Vacant job

About the Position

The Unit for Demography and Ageing Research - CEDAR, together with Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research, is advertising a position as a Communicator. The position is organizationally placed at CEDAR, and the duties are divided between CEDAR and Várdduo with 50 percent at each unit. Physical presence at both units is required. The position is full-time and permanent. A six-month probationary period may apply. The start date is 2026-10-01 or by agreement. The location is Umeå.

About the Units

The Unit for Demography and Ageing Research - CEDAR at the Faculty of Social Sciences has the task of building, managing, and making demographic and historical databases accessible, conducting research on demography and ageing, and working to strengthen the links between teaching, research, and infrastructure at the university. The unit has three sections, one working with infrastructure and databases and the other focused on research, plus a support section that provides support to the other two. Also located at CEDAR are two of the Swedish Research Council's national infrastructures, CORS and SwedPop. Approximately 46 employees and 30 researchers work at CEDAR at one of our units in Haparanda, Jörn, or Umeå. For more information, please visit: https://www.umu.se/enheten-for-demografi-och-aldrandeforskning/ (https://www.umu.se/enheten-for-demografi-och-aldrandeforskning/)

Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research is a unit at the Faculty of Humanities that coordinates and initiates interdisciplinary indigenous research in Sápmi and internationally. Várdduo is a meeting place for researchers and doctoral students from various disciplines whose research has Sámi or indigenous-related points of contact. The unit provides an inspiring research environment and serves as a valuable platform for creative exchanges of ideas that enrich research in various ways. As a unique competence centre for Sámi research in Sweden, research dissemination and collaboration are central parts of the operations. For more information, please visit: https://www.umu.se/vardduo-centrum-for-samisk-forskning/ (https://www.umu.se/vardduo-centrum-for-samisk-forskning/). Those working at the unit are teachers/researchers and administrative staff. You will therefore have close collaboration with all employees.

About You

We are looking for you who are an experienced communicator with excellent ability to work with research communication in collaboration with researchers, society, and other relevant actors. You are confident in your professional role and have the ability to independently plan, implement, and develop communication work in research-oriented environments.

You have a good understanding of how academic research is conducted and organized, as well as the ability to quickly grasp scientific texts, research results, and complex research projects. You can translate research into clear, relevant, and target-group-adapted communication for both academic and broader audiences in a pedagogical and engaging manner.

As a person, you are proactive, structured, and relationship-building. You easily build trusting collaborations with researchers and other colleagues and thrive in an academic environment.

Responsibilities

As a communicator at CEDAR and Várdduo, you are responsible for coordinating internal and external communication, with a focus on research and science communication in national and international contexts. You develop and implement communication initiatives that make research visible, accessible, and relevant to different target groups, such as decision-makers, the research community, and civil society. The work includes producing editorial content, such as popular science articles, research news, and researcher profiles, as well as developing and publishing content in web environments, social media, and newsletters. You are also responsible for updating and maintaining the units' internal and external websites, supporting researchers in communication and media contacts, and working with communication in connection with conferences and other events.

The role also involves close collaboration with other communicators at Umeå University and ongoing work with environmental scanning and the development of communication forms.

The responsibilities may change over time as new tools, channels, and working methods are developed, as well as based on the needs of the operations.

Competence Requirements:

• Academic degree in media and communication studies, along with current and multi-year relevant experience in (producing) communication work
• Experience in research or scientific communication, particularly summarizing research for the general public, authorities, and researchers in other fields
• Good ability to work in environments with multiple parallel assignments and target groups
• Ability to work with environmental scanning within research and society
• Basic knowledge of legislation and guidelines regarding web and communication activities
• Experience working with Office365 and relevant communication tools
• Very good ability to express oneself orally and in writing in Swedish and English.

Other Desirable Qualifications

• Experience in communication work at a university or college
• Experience in communication or profiling work within research activities, especially research centres and research infrastructure.
• Knowledge of or experience working with indigenous issues and/or knowledge of Sámi perspectives
• Interest in and habit of environmental scanning within research and societal issues
• Experience in work aimed at highlighting research and its societal significance.

Great importance will be attached to personal suitability.

Application

The application must be received no later than 2026-08-12 and sent via the e-recruitment system Varbi. Your application should include:

• Cover letter with motivation for why you are applying for the position
• CV/resume
• Documentation of formal merits (grades, degree certificates, course certificates, etc.)

Other Information

Information about the position is provided by:

• Director Lena Karlsson, CEDAR, [email protected]
• Administrative Manager Bo Persson, CEDAR, [email protected]
• Director Christina Storm Mienna, Várdduo, [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application!