Assistant or Associate Professor in Social Work Professions and Organizing Social Services

Assistant or Associate Professor in Social Work Professions and Organizing Social Services

At the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Society and Politics, a position as Assistant or Associate Professor in Social Work and Organizing Social Services is available from 1 february 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position offers an opportunity to strengthen research and teaching on professional organizations related to social work and organizational aspects of practice in social services and welfare systems that shape social work.

Your work tasks

As Assistant or Associate Professor in Social Work and Organizing Social Services at the Department of Society and Politics, Campus Aalborg, you will contribute to developing and consolidating the department’s research and teaching activities within the interplay between organizing and social work. You will join the Organizational Sociology Research Group (OrgSoc) or one of the research groups organized in The Section for Social Work.

Your research may examine questions related to social work and organizing social services using theories from organization sociology, social work, and social science related to professional practice. For instance, you may focus on:

Institutional and systems change; e.g. how institutions such as Social Work are changing and with which implications for professionals’ discretion and responsibility Leadership, organizational change processes and how user innovation happens in/across professional organizations and practices related to social work Technology, work and organizing in social services: e.g., implications of technology implementation for decision-making processes, learning, emotional aspects of social work, or social inequity

You will contribute to strengthening the department’s national and international research profile through high-quality publications, participation in research communities, and collaboration with relevant partners in the practice field. You will also contribute to the development and implementation of externally funded research projects.

Your teaching activities will include course planning, teaching, supervision, examinations and feedback, primarily within the Bachelor of Social Work programme and the Master of Social Work programme. You will supervise students at bachelor’s and master’s level and contribute to the continued development and quality assurance of the study programmes. You will take part in the department’s shared academic and administrative responsibilities, including relevant committee work.

We are looking for candidates with a strong academic profile within organizing and social work and with an interest in contributing to research and teaching in social work and the organization of social services.

If you apply for the position as Assistant Professor

You hold a relevant PhD degree within the social sciences or a closely related field, or have academic qualifications at PhD level, and demonstrate a clear research profile or research potential within organizing and social work. You are able to connect theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches and empirical studies of welfare organisations and/or social work practices.

You have a solid understanding of social work and the organisational and institutional conditions that frame professional practices in social services. This includes knowledge of how decisions are made in social work, the use of professional discretion, and the ethical, legal and organisational dilemmas that arise when social workers meet citizens in frontline practice.

In the assessment of applicants for the position as Assistant Professor, emphasis will be placed on your research potential and pedagogical qualifications, as well as your experience with teaching and supervision. Experience with research projects, collaboration with relevant research communities and engagement with the practice field will be considered an advantage.

If you apply for the position as Associate Professor

You hold a relevant PhD degree within the social sciences or a closely related field and have a clear and coherent research profile within organizing and social work. You can document research at an international standard and demonstrate how your research contributes knowledge relevant to social work practice, the organizing, leadership and development of social service organizations, policy development and/or society.

You have a solid understanding of social work and the organisational and institutional conditions that frame professional practices in social services. This includes knowledge of how decisions are made in social work, the use of professional discretion, and the ethical, legal and organisational dilemmas that arise when social workers meet citizens in frontline practice. You can address these questions analytically in your research