Vacancy: Two Researcher positions in the project “The State as a Corporate Actor: Structural Choices, Historical Legacies, and Organizational Legitimation”

There is a vacancy for two temporary positions as a Researcher at University of Bergen and the Department of Government.  Both positions are for two years (24 months) each, and we are looking for ambitious candidates with strong qualifications in research methodologies and a keen interest in studying the corporatization of the state from a comparative perspective.

The researcher positions are part of the project “The State as a Corporate Actor: Structural Choices, Historical Legacies, and Organizational Legitimation”. This project builds upon the premise that governments create corporate entities to engage in different sectors and services, ranging from public infrastructure such as energy or telecommunications to welfare services. Our project compares these patterns of corporatization in Norway and Sweden from 1950 until today.

The Swedish part of the project is partly located to the Ratio Institute. The two current vacancies are located to Norway and the Norwegian part of the project.

Your tasks:

• To engage in independent scientific research that will result in high-quality, peer-reviewed publications addressing the core themes of the research project.
• To participate in the collection, pooling, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.
• To support and work with the principal investigators in carrying out the research project.
• To participate in the organization of research activities and events, such as conferences, workshops, joint publications, and web activities.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• The applicants must hold a PhD or an equivalent degree in Public Administration, Political Science, or any other relevant field in the social sciences, with a research agenda that fits the main research themes described above. The candidates must have submitted their doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
• Extensive knowledge and experience with quantitative methods is required, but candidates that have demonstrated exceptional good skills in qualitative methods will also be considered.
• A demonstrated interest in engaging in independent research on at least one of the topics related to the project’s main research areas.
• A demonstrated ability to work independently and efficiently and cooperate well with others in a research team.
• The applicants must be fluent in written and spoken English. A good command of the Norwegian or Swedish language is an advantage but not a requirement.

Applicants will be evaluated based on their academic qualifications; their research and fit with the project; their methods skills; interest in the project’s topic; the quality of their publications; and their personal and relational skills.

For more information about the project and the vacancies, please see the following link.

For questions about the research project, contact Rasmus Nykvist.