Vacant job

We are currently seeking a University Lecturer in Nordic Languages. The position is a fixed-term appointment for the period 2026-08-01 to 2026-12-31, with a start date to be agreed upon.

Description and Duties

The position includes teaching at the undergraduate level in runology, Scandinavian studies, the lexicon of the Swedish language, the grammar of the Swedish language, as well as sociolinguistics. At the advanced level, it involves supervising theses and examining degree projects. Teaching takes place both on campus and through online courses.

The position consists of 80% teaching/administration and 20% professional development. The professional development time is typically used for research. In addition to teaching and research, the role includes teaching-related administration as well as personnel, subject, and planning meetings.

Qualifications

To be eligible for appointment as a University Lecturer, the candidate must have demonstrated pedagogical skill and hold a PhD in linguistics with a focus on Nordic languages, or possess equivalent scientific competence, or have other professional skills that are significant given the subject content and duties of the position.

Good knowledge of Swedish (or another Scandinavian language) and English, as well as the ability to teach in these languages, are requirements for the position.

Selection Criteria

The selection criteria are: scientific and pedagogical competence in the field of Nordic languages, experience in thesis supervision and examination of degree projects, experience in practice-based education, administrative competence, and experience in development work within Nordic languages. Other criteria include good teamwork skills and the overall competence and suitability required to perform the duties well.

Scientific competence must be demonstrated through independent scientific production. Criteria for assessment include:

• breadth and depth of research - quality and scope
• originality in research
• productivity
• contribution to the international scientific community
• roles within the scientific community
• ability to secure external research funding competitively.
• collaboration with the surrounding society

Pedagogical competence for the position of University Lecturer must be demonstrated through documented experience of teaching on a scientific basis within the university.

Criteria for assessing pedagogical competence in positions based on scientific work include:

• ability to plan, conduct, and evaluate teaching, as well as the ability to supervise and examine students at all educational levels
• ability to vary teaching methods and examination forms in relation to expected learning outcomes and the nature of the subject
• experience of collaboration with the surrounding society in the planning and implementation of education
• participation in the development of learning environments, teaching materials, and textbooks
• a reflective approach to student learning and one's own role as a teacher.

This competence can be obtained through university pedagogy education, other training relevant to teaching within the university, or documented, proven experience of teaching within the university.

Weighting of Selection Criteria

Equal care should be given to the assessment of pedagogical and scientific competence. When weighing these two criteria, scientific competence should be given the greatest weight.

Special weight should be given to scientific and pedagogical competence in the field of Nordic languages. A large part of the teaching content is oriented towards the core areas of historically oriented Nordic studies. When assessing scientific and pedagogical competence, particular emphasis should therefore be placed on competence in these core areas.

Great weight should be given to experience in thesis supervision and examination of degree projects and development work within Nordic languages.

Weight should be given to administrative competence and experience in practice-based education.

Good teamwork skills and the overall competence and suitability required to perform the duties well should be given significant weight in the assessment.

The qualification and selection criteria can be found in the Employment Regulations for Teachers at Umeå University: https://www.umu.se/regelverk/personal-lika-villkor-och-arbetsmiljo/anstallningsordning-for-larare-vid-umea-universitet2/ (https://www.umu.se/regelverk/personal-lika-villkor-och-arbetsmiljo/anstallningsordning-for-larare-vid-umea-universitet2/).

Application

Applications must be submitted via the e-recruitment system Varbi and must be received no later than 2026-06-02.

Information on which documents to attach to the application can be found in the Faculty of Humanities' guidelines for applications for employment and promotion. https://www.umu.se/humanistisk-fakultet/tva-dokument/ (https://www.umu.se/humanistisk-fakultet/tva-dokument/).

Note that digital copies of publications must be attached to the application. For this position, no project plan needs to be submitted.

Other Information

The position is a fixed-term appointment for the period 2026-08-01 to 2026-12-31, with a start date to be agreed upon.

The workplace is in Umeå. High presence at the department is required to conduct teaching, participate in planning meetings, and actively contribute to the educational and research environment.

For further information about the position, please contact Head of Department Kristina Persson, 090-7865488, [email protected] or HR Coordinator Helena Botold, [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application!