Postdoc in Digital Work and Procurement

CBS; København; Remote; DKK 420,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a Postdoc in the AI-PROCURE project funded by Nordforsk at the Department of Digitalization. The appointee will advance research on the procurement of AI technologies and their impact on healthcare work environments, with emphasis on philosophy of technology, HCI and information systems.

The role involves empirical and theoretical work, collaboration with multiple Nordic partners, and activities across WP4 under supervision.

Qualifications

• PhD required or equivalent; emphasis on research potential.
• Professional proficiency in English (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Evaluate initial national guidelines through online reciprocal testing (WP4).
• Evaluate Consolidated Nordic Guidelines in realistic usage scenarios and assess AI Act compliance.
• Pilot the guidelines in healthcare settings for 3–6 months to study organisational impact.

Skills

Theoretical analysis

Qualitative analysis

English proficiency

Education

PhD (Philosophy of technology / HCI / IS)

Job description

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a vacant Postdoc in the AI-PROCURE project funded by Nordforsk at the Department of Digitalization.

We are looking for a postdoc with a PhD in Philosophy of technology/Human-Computer Interaction/Information Systems with proven research record with skills in theoretical and qualitative analysis, and research interest in procurement of technology and work environment in the healthcare sector

Core research areas of the Department of Digitalization are (1) information Systems and (2) Human-Computer Interaction.

The AI-PROCARE projectseeksto redefine public procurement of AI systems activities to foster sustainable,equitable, and engaging healthcare work environments. The project unfolds in two stages across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. In the empirical stage (WP1–WP2), interviews and case analyses explore how work environment concerns are understood and prioritised in procurement. In the co-design stage (WP3–WP4), these insights are used to develop and evaluate procurement guidelines that integrate psychosocial considerations, stakeholder participation, and alignment with the EU AI Act.

The postdoc has to do the following research tasks (RT) in WP4 supervised by Torkil clemmensen and in close collaboration with the other AI-PROCARE researchers, in particular the WP3 and WP4 researchers:

• (RT1) Evaluate Initial National Guidelines from WP3/RT2: Firstly, the WP3 initial national guidelines are evaluated through an online reciprocal summative applicability test. In this test, national research teams alternate roles between acting as test users and evaluators. Each team consists of two to three participants from each country. As test users, they apply another country's guidelines to a set of typical procurement situations to assess how well the guidelines function in practice. As evaluators, they then assess the experiences and outcomes reported by others. The entire process is coordinated via a dedicated MS Teams platform. The results of the tests are analysed using the shared analytical framework developed in WP3.
• (RT2) Evaluate Consolidated Nordic Guidelines from WP3/RT3: First, this task is designed as an expert evaluation involving practical application of the guidelines in three realistic usage scenarios. Four procurement professionals (one per country) conduct an online expert evaluation and create procurement strategies based on the guidelines. They will also evaluate the usefulness of the guidelines under the AI Act, evaluating compliance with legal requirements like transparency, technical documentation, and human oversight for high-risk AI systems, and how this compliance fits with the organisational work environment concerns. Second, eight healthcare workers (2 per country) evaluate these procurement strategies for the work environment. Finally, during the WP3 workshop, these two evaluations are synthesised by the project researchers and the updated theoretical framework for procurement as a sociotechnical intervention is presented in a forum discussion for stakeholder checking.
• (RT3) Evaluate Impact: To assess the organisational impact of the consolidated Nordic guidelines, WP4 pilots the guidelines in a healthcare setting over 3-6 months. This involves aspects such as Interoperability: Checking if the guidelines are as easy to use as current procurement activities; Legacy Practices: Ensuring the guidelines align with or improve upon existing ones; and Organisational Strategy: Evaluating how the guidelines support the organisation's overall strategy and values.

Specifically, these research tasks entail that the postdoc during the employment period:

• Develops ethical criteria for evaluating the procurement guidelinesby reconstructing the principles underlying the EU AI Act and trustworthy‑AI frameworks in a form that can be applied to guideline assessment, and identifying where those principles do not reach.
• Provides a philosophical or other theoretical account of employee wellbeing for the project, complementing existing psychological measures with work on flourishing, skilled practice, and meaningful work.
• Designs thought experiments and case variations for workshops with healthcare professionals, and analyse how practitioners' judgements bear on the guidelines.
• Identifies and analyses trade-offs between competing principles in concrete procurement decisions.
• Co‑authors publications

More description of the AI-PROCARE project:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping healthcare byimpactingclinical decisions, administrative duties, and the structure of healthcare work. Though often praised for enhancing efficiency and reducing manual tasks, studies show that AI can also introduce new stressors and reduce professional autonomy. These issueslargely stemfrom how AI systems areprocured, chosen, and implemented. In Nordic healthcare, public procurement—the main method for AI adoption—tends to emphasise cost and technical quality, often overlooking effects on the work environment. This gap between AI adoption and the long-term viability of healthcare work environments highlights an urgent need for theoretical insight and practical guidance.

The interdisciplinary, cross-national AI-PROCARE projectseeksto redefine public procurement of AI systems activities to foster sustainable,equitable, and engaging healthcare work environments. Rather than treating AI systems procurement as a legal or administrative formality, the project develops a new theoretical perspective: procurement as a sociotechnical intervention that shapes the future of work. Hence, the project views it as a sociotechnical and negotiated activity shaped by institutional routines, inherent norms, and stakeholder priorities. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources model, Job Crafting and Stakeholder theories, and User-Centred Systems Design, it examines how procurement activities influence job demands, resources, and the capacity for professional adaptation.

AI-PROCARE advances scientific understanding of procurement as a sociotechnical intervention, providing empirically grounded, evaluated guidelines for the responsible procurement of AI systems. It supports a digital transformation in Nordic healthcare that aligns technological innovation with the sustainability of professional work.

The Postdoc is a non-tenured position for a 1,5-year period with research obligation.

To fulfill the research requirements of the position, the applicant chosen is expected to be physically present on a regular basis and actively participate in the teaching and research activities of the Department.

Qualifications

The applicant must hold a PhD or the equivalent. In assessing applications, particular emphasis will be placed on research potential.

Emphasis is placed on research relevant to the job description.

The applicant must have professional proficiency in English (written and spoken).

Copenhagen Business School has a broad commitment to the excellence, distinctiveness and relevance of its teaching and research programmes. Candidates who wish to join us should demonstrate enthusiasm for working in an organisation of this type.

Appointment

and salary will be in accordance with the Ministry of Finance’s agreement with the Central Academic Organisation.

One of CBS’ strategic goals is the promotion of diversity, which is why every effort has been made to ensure a recruitment process that reduces potential bias.Applicants are therefore encouraged not to include a photo or unnecessary personal information in their application.

Details about Copenhagen Business School and the department are available at www.cbs.dk.