Project Assistant at the Swedish Psychological Defence Research Institute - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Swedish Research Institute for Psychological Defence is recruiting a Project Assistant for a fixed-term position of six months, starting on 1 August 2026.

About the workplace

The Swedish Research Institute for Psychological Defence was established in 2022 at the Department of Communication at Lund University, with support from the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency (MPF). The purpose of psychological defence is to safeguard an open and democratic society, free public discourse, Sweden’s fundamental freedoms, and ultimately our independence.

The Institute conducts research aimed at strengthening society’s ability to identify and counter the effects of undue information influence and other forms of false or misleading information targeting Sweden, with the aim of influencing decision-making, perceptions, or behaviours.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority, which means you benefit from special employment benefits, generous annual leave, and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. For more information, please visit the university’s website: Work with us.

Duties and responsibilities

As a Project Assistant, you will work on a range of research projects within the field of psychological defence. Our projects require prior knowledge of relevant academic disciplines, policy issues, and applied research methods such as open-source data collection and analysis. Knowledge of national, EU, and NATO structures is considered an asset.

The role includes, among other duties:

• Preparing literature reviews and other texts to support publications such as research reports and academic articles
• Using both academic and open sources of information and methods to collect data and analyse empirical material from various sources, including authorities, media, social media, research publications, and governmental reports

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. strategic communication, political science, or security studies), or a Bachelor’s degree combined with at least three years of relevant professional experience
• Experience in analytical work related to information influence or closely related areas
• Experience of using various academic research methods, including policy analysis and qualitative interviews
• Ability to work flexibly and independently, with a readiness to take on varied tasks and deliver high-quality results
• Documented experience of independent research work under time pressure
• Ability to manage multiple parallel tasks
• Excellent command of English

Meritorious qualifications:

• Demonstrated interest in pursuing a research career, for example through doctoral studies or work within policy-oriented organisations
• Experience of working with public authorities, for example through employment in or collaboration with the public sector
• Knowledge of languages relevant to the research field beyond English
• Background in areas such as defence, information security, or information influence
• Experience in data collection and report writing

Additional information

This is a full-time (100%) fixed-term position for six months. The start date is 1 August 2026.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted via Lund University’s online recruitment system. Please include:

• A cover letter (maximum two pages)
• A CV including a list of publications, if applicable (maximum three pages)

The University applies individual salary setting.