Professor of Social Work at Lund University

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Description of the workplace
The School of Social Work has been part of Lund University since 1977 but began educating students in social work as early as 1947. We have been conducting research since 1984, focusing on issues related to social problems, their definitions, origins, causes, and solutions; on the conditions and living circumstances of vulnerable groups and individuals; and on society’s interventions in the living circumstances of individuals and groups. We analyze welfare policy and social policy measures, human services organizations, and professions. The School of Social Work offers a number of programs and courses at the undergraduate, advanced, and postgraduate levels. The social work program has approximately 1,200 students and is offered at both Lund and Helsingborg campuses.

The School of Social Work currently has seven professors, three women and four men. Based on the expertise that already exists within the professorial group, reinforcement in the research area concerning children, young people, and families is particularly welcome.

Duties and responsibilities
We are looking for a person who will actively and enthusiastically take on the role as professor of social work at the School of Social Work in Lund.

The position includes research, teaching, and supervision at the undergraduate, advanced, and postgraduate levels. The professor is expected to actively seek research funding for the department, lead research environments and research projects, and participate in seminars and the national and international research debates. The professor is also expected to actively contribute to collaborations within the faculty, Lund University, and with external actors. These duties require a high level of physical presence at the workplace.

Qualifications
To be eligible for appointment as a professor, an applicant must have demonstrated both scientific and pedagogical competence (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 4, Section 3). Applicants must be able to clearly document current and internationally distinguished academic merits, including research as well as leadership of research programs and teaching. Scientific competence must be demonstrated through independent research efforts that significantly exceed the requirements for docent competence. Pedagogical skills must be demonstrated in part through completion of a higher education teaching program lasting at least five weeks or through equivalent knowledge acquired in other ways.

Applicants must have documented teaching experience at the undergraduate, advanced, and postgraduate levels and, to be eligible, must have supervised at least one doctoral student to completion of a degree.

Teaching is conducted in Swedish and English. An applicant whose native language is not Swedish and who accepts the position is therefore expected to have acquired sufficient knowledge of the Swedish language (spoken and written) within two years to be able to teach in Swedish and to participate actively in management, administration, and other relevant activities conducted in Swedish.

Assessment criteria

The applicant must have a solid academic background in social work and social science research. It would be advantageous for the applicant to conduct research into the living conditions of children and young people, as well as their social vulnerability and social problems. It is of great importance that the applicant has established themselves as an independent researcher at the international level by having:

1. contributed to important and innovative knowledge development within the framework of their own research
2. demonstrated considerable skill in the use of research methods and social science theories
3. published in internationally renowned journals and publishers in accordance with prevailing research traditions
4. demonstrated ability to plan and lead scientific activities
5. demonstrated national and international research collaboration
6. received research grants as the main applicant and in competition

Equally great attention is paid to assessing pedagogical skills and scientific skills.

When assessing pedagogical skills, consideration is given to experience of teaching and other pedagogical activities at all levels, as well as supervision and examination. The ability to supervise doctoral students to a doctoral degree is a particularly important assessment criterion.

Applicants must have very good collaborative skills, good administrative competence, good communication skills, and other qualities required to perform the duties of a professor in an effective manner. Applicants must demonstrate a good ability to collaborate with the surrounding community and to disseminate research results outside the university context.

When hiring teachers at Lund University, in addition to the provisions of the Higher Education Ordinance and Lund University Appointment Rules, the Appointment Rules and General Instructions for the Employment of Teachers at the Faculty of Social Sciences (in Swedish) also apply. Applicants are advised to read these instructions.

We offer
Lund University is a government agency, which means that we offer special benefits, generous vacation time, and a favorable occupational pension. Read more at Work at Lund University.

Other
The position as professor is full-time and permanent. Start date to be agreed upon.

How to apply
Applications must be prepared in accordance with the Academic qualifications portfolio for the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the vacancy announcement and instructions, and that everything is scanned and submitted to the university by the application deadline via the Varbi recruitment portal.

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University is one of the leading education and research institutions in Sweden and operates both in Lund and Helsingborg.

At the School of Social Work there is a program in social work, independent courses, master’s degrees and a well-developed research in the central research areas of social work (see http://www.soch.lu.se/en/). The School of Social Work is active in both Lund and Helsingborg.

We kindly decline all sales and marketing contacts.

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