Postdoctoral Researcher in Labour Migration and Institutional Change
Explore how migrant labour reshapes labour market institutions through comparative case studies in Europe.
Best for:Best for sociologists, political scientists, or economists with expertise in comparative case studies, institutional theory, and labour migration research.
Overview
This postdoctoral position at the University of Copenhagen’s Employment Relations Research Centre (FAOS) focuses on investigating how companies’ use of migrant labour drives institutional changes in labour markets. The project, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, tests a novel theory linking deviant business strategies to labour migration and its long-term impact on governance. Postdocs will conduct comparative case studies across manufacturing, construction, and hospitality sectors in two European countries, using process-tracing methodologies, interviews, and historical data analysis. The role involves academic publishing, conference presentations, and a 10% teaching obligation. The project is led by Associate Professor Jens Arnholtz.
What you'll do
- Conduct comparative case studies on migrant labour use across three sectors (manufacturing, construction, hospitality) in two European countries.
- Apply process-tracing methodologies to analyze the relationship between migrant labour inflow and deviant business practices.
- Interview stakeholders including company representatives, trade unions, labour inspectors, and experts.
- Collect and analyze supplementary data (statistics, archival records, policy documents) to reconstruct historical labour market developments.
- Compare cross-national and cross-sectoral variations in how labour migration and business strategies co-evolve.
- Write and submit academic articles to top sociology and political science journals.
- Present research findings at international conferences (e.g., SASE, CES, EPSA, ESA).
- Participate in a 1.5-month research stay in each case country, hosted by advisory board members.
- Fulfill a 10% teaching obligation alongside research duties.
Requirements
Degree required: PhD in Sociology, Political Science, Economics, or a related field.
Language: English proficiency at a level suitable for academic research and publication.
Instruction: English
- Proven expertise in comparative case study research.
- Experience with process-tracing methodologies.
- Strong qualitative research skills (interviews, data collection).
- Familiarity with labour migration or institutional theory.
- Ability to analyze historical and cross-national data.
- Proficiency in academic writing and publishing.
- Must hold a PhD or equivalent research qualifications.
- No explicit nationality or residency restrictions mentioned.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-10-30 (CEST)
Applicants must submit their CV, cover letter, and other required documents through the University of Copenhagen’s external application portal. Ensure your application includes a research statement and proof of PhD completion. The portal link is provided in the contact section.
- CV
- Cover letter
- Proof of PhD completion
- Research statement
Contact
Jens Arnholtz· Associate Professor (PI)
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