Postdoctor in critical sociolinguistics

UiT The Arctic University of Norway; Norway; On-site; NOK 620,000 - 665,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme through the state

Flexible working hours

State collective pay agreement

Involvement in an interesting research

Good academic environment

Job summary

UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in critical sociolinguistics. The position is part of the Living Arctic Colonialities project and involves ethnographic study across the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

It is a fixed-term 3-year appointment with potential progression during employment. The successful candidate will advance their scientific career, possibly qualify for an Associate Professor track, and start by 1

Qualifications

• Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in the subject, or equivalent foreign doctoral degree.
• Experience with ethnographic research in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden or Finland.
• Language proficiency in English and the local language relevant to the case.

Responsibilities

• Conduct ethnographic research in Arctic regions as part of the Living Arctic Colonialities project.
• Investigate the interplay between coloniality, capitalism and management of natural resources in Arctic contexts.
• Submit a project proposal detailing scientific contributions and include a progress plan.
• Commit to a fixed-term 3-year appointment and contribute to department activities.

Skills

Ethnographic research

English language

Norwegian language

Education

PhD in critical sociolinguistics or related field

Job description

Organisation/Company UiT The Arctic University of Norway Department Department of language and culture Research Field Language sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 13 Dec 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Country Norway Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The position

A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Department of language and culture, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education in critical sociolinguistics

The position is affiliated with the project leader’s project Living Arctic Colonialities, which is based on the premise that coloniality constitutes ongoing processes in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Colonial processes are understood as dynamic and situated, and may take different forms in different contexts. The project asks how we live with, discuss and resist colonial conditions today, in a time of climate change, geopolitical tensions and ongoing reconciliation efforts between the majority population, the Sámi and national minorities.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period.

The Department of Language and Culture is a department with a broad range of academic disciplines and a highly active research environment. The department has approximately 140 employees, primarily based at the Tromsø campus, but also at the Alta campus. The department has approximately 500 students.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position by 1 April 2027.

The position's field of research

The focus of this postdoctoral position is the interplay between coloniality, capitalism and the management of common natural resources in the context of increasing demand for renewable energy in a time of climate change and geopolitical tensions. The postdoctoral research fellow’s task is to investigate this interplay by conducting an ethnographic study of a self-selected empirical case in the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden or Finland.

You must submit a project proposal that describes how you scientifically can contribute to the described field of research. The proposal must include a progress plan.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contactProfessor Hilde Sollid:

• A Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in the subject, for example critical sociolinguistics or critical human geography. or an equivalent foreign doctoral degree.
• Previous experience with ethnographic research in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden or Finland.
• Language proficiency in English and the local language relevant to the case is required.

Fluency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is an advantage.

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project proposal for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.

During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment ( DORA ).

Inclusion and diversity

UiTThe Arctic UniversityiNorway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services .

The remuneration for Postdoctoralresearch fellowis in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352 with a gross annual salary ranging from NOK 620 000 to 665 100 (in a 100% position). (In special cases, a higher salary may be considered.) A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no .

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.

Eallju - Developing the High North

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is an internationally leading broad-based university. Our vision is to be a driving force in the North. The Northern Sami term eallju, which means diligence, sets the tone for UiT's drive. Together with students, staff, and society at large, we will utilize our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our academic breadth, and interdisciplinary advantages to shape the future.

UiT has approximately 18,000 students, more than 4,000 employees, and is established across four main campuses and seven additional study locations in Northern Norway and on Svalbard. Our largest campuses are Tromsø, Alta, Narvik, and Harstad. UiT has seven faculties, 40 departments and centers, and leading research environments in various fields. The university offers 269 study programs and focuses on educational quality.

Academic freedom, scientific principles, and research ethics form the foundation of all UiT's activities. Participation, co-determination, transparency, and sound processes will provide the basis for making wise and forward-looking decisions. Our students and staff will have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Rooted in scientific integrity, we aim to be bold, engaged, and generous - closely connected to academia, people, and contemporary developments.