Head of De­part­ment of Or­gan­iz­a­tion, Copen­ha­gen Busi­ness School

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) invites applications for the position of Head of Department of Organization (IOA), starting 1 January 2027. This is a unique opportunity to lead a department with a longstanding tradition of internationally recognised research in organisation and management studies.

About the position
As Head of Department (HoD) you are responsible for the strategic, academic, and organisational leadership of IOA. Working closely with faculty and staff, with CBS Senior Management and with other HoD colleagues, you play a central role in shaping the department’s academic profile, supporting a strong and inclusive work environment, and contributing to CBS’ overall strategic development.

IOA is a department with a longstanding tradition of internationally recognised research in organisation and management studies. The department offers an international research environment with a strong culture of collaboration, intellectual openness, and methodological diversity.

With more than 65 faculty members, 25 PhD students, 11 administrative staff and around 120 external lecturers, IOA pursues a problem-oriented, business-in society-approach to understanding and intervening in organisations and organisational life. The department’s research focuses on organising processes and their outcomes and is driven by an interest in organisation and management as a practical, situated, contested and changing matter. The approach is interdisciplinary and combines social-scientific traditions such as organisation theory, sociology, ethnography, political economy, and social psychology.

As a HoD you inspire integration across research areas, strengthen research excellence, further develop IOA’s contribution to the educational portfolio, and enhance the department’s external visibility and societal impact.

Your key responsibilities

• Provide strategic and academic leadership of IOA in alignment with CBS’ strategy: “We Transform Society with Business”
• Fostering high-quality, interdisciplinary research and educational innovation
• Recruiting, developing and supporting academic and administrative staff, with strong focus on diversity and inclusion
• Supporting external funding opportunities and building solid partnerships with societal stakeholders
• Promoting a healthy, collaborative and inclusive work environment

We are looking for
We are looking for an internationally recognised researcher within the department’s research areas and demonstrated leadership experience in research and/or education. You are expected to be qualified at minimum Associate Professor level or equivalent.

The successful candidate brings:

• Documented experience in research and educational leadership
• Ability to lead complex organisations, budgets and resources
• Effective communication skills, and international outlook and interest in societal impact
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• A visible and approachable leadership style that fosters collaboration, trust and well-being
• Motivation for leadership and for continuing to develop in the leadership role

Terms of employment

• Time-limited position (typically 6 years, with possible extension)
• The employment follows the Danish collective agreement for academics, in line with the Danish University Act and CBS’ bylaws
• The salary consists of a fixed base salary, and supplementary allowances upon negotiation
• An agreement to return to a scientific position at the Department upon expiry of employment as HoD is possible provided that the individual’s research and scholarly contributions fall within those of the Department
• The HoD reports to Dean of Research, Innovation and Societal Impact Morten Frederiksen

Application process
Application deadline: 18 October 2026
Expected start date: 1 January 2027
Applications must be submitted via CBS’ electronic recruitment system, including CV, documentation of research and teaching qualifications, evidence of leadership experience, and a vision statement for the department.

Want to know more?

Please consult the full Job and Person Profile for Head of Department of Organization and The CBS Leadership Code before applying, available here: Job and Person Profile and Leadership Code.

For questions, please contact President Peter Mølgaard at rektor@cbs.dk or HR-Partner Marianne Krabbe at makr.hr@cbs.dk.  All inquiries will be treated confidentially.

We encourage all interested candidates to apply – even if you do not meet every listed criterion. A strong research background and leadership potential are essential.