Job description
A permanent position of Associate Professor (position code 1011) in popular music is available at the Department of musicology, University of Oslo.
We seek candidates who have research and teaching expertise in popular music from the 1950s to the present day. The candidate will need to have excellent knowledge of the field of popular music studies, including its history, core research topics, and range of methodologies. The candidate should be critically informed in their approach to popular music research, demonstrating a capacity to combine textual and contextual perspectives. The ability to intersect with popular music’s songwriting, production, and performance practices is needed.
The successful candidate will:
- Have an established track-record of teaching and supervision experience, which enables them to supervise at all levels and be responsible for courses in popular music at both the undergraduate and graduate level on core topics within the field, i.e., sound, groove, authenticity, identity
- Have a solid basis in popular music research and demonstrated a capacity to combine textual and contextual perspectives
- Have an established track-record of international peer-reviewed publications and a track-record of national or international external funding or the strong potential to attract such funding.
- Have sufficient competence in Norwegian to supervise and examine Norwegian texts, or a willingness to achieve such knowledge within two years after employment
The successful candidate is expected to initiate and lead research, supervise PhD candidates, participate in teaching and in exam setting and assessment at all levels, and to carry out administrative duties in accordance with the needs of the department.
The Department of Musicology is one of the largest music research institutions in Europe. Its staff conducts research in a wide range of areas, including music history, analysis, cognition, and technology, jazz and popular music, the cultural study of music, and music and media. It is home to RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion and has excellent research infrastructure, including the world-leading fourMs Lab. We are looking for a candidate to strengthen the Department’s research profile and contribute to research-led teaching and supervision.
Qualification requirements
- PhD or equivalent academic qualifications within musicology or another relevant discipline. The applicant is required to document that the degree corresponds to the profile for the post.
- Documented pedagogical skills (either a teaching course certificate or based on teaching experience), see how to document your pedagogical skills
- Documented potential for project acquisition
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English (see more on language requirement below)
- Personal suitability and motivation for the position
The following qualifications will count in the assessment of the applicants:
- Academic qualifications and academic production in musicology, with emphasis on works published within the last 5 years. Originality and innovative thinking will be weighted more heavily than quantity
- International peer-reviewed publications
- Experience with research projects
- Potential to contribute to the long-term development of the academic and research environment at the Department
- Pedagogical qualifications, documented results from teaching and supervision, and disposition to inspire students
- Interest and ability in leadership and administration
- Ability to create and contribute to a positive environment for collaboration
- Ability to improve the gender balance and diversity at the Department.
- Experience with and ability to build international networks
- Skills within popular dissemination, public outreach and innovation
In the evaluation of the qualified candidates the full range of these criteria will be explicitly addressed and assessed.
Academic quality, development potential and breadth will be prioritised in this order. The selected candidates are expected to contribute to the objective in the University of Oslo’s strategic plan to “strengthen its international position as a leading research-intensive university through a close interaction across research, education, communication and innovation”.
The successful candidate should demonstrate mastery of both English and one of the Scandinavian languages as working languages. If an appointee is not fluent in a Scandinavian language, s/he is expected to reach proficiency equivalent to level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) within two years. Within three years the appointee is expected to, in Norwegian, be able to actively participate in all functions the position may involve, including teaching. The Faculty of Humanities will aid and facilitate the appointee in reaching said proficiency.
We offer
- Salary NOK 615 000 – 714 000 per annum depending on qualifications
- A professionally stimulating working environment
- Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Attractive welfare benefits
- The opportunity to apply for promotion to full professorship at a later stage
How to apply
The application must include:
- Application letter (statement of motivation, summarising scientific work and research interest)
- Curriculum Vitae (list of education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, project acquisition and coordination experience, and other relevant qualifications)
- Complete list of published and unpublished works
- List of reference persons: 3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)
Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language), either in the original or in translation.
Applicants are required to describe and document the entire range of qualifications and criteria described in the announcement of the post with concrete examples.
The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “apply for this job”.
Selection procedure
As the first step in the evaluation process, a Selection Committee will assess all applications and invite the most qualified applicants to submit a portfolio of educational certificates and academic works (up to 10 publications, which should not exceed 500 pages in total) for expert assessment. Academic texts shall therefore not be enclosed with the application. Applicants who are invited to submit academic works are asked to select three works, published within the last 5 years, to be considered as most relevant for the position. In longer publications (monographs), applicants should specify the relevant pages. Applicants are further asked to submit a description of one or more research projects considered relevant for the Department. Applicants are also asked to submit a Educational portfolio of 3-6 pages documenting educational competence and experience, including a reflection note in which your own practice and learning vision is anchored in the SoTL criteria (focus on student learning, development over time, a research approach and a collegial attitude and practice)
Finally, the most highly ranked candidates will be invited for an interview and a trial lecture.
Formal regulations
Please see the rules for appointments to Associate Professorships.
The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document basic teaching qualifications will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period. Please see the rules for practicing the requirement for basic university pedagogical competence at UiO.
Within his/her normal duties and in accordance with his/her academic competence, the person appointed may also be asked to work outside his/her Department. The appointment is made under the condition that the employer may change the subject area and assigned tasks according to the needs of the Department.
According to the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.
The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.
The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.
Contact information
Head of Department Zafer Özgen, e-mail: zafer.ozgen@imv.uio.no
Head of Administration Nina Rundgren, e-mail: nina.rundgren@imv.uio.no
For questions on how to apply:
Foto: Colourbox
About the University of Oslo
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.
The Department of Musicology teaches musicology at all levels and participates in research within a number of different fields, with a particular focus on music history and aesthetics, popular music and cultural analysis, and music cognition and technology. The Department has approximately 50 employees, including PhD and postdoctoral students, and admits a total of 90 bachelor- and master students each autumn.