Assistant Professor in collaborative civil defence and crisis management, with a focus on computational methods

Department of Building and Environmental Technology at Lund University, Faculty of Engineering invites applications for a position as Assistant Professor.

We are currently seeking a promising early-career researcher who can develop and lead research in the field of collaborative civil defence and crisis management, with a particular focus on computational methods.

What we offer the successful candidate 

Do you want to become a research leader of tomorrow through pioneering projects and research ideas? If so, you have the opportunity to start as an assistant professor (associate senior lecturer) as part of Lund University Programme for Global Excellence. We are currently seeking a promising early-career researcher who can develop and lead research in the field of collaborative civil defence and crisis management, with a particular focus on computational methods.

As an Assistant Professor you will develop your qualifications over a period of 6 years after  which you may be promoted to a tenured position as a senior lecturer, with opportunities for further career advancement.
You will receive five weeks of training in teaching and learning in higher education and get the opportunity to learn Swedish through the University’s Swedish language courses for new international staff.  As you prepare to move to Sweden, we offer you support through our relocation service, and if you’re bringing your family, they’ll receive support and make new connections through Lund’s International Citizen Hub who provides a gateway to Swedish society and your new community.

At the turn of the year 2026/2027, Sweden's largest scientific funder, the Swedish Research Council, will announce attractive funding for Assistant Professors with an international background. Our ambition is that appointments within the framework of the Lund University Programme for Global Excellence will be nominated for this funding. Read more about the Swedish Research Council here.

Ready to shape the future of research?

Interorganisational cooperation is crucial, yet at the same time poses a significant challenge to effective total defence and crisis management. Sweden’s total defence and crisis management system comprises a wide range of public authorities, private companies, civil society organisations, and military actors that collaborate in numerous collaborative arrangements. These arrangements operate within and across sectors and administrative levels, as well as within EU and NATO frameworks, creating a complex network of interdependencies that is crucial to the system’s ability to protect citizens, safeguard vital societal functions, and defend the country in times of war and crisis.

Research in collaborative civil defence and crisis management, with a focus on computational methods, addresses this complexity through quantitative and computational approaches. This includes network analysis, simulation and modelling, as well as data-driven techniques to study how collaborative arrangements form, develop and function, and is often complemented by qualitative methods. The research can be both descriptive, studying how collaboration develops in practice in various contexts, and normative, focusing on how collaboration should be organised and supported to achieve desired outcomes. As the security environment and governance structures are constantly changing, so too do the conditions for collaboration. This means that research in this field must maintain close links with practitioners and remain responsive to new challenges in civil defence and crisis management.

Learn more about why Lund University might be the right choice for you  here , and more about working in Sweden here . These films will also give you more information about Working in Lund, Moving to Lund and Living in Lund.

Read more about the University joint announcement: : https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/lund-university-programme-global-excellence

Duties – what we expect from you 

We want you to thrive and make the most of your time at Lund University, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Department of Building and Environmental Technology. As an assistant professor, you will therefore have the opportunity to focus long-term on the research you are passionate about. The holder of this post will be able to devote the majority of their time to their own research in collaboration with strong research environments, research infrastructures, and international platforms. In addition to conducting research, during your time as an assistant professor, you will also develop your pedagogical skills, your ability to collaborate and communicate externally, and your proficiency in the Swedish language. Throughout your employment, you will be an active member of your department and participate in its varied activities.                       

We hope that one of your first duties will be to conduct an innovative research project that is funded by the Swedish Research Council. Here at Lund University, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Department of Building and Environmental Technology, you will primarily be working on:

1. research into collaboration and governance within total defence and crisis management, and related research areas,
2. supervision of PhD students and postdocs within your research area,
3. teaching on research methodology and methods, supervision, and other teaching duties at the Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, and
4. collaboration with societal stakeholders in total defence and crisis management.

You will be working within EFFECT, one of Sweden’s strategic research areas (SRA), alongside the research leaders for its central theme (Collaborative governance and leadership). As a strategic research area, EFFECT offers a large-scale, long-term interdisciplinary environment with researchers in the social sciences, engineering and natural sciences, law, education, the humanities, and medicine from Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Swedish Defence University.

Your workplace will be the Division of Risk Management and Social Safety, which is an interdisciplinary department with roots in the early days of risk research in Sweden. Today, the department is a central hub for total defence and crisis management at Lund University and in Sweden, as well as a recognised scientific partner internationally.                  

The duties include:

• Research within the subject area.
• Teaching at undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels, as well as commissioned education.
• Supervision of master’s and doctoral students.
• Work on securing external research funding.
• Collaboration with industry and society.
• Administrative tasks related to the duties listed above.
• Participation in course development at master’s and doctoral levels                     

Qualifications for employment as an assistant professor

You must hold a PhD or possess equivalent academic qualifications in a subject relevant to the post. We will give priority to applicants who have obtained their PhD within the last 7 years, counting from the closing date for applications.  If you can document special circumstances that demonstrate there are exceptional reasons, such as parental leave, military service, or illness following graduation, which have prevented you from working as a researcher, the degree in the subject may have been obtained earlier.

Requirements – what you must have

To be able to be appointed as an Assistant Professor within the framework of Lund University Programme for Global Excellence, the applicant must have:

• A good ability to initiate, develop and implement high-quality research.
• Good teaching ability.
• Recent and relevant experience from research in computational methods for research into systems involving human actors outside Sweden.
• As part of your application, you must submit a research plan that clearly describes the research in the field of computational methods for studying systems involving human actors that will be conducted during the first five years of the appointment. The plan must provide a basis for formulating at least one competitive application for research funding. The plan must clearly relate to the research area as described in the specific subject description for the post. The plan must also include how your research can complement other research at the Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety | Department of Building and Environmental Technology. The plan should be 1,000–1,500 words in length.
• Documented good leadership skills, e.g. through elected office assignments, leadership courses, and assessed leadership skills.
• Good communication skills.
• Very good oral and written English language skills.
• Motivation and the ability to learn Swedish.
• Not received any salary or grant from Swedish employers or funding bodies from 31 December 2022 onwards.
• Substantial documented research experience (e.g., from a postdoctoral position or doctoral studies) from another higher education institution or research institute outside Sweden, or relevant experience from industry or the public sector.
• Expertise in computational methods for research into systems involving human actors.
• Research experience within an EU/EEA/EFTA or NATO member state, or in a context linked to one of NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partners or Indo-Pacific Partners (i.e. Australia, Georgia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Ukraine).
• Good teamwork skills, initiative, the ability to work independently, and a demonstrated interest in leadership.

Desirable – qualities we would like to see in you:

We want you to feel at home with us and make the most of your time at the Department of Building and Environmental Technology, so we would like you to also be able to demonstrate that:

• You contribute positively to the working environment.
• You have experience in applying for and securing funding from sources outside Sweden
• You currently hold an international position within the field of research
• You have expertise in crisis management, security, or security-related areas.
• You have experience in practice-oriented research

Consideration will also be given to how the applicant’s experience and expertise are deemed to complement and strengthen ongoing research, education, and innovation within the department, and to contribute to its future development.

Form of employment

This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of 6 years. The employment is regulated in accordance with Chapter 4 Section 12a§ HEA. The purpose of the appointment is for the teacher to be given the opportunity to develop research autonomy and acquire the scholarly and teaching qualifications required for eligibility for appointment as a senior lecturer.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English. Please draw up the application in accordance with LTH’s Academic qualifications portfolio – see link below. Upload the application as PDF-files in the recruitment system. Read more:
http://www.lth.se/english/working-at-lth/to-apply-for-academic-positions-at-lth/

The Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, within the Department of Building and Environmental Technology, conducts research and teaching in the field of societal risk and crisis management. The focus of the research and teaching is to develop knowledge of how people, organisations, and society prevent, prepare for, manage, recover from, and learn and adapt to events that may threaten something of value. We also conduct research focused on developing methods, processes, and other artefacts to better understand and manage risks, crises, and disasters across a variety of contexts – both in peacetime and during heightened alert and war.

The division currently employs 23 people, with a further 8 affiliates, representing a wide range of backgrounds and expertise: engineers, psychologists, sociologists, etc. We value diversity in terms of our employees’ backgrounds and expertise.

This position is intended to strengthen the division in the areas of total defence and crisis management, with a particular focus on how computational methods can be used to improve collaboration across organisational boundaries.                    

*****************************************************************

Promotion to Senior Lecturer in collaborative civil defence and crisis management, with a focus on computational methods

During the period of employment, an assistant professor can apply for promotion to a permanent position as Senior Lecturer if he or she has the required qualifications listed below and is deemed suitable. An assistant professor can only apply for promotion once.

Qualification requirements

Appointment to senior lecturer requires that the applicant has:

• A PhD or corresponding research competence or professional expertise considered important with regard to the subject matter of the post and the work duties it will involve.
• Demonstrated teaching expertise.
• Completed five weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning or acquired equivalent knowledge by other means.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria specify the aspects to be considered and the level to be achieved for them to be deemed fulfilled. The following assessment criteria must be fulfilled for appointment to senior lecturer: 

• A good national and international standing as a researcher. The requirement for international experience shall be assessed with consideration to the character and traditions of the subject.
• Good teaching ability, including a good ability to conduct, develop, and lead teaching and other educational activities on different levels and using a variety of teaching methods.
• An ability to supervise doctoral students to achieve a PhD.
• An ability to collaborate with wider society and communicate their activities.
• A general ability to lead and develop activities.

Additional requirements

•  Good ability to collaborate, independence, and drive.
• Progression in research and teaching expertise.
• Sufficient proficiency in Swedish to carry out educational and administrative tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to actively seek external research funding.