Senior Lecturer in Crisis preparedness and Civil Defence with a Focus on Social Vulnerability and Critical Perspectives

Department of Building and Environmental Technology at LTH, Lund University, is recruiting an Senior Lecturer.

The Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, within the Department of Building and Environmental Technology, conducts research and education in the field of societal risk and crisis management. The focus of both our research and teaching is to develop knowledge of how individuals, organizations, and societies prevent, prepare for, manage, recover from, learn from, and adapt to events that may threaten something of value. We also conduct research aimed at developing methods, processes, and other types of artefacts that can be used to better understand and manage risks, crises, and disasters across a wide range of contexts.

The division currently employs 23 staff members, and an additional 8 individuals are affiliated with the division, such as adjunct faculty staff and industrial PhD students. The division's academic staff and researchers represent a broad range of backgrounds and expertise, including engineering, psychology, and sociology.

This position is intended to strengthen the division's capacity in the field of crisis preparedness and management, and civil defence, with a particular focus on social vulnerability. Crisis preparedness and management in general, and civil defence in particular, are areas experiencing rapid growth in Sweden. We anticipate that substantial research funding will be allocated to these fields in the coming years, creating significant opportunities for research and development .

Subject

Crisis preparedness and Civil Defence with a Focus on Social Vulnerability and Critical Perspectives

Subject description

The position of Senior Lecturer primarily involves research and teaching focusing on social vulnerability, power, identity, and critical perspectives on complex crises, both in peacetime and during periods of heightened preparedness.

During crises, disasters, and conflicts, different groups in society are affected in different ways depending on their social, economic, and organizational circumstances. Crises often expose and amplify existing inequalities, making it more difficult for some groups to access information, resources, support, and influence over decision-making processes. At the same time, power relations between public authorities, civil society organizations, voluntary initiatives, and individual citizens emerge and evolve, shaping both the distribution of responsibilities and opportunities for different actors to make their voices heard. To understand the societal consequences of crises, it is therefore essential to analyse how different forms of vulnerability are created, reinforced, and managed, as well as how power is exercised, negotiated, and contested during acute events. Such perspectives can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of which groups are at risk of marginalization during crises and which measures are required to create more equitable and inclusive approaches to crisis management and societal resilience.

Particular emphasis in this position is placed on qualitative research approaches. The ability to employ qualitative methods to analyse influence, power dynamics, and social relationships is therefore essential. The focus is especially on understanding the factors beyond formal structures and hierarchies that shape how crisis management, emergency preparedness, and civil defence actually function in practice, which may differ considerably from how they have been planned and designed in advance.

Furthermore, qualitative research methods are employed in the majority of master's degree projects conducted within the Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety. For this reason, the division seeks to strengthen its competence and capacity in qualitative research methodology.

Work duties

Work duties include

• Research within the subject area.
• Teaching in the first, second and third cycles of studies.
• Supervision of degree projects and doctoral students.
• Actively seeking external research funding.
• Collaboration with industry and wider society.
• Administration related to the work duties listed above.
• Strategic work aimed at establishing and strengthening collaborations between LTH and relevant national and international partners

Qualification requirements

Appointment to senior lecturer requires that the applicant has:

• A PhD or corresponding research competence or professional expertise considered important with regard to the subject matter of the post and the work duties it will involve.
• Demonstrated teaching expertise.
• Completed five weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning, or acquired equivalent knowledge by other means, unless there are valid reasons.

Assessment criteria

When assessing the applicants, special importance will be given to research and teaching expertise within the subject, assessing research and teaching expertise equally.

The assessment criteria specify the aspects to be taken into account, and the level to be achieved, in order for the assessment criteria to be deemed fulfilled. The following assessment criteria must be fulfilled for appointment to senior lecturer:

• A good national and international standing as a researcher. The requirement for international experience shall be assessed with consideration to the character and traditions of the subject.
• Good teaching ability, including a good ability to conduct, develop and lead teaching and other educational activities on different levels and using a variety of teaching methods.
• An ability to supervise doctoral students to achieve a PhD.
• An ability to collaborate with wider society and communicate his or her activities.
• A general ability to lead and develop activities.

Additional requirements

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Good oral and written proficiency in Swedish.
• Experience of teaching, course development, and research using qualitative research methodology.
• Collaborative skills, initiative and the ability to solve work tasks independently.

Other qualifications

• Significant documented research experience (e.g. from postdoc or doctoral studies) from another university/institute or relevant experience from industry/public sector.
• Experience of conducting research, both independently and collaboratively, within the fields of crisis preparedness, crisis management, social vulnerability, civil society issues, and critical perspective.

The extent to which the applicant, through their experience and skills, may complement and strengthen ongoing research, undergraduate education, departmental innovation, and how they can contribute to the future development of the department will also be taken into consideration.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme.  Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/work-lund-university.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English. Please draw up the application in accordance with LTH’s Academic qualifications portfolio – see link below. Upload the application as PDF-files in the recruitment system. Read more: http://www.lth.se/english/working-at-lth/to-apply-for-academic-positions-at-lth/

We welcome your application!