Vacant job

Karlstad University has approximately 1,400 employees and 18,700 students spread across two inspiring campus environments in Karlstad and Arvika. Read more about us at: kau.se/jobb (https://kau.se/jobb)

Description

We are looking for an engaged and curious researcher for a postdoctoral position in Gender Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. A postdoctoral appointment is a qualifying appointment for junior researchers, aimed at those who hold a doctoral degree that is no more than three years old, calculated from the final application deadline.

The position is located within the subject of Gender Studies, which is part of a multi-disciplinary department together with Social Work, Psychology, and Sociology, all housed at the Department of Social and Psychological Studies. There are 8 researchers and teachers working with research and education within the subject. There is close proximity to colleagues within the own and other subjects, and very good conditions for cross-disciplinary research collaboration.

The appointment will be carried out within the framework of the interdisciplinary research project "Strategic Litigation as an Instrument of Influence: Experiences of Litigating Women's Rights Cases in Peru and South Africa". The project aims to explain why women's rights organizations in the Global South increasingly prefer strategic legal processes as a tool to uphold women's rights and to produce new explanations of the challenges they face when pursuing cases related to sexual and reproductive rights and gender-based violence. The project examines the interplay between legal strategies and coalition strategies in the work for women's rights to gain a deeper understanding of how they promote sustainable social change through legal means.

You will work with engaged colleagues and have the opportunity to develop in a creative and international environment. Welcome to a workplace where you can grow, make a difference, and at the same time be part of an inclusive and curious university!

Responsibilities

A postdoctoral appointment primarily involves engaging in research within the current subject area. The project is carried out in collaboration with the project group, but the postdoc is expected to have a high degree of independence in developing, leading, and contributing to all parts of the research process.

In this position, you will primarily be responsible for planning, collecting, and processing data material, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of results, while anchoring the work in the project's goals and frameworks. The work involves research on legal processes using qualitative data collection and analysis of interviews and legal documents. You will work together with the project group at Karlstad University, as well as our research participants and collaboration partners in Peru and South Africa.

The work aims to develop new knowledge and contribute to the continued development of the scientific field. As a postdoc, you are expected to publish research results in scientific journals and present them at national and international conferences. You will lead the work on at least two scientific articles where you are the lead author.

The appointment also includes actively contributing to the academic environment, participating in seminars, and developing research projects. To contribute to a good work environment and the development of operations, you are present and participate in the daily work and community.

In summary, the role combines independent research work with active participation in the academic environment and a commitment to making research relevant and accessible outside the university, including popular science communication. Teaching is included in the duties, up to a maximum of 20% of full-time. The work covers full-time for two years and seven months.

Qualifications

You are eligible for appointment as a postdoc if you have a doctoral degree in law or a related subject, such as gender and law studies or legal sociology, or if you have a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a doctoral degree.

The doctoral degree must be awarded before the decision on appointment is made and no more than three years before the end of the application period. Older degrees may be considered when special reasons exist, e.g., leave due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, trust positions within trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances, or for subject-relevant service/appointments.

Applicants must have the ability to conduct and develop high-quality research. For other qualifications, reference is made to Karlstad University's employment regulations.

A requirement for the appointment is good oral and written proficiency in English.

Assessment Criteria

In the assessment, special weight will be placed on scientific competence and the applicant's ability to conduct independent and methodologically high-quality research. Meritorious is documented experience of research on legal processes, especially with qualitative methods such as interviews, document analysis, and/or feminist legal theory.

Personal qualities are also an assessment criterion of special importance; we are looking for a person who is outgoing, flexible, proactive, and able to work independently and take responsibility for driving their work forward in a structured manner. Furthermore, special weight is given to good teamwork skills and the ability to create respectful and constructive relationships both within and outside Karlstad University.

Great importance will be attached to the ability to plan and conduct research within given timeframes. Experience of conducting research in Southern Africa, especially in South Africa, is also of great importance.

The following are meritorious: documented teaching experience at the university level and university pedagogical education.

Conditions

Fixed-term full-time appointment for 2 years and 7 months. Start date by agreement.

Application deadline: 2026-08-15

Reference number: REK 2026/115

We look forward to receiving your application!