 633 400 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years, included one year of career promotion work. 

As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to adapt to them. 

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed. 

About the application 

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. If you have used AI when applying for this position: You must specify in the application in what way AI has been used when writing your application.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's-, Master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or confirmation that your PhD thesis has been submitted. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• CV
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, you can attach a draft of the thesis.
• A project sketch containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological approach and progress plan (max. 1500 words). Applicants are assessed based on (1) the quality and potential of the project sketch, including methodological approach, (2) the quality and relevance of the scientific output, (3) possible contribution to the research group and the institute.
• A short application letter that specifies your motivation for the position (400 words/one page)
• Academic works - published or unpublished (up to 3 items)
• Possible recommendation letters
• Name and contact information of three referees

If all or parts of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and is committed to follow evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA and the obligations in CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information 

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public list of applicants, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Emil A. Røyrvik, email: emil.royrvik@ntnu.no, phone: +4793087708. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Renate Lillian Johansen email: renate.johansen@ntnu.no.

If you find this position interesting, and in accordance with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.

Application deadline: 01.09.2025

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000.The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality. 

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Sociology and Political Science

We conduct research, teaching and dissemination in sociology, political science, media, communication and information technology, and sport sciences. The Department offers five-year master’s programmes in teacher education (lektorutdanning) in social sciences as well as in physical education and sports. As a social science department we have a special obligation to contribute to the public debate on important social issues. The Department of Sociology and Political Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences.