Postdoctoral Researcher Position (3 years) in Political Science as part of the ERC-funded Lobbying (A)symmetry Project

The Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, is hiring a postdoctoral researcher (36 months) for the project “Lobbying (A)symmetry: The Dynamics Behind Informed Policy” (LOBBYMETRY). The project is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and led by Associate Professor Wiebke Marie Junk (PI). The selected candidate will be a part of the project team consisting of the PI, a PhD, a second Postdoctoral Researcher (to be hired in 2026), a group of student assistants, and international collaborators.

The starting date is 1 February 2026, or as soon as possible by agreement.

Project description
The LOBBYMETRY project addresses two types of imbalances in lobbying: 1) mobilisation asymmetries, which exclude some actors from the policy debate, and 2) information asymmetries, which empower specific groups in their exchanges with policymakers. The project analyses these asymmetries and their relationship with each other, as well as their effects on the ways in which sectional and public interests feed into policymaking.

The project studies these asymmetries across populations of interest organisations in twelve European countries and at European Union level, as well as within the climate and digital policy fields, which vary strongly in mobilisation asymmetries and constitute areas where well- or ill-informed policies have vast consequences for humanity at large. LOBBYMETRY strives to open the black-box of policymaker-lobbyist information exchange within these areas, develop measures of informational quality and accuracy in lobbying, and evaluate how and when lobbying pulls outcomes away from the public interest.

Methodologically, the project combines cross-country surveys, cross-venue data on at least 100 issues in climate and digital policy, and different forms of participant observation of the information exchanges between policymakers and interest organisations in i) natural and ii) researcher-controlled settings. This combination of methods will generate unprecedented quantitative and qualitative evidence on lobbyist-policymaker information exchange in varying contexts.

Your tasks and opportunities
As one of the core researchers in the LOBBYMETRY project, the chosen candidate will be involved in several of the data collection steps in the project, namely cross-country surveys, text analysis across the sampled issues, and the planning and implementation of focus groups spanning ca 200 actors. The position is suited for applicants with a quantitative background, with substantive experience in one or several of the relevant methods (surveys, text as data, machine learning, focus groups).

The chosen candidate will contribute to the project with their expertise, interests, and skills, and is expected to publish both collaborative and single-authored scientific articles in international journals, as well as to present findings at international conferences. In general, the position is highly research-focused, and funding is available for data collection and conference attendance, helping to ensure that all team members can extend their network and research expertise. Other tasks include the dissemination of findings, such as in reports, on the project website, or in op-eds.

Your qualifications
The candidate must have obtained – or be about to obtain - a PhD degree in Political Science, Economics, Sociology, or a related field. Ideally, applicants have research experience related to lobbying, political representation, information politics, European public policy, or the digital and/or climate policy fields. Publication experience in internationally recognized scientific journals is expected.

Methodologically, an interest in diverse quantitative methods is expected for the position, as well as a curiosity about other approaches, given the team will also hire a qualitative Postdoctoral Researcher (in 2026). Candidates are expected to contribute with collaboration skills to the research team.

High proficiency in spoken and written English is a requirement. Proficiency in other European languages is an advantage.

The Department of Political Science
The Department is a top-ranked European Political Science department, which offers a vibrant, collegial, and pluralist academic working environment for ambitious scholars. The pluralism of Political Science in Copenhagen is evidenced in the various epistemological and methodological approaches as well as subfields adopted by faculty, and in a wide range of core subjects in the MSc programme. The Department’s dynamic environment within public administration and policy, as well as comparative politics, is particularly relevant for the announced position.

The Department consists of some 75 faculty members, as well as some 25 PhD students, organized in four main research groups and a few centres.

For more information on information the Department, please consult our webpage:
politicalscience.ku.dk/about.

Your opportunities
The position offers a range of attractive opportunities for the candidate, including:

• Being part of a vibrant and ambitious team
• A highly research-focused position in an ERC-funded project
• Conference attendance, additional training and international networking are supported.
• Being part of a leading political science department and its daily activities
• The project’s international advisory board spans universities in Europe and the US (Princeton University, University of Amsterdam, Queen’s University Belfast, Leiden University, University of Ljubljana)

Terms of Employment

• Further information on qualification requirements as postdoc can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2019 here: employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf.
• Terms of appointment and salary are in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• The salary range starts at around DKK 38,700 per month + a 17.1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process.

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see: employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/.

The Code of Conduct of the Department of Political Science is available here: politicalscience.ku.dk/about/news/2022/code-of-conduct-announced/Plakat_8T_uncoated.pdf.

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about the services of International Staff Mobility (ISM) as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: ism.ku.dk.

Contact information
For information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Wiebke Marie Junk, e-mail: wiebke.junk@ifs.ku.dk

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number: 211-2146/25-2I #2
How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Cover/motivation letter (max. 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae including publication list and conference presentation list.
• Two scientific articles (published or unpublished). The enclosed publications must be marked with * on the publication list.
• Diplomas (PhD, Master, and Bachelor)

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 05-06-2025

Ansættelsesdato: 01-02-2026

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Political Science