PhD positions at Department of Operations Management

CBS; København; On-site; DKK 346,000 - 413,000; Full time

Job summary

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for several PhD scholarships focused on public-private cooperation, AI, and autonomous systems within the Department of Operations Management. Starting February 1, 2027, scholars will engage in empirical research and cross-disciplinary collaboration with CBS research areas.

Selected candidates will contribute to teaching, develop original research questions, and participate in international conferences, with strong emphasis on practical impact and

Qualifications

• The candidate holds a master’s degree and conducts empirical research with strong English writing and speaking skills.
• Experience with qualitative methods, interviews, or ethnography is preferred.
• Interest in management accounting, economics, operations, or supply chain is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop interdisciplinary PhD proposals aligned with CBS research areas.
• Teach within Managerial Economics, Organizational Economics, and Operations Management.
• Engage in international conferences and collaborate with practice partners.

Skills

Qualitative research

Interviews

Ethnographic methods

Programming

Machine learning

Simulation

Applied/interdisciplinary research

Education

Master's degree

English proficiency

Tools

Python

R

Job description

27. oktober 2026

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a number of vacant PhD scholarships within the fields of public-private cooperation as well as AI and autonomous systems.The expected start date is 1 February 2027.

The scholarships will be based at the Department of Operations Management.

The Department of Operations Management is a broad business studies department that researches and teaches managerial, operational challenges of decision-making and economics.

The Department has a strong commitment to detailed empirical analysis and strives to hit the right mix of classical research projects and collaborations with corporative and institutional partners.

The Department of Operations Management covers and integrates five academic research areas:

Supply Chain Management (design and management of flows of goods, services, knowledge and information between firms);

Management Accounting/Performance management (design, use, and effects of financial and non-financial measures in strategy development and implementation);

Innovation Management (deployment of management tools and mechanisms to connect technology, organization and markets);

Operations Management (relation between production, organization, and strategy in manufacturing and service industries);

Managerial Economics (decision modelling around pricing, costing, production planning and forecasting).

Our vision is to be bold in ideas and strong in practice. It is the ambition of the Department to nurture a fruitful debate among research areas. This allows cross-disciplinary exchange of research ideas and helps foster a strong intellectual environment. The Department understands management in relation to managerial tools and instruments that help to frame and make business issues visible and amenable to intervention, development, and control. The Department wishes to develop research and teaching in close connection with practice. Candidates who can add to the academic research areas of Management Accounting, Managerial Economics, Operations Management and Supply Chain Management and work among two or more of these areas will have an advantage. Competency and skill in empirical research (any method) is an advantage as is the ability to bridge the Department’s research areas.

The Department of Operations Management supplies teaching and supervision to undergraduate, graduate, masters, executive and PhD courses within the areas of the Department. The Department develops research initiatives within different areas; examples of research initiatives supported by the Department:

• Accounting, Organizations and Decision-Making
• Generative AI in Supply Chain and Operations Management
• Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems
• Sustainability as a Service Offering
• Supply Chain Responsiveness and Resilience
• Sustainable Supply Chain

We encourage candidates to apply by submitting interdisciplinary PhD proposals that link to, or combine, different research areas of the Department. Proposals encompassing the above-mentioned areas will have an advantage. To fulfill teaching obligations, the selected candidate will be expected to teach within the areas of Managerial Economics, Organizational Economics and Operations Management. Therefore, applicants with interest or previous experience in these fields are welcome.

The positions relate to two specific research areas in the Department of Operations Management. The first area concerns an externally funded project about how public and private actors in the Danish maritime sector cooperate to study security and preparedness in a changing geopolitical environment. Suitable candidates have skills in qualitative research, especially interviews and ethnographic research methods, along with an interest in management control, public policy, or decision-making. The second area concerns the managerial and organisational questions raised by AI and autonomous systems. Suitable candidates have programming and quantitative skills, e.g. process-oriented coding, machine learning, or simulation. We attach particular weight to applicants with experience from applied or interdisciplinary research settings, such as EU-funded projects, research institutes or industrial collaborations, who can move comfortably between technical implementation and managerial-oriented enquiry.

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives you the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS’s associate professors and professors, supported by research related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you are expected to participate in international research conferences and to spend time at another research institution as a visiting PhD student. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programme .

CBS PhD graduates are held in high esteem not only in academia and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in high demand.

The Department will give priority to applicants with high grades from their universities.
To be considered the applicant must

• have a basic education at master's level (corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process)
• have completed the master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS
• master academic English at a high level in writing and speaking

The application (see link below) must include a five-page project description. The project description must include:

• a presentation of an original research question
• a description of the initial theoretical framework and method
• a presentation of the proposed empirical material

In addition to the project description, copies of the following must be included:

• diploma for bachelor's and master's degree or other certificates at an equivalent level as well as the grade transcripts
• documentation for being in the top 40% of the class (if grade requirements are not met)
• a list of articles and publications (if applicable)
• one example of a selected written work (e.g. master's thesis)

Employment and salary
A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 work hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 31,000 up to DKK 37,000 depending on seniority and a pension contribution totalling 18,07 %. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement).

Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Academics' Central Organization.

Recruitment procedure

The Recruitment Committee shortlists at least two-five applicants to be assessed by the Assessment Committee. Applicants are informed whether their application has proceeded for assessment.

Applicants selected for assessment will be notified about the composition of the Assessment Committee and will receive their personal assessment later. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that a positive assessment does not automatically result in an interview. Once the recruitment process is completed each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application.

Copenhagen Business School must receive all application material, including all appendices (see above), by the application deadline.

Details about Copenhagen Business School are available at www.cbs.dk/en .

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