The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.
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Postdoctoral Tenure Track position in Law
The Faculty of Law is recruiting to a full-time tenure-track position. This is a 6-year fixed-term postdoctoral position, with a right to permanent employment as associate professor following a successful completion of the tenure track.
The research and teaching area of the position is labour law / social security law. Applicants are required to have an interest in this field of law, and to have prior knowledge of either Norwegian law in general or EU/EEA labour law.
Applicants for the position should have obtained a PhD degree in Law within the last 5 years. This time limit may be extended due to leave of absence from work in connection with birth or adoption.
About the tenure track position
The aim of the employment in a tenure track position is to recruit a candidate who will have the opportunity to qualify for a full-time permanent position as associate professor. The Faculty will facilitate the candidate in their development of the required competence in teaching, research, dissemination and administration.
The position is connected to the project LaW-BALANCE during the first three years of employment, and this period will mainly be dedicated to research activities.
The applicant is expected to:
Conduct research connected to the LaW-BALANCE project leading to a minimum of 3 scientific publications.
Engage in continuous dissemination and communication of the research project and project results in relevant arenas.
Attend and organize research activities in the project, in close collaboration with the other members of the project.
For the remaining period the candidate will engage in varied academic work. The work will follow the Faculty’s standard distribution between tasks, currently stipulated to research 46%, teaching 46% and administration 8%.
The applicant is expected to:
Conduct research within labour law, social security law, discrimination law and/or EU/EEA law.
Take part in teaching and supervision of students.
Follow the UiB program for university pedagogy.
Take part in and contribute to applications for external funding of research.
Conduct public outreach activities.
The applicant is expected to be an active member of the Bergen European Law Research Group (BERG) and/or the Research Group in Welfare Law, and contribute to the academic community at the Faculty.
A senior faculty member will function as a mentor during the employment period. A midterm evaluation will be carried out at the start of year 4 and a final evaluation will take place at the start of year 6.
About LaW-BALANCE
The project LaW-BALANCE (‘Life and Work in Balance: Legal responses to working life in times of change and crisis’) seeks to provide a better understanding of the legal framework of working life in transition and develop knowledge on how law can function as an instrument to achieve an inclusive working life and a well-functioning welfare state. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway.
LaW-BALANCE centres around the concept of ‘work-life balance’ and focuses on two key instruments: flexible work arrangements and the availability of paid leave. It also looks at the protection against discrimination when claiming and enforcing these rights, and the overall impact of EU and EEA law in the area.
Required qualifications and essential personal qualities:
A Norwegian doctoral degree in Law or an equivalent degree from abroad, obtained within the last 5 years (time limit may be extended due to leave of absence in connection with birth or adoption).
A demonstrated high competence in either Norwegian law or in EU/EEA labour law.
A strong interest in the intersection between labour law, social security law and discrimination law.
The ability to work independently and in a structured manner, and to collaborate with others.
Proficiency in English, both written and oral.
Proficiency in Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) is an asset, but not a requirement. The successful applicant must however be able to teach in Norwegian within four years of his/her appointment. Norwegian courses will be offered.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work and communicate well with others in a team environment. Documented teaching experience and skills will be appreciated.
We can offer:
The possibility for a permanent position as associate professor at the end of the tenure track period (with further promotion to professor after established procedures).
An excellent opportunity for career development in one of the leading legal research institutions in the Nordic countries.
Dedicated operating funds and the opportunity to conduct visiting fellowships abroad during the employment period.
Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
A position in an inclusive workplace (IA enterprise).
Generous welfare benefits.
Salary at pay scale 72 (code 1352/ NOK 720 100). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position. A higher salary may be considered for a particularly well-qualified applicant.
Send the application in Jobbnorge via the link “Apply for this job” on this website.
The application must include:
A cover letter with a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position (using the form in the application portal).
A CV with a complete overview of the applicant’s education, earlier positions, and other relevant activities (using the form in the application portal).
A project proposal (maximum of 5 pages). The proposal should cover the first three years of the appointment and must include a description of the overall topic, objectives, theory and method, and work schedule for the project. The proposal must relate to the research objectives of LaW-BALANCE.
A complete list of academic work (publication list) with information about where these have been published.
Copies of up to 5 academic works the recruitment committee should place special emphasis on in its evaluation (in pdf format). The works must be in English or in a Scandinavian language unless otherwise agreed upon. The applicant may include unpublished manuscripts.
A copy of the doctoral thesis and its report by the evaluation committee (in pdf format). The thesis and report must be in English or in a Scandinavian language unless otherwise agreed upon.
Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts of grades.
The names and contact information of two referees. One of these should preferably be the main supervisor of the Doctoral thesis.
Documentation of leave of absence in connection with birth or adoption (if necessary for the 5 years’ time limit to be extended).
Applicants whose PhD is from another country than Norway also need to attach a certified translation of diploma and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language (if the original is not in any of these languages). They are also advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system and recognition (automatic or ordinary) that the education corresponds to a Norwegian degree. See The Directorate for Highter Education and Skills for more information.
The application can be written in English, Norwegian, or another Scandinavian language.It is very important that each of the scholarly works on which the committee should place special emphasis is attached in its entirety.
The application must be completed within the deadline. Applications that do not include all mandatory attachments will not be considered.
Application deadline is 15 August 2024.
General information:
The applicants’ academic accomplishments will be evaluated by an expert committee. The elapsed time since the award of the PhD will be taken into consideration in the assessment. The assessment will especially emphasize the quality and relevance of the project description and the academic works highlighted by the applicant.
Relevant applicants will be called in for an interview. The interview will especially emphasize the academic and personal prerequisites for carrying out the proposed project and contributing to the research and teaching community at the Faculty.
Further information about the employment process at the University of Bergen can be found here.
Detailed information about the tenure track position can be obtained by contacting Dean of Research Ragna Aarli, email: Ragna.Aarli@uib.no tel. +47 55589552.
Detailed information about the LaW-BALANCE project can be obtained by contacting project manager Melanie Hack, email: Melanie.Hack@uib.no tel. + 47 55589679.
Detailed information about the recruitment process and employment conditions can be obtained by contacting HR at the faculty, e-mail address hrjur@uib.no.
The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions. Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.
Right to a permanent position as associate professor.
The tenure track position is given according to Regulation 24 March 2015 No. 341 (Forskrift om ansettelse på innstegsvilkår). The tenure track position aims to qualify for permanent employment in a combined teaching and research position.
The contract of employment, along with the announcement text and the description of the position, determine the results, demands, and criteria that the applicant should fulfil during the tenure track period to get a permanent position as associate professor.
To obtain a permanent position at the Faculty of Law after the end of the tenure track period, the candidate must go through a final evaluation. The aim of the evaluation is to determine whether the candidate has achieved the current requirements for an associate professor position, as approved by the Faculty Board at the Faculty of Law.
In addition to meeting the requirement for an associate professor position, the candidate must have achieved basic pedagogic competencies based on training and teaching experience, and have achieved the necessary language proficiency to teach at the Master’s program in Law. The successful applicant will be offered training to comply with these requirements.
