Po­st­doc in the Hi­sto­ri­cal So­cio­lo­gy of Moral Eli­tes

Postdoc Position in the Historical Sociology of Moral Elites

The Department of Business Humanities and Law (BHL) at Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a vacant Postdoc position in the historical sociology of moral elites. The starting date is expected to be September 15, 2026, or as agreed upon consultation.

The postdoc position is a non-tenured full-time position of 2 years. The position may be combined with an additional 1 year of teaching obligations, given that the candidate’s profile matches available teaching opportunities at the business school. The research will be conducted as part of the European Research Council Starting Grant project ‘Moral Elites: The Historical Positioning of Civil Society Leaders in National Moral Economies’ (MORALITES). The project team will consist of one PhD, three postdocs, and the PI. 

The central objectives of the overall project are 1) to theorize the concepts of moral elites and moral economies to capture the role of civil society elites in influencing the ideational basis of society, 2) to explain how the positions and position-takings of civil society elites have shaped the historical trajectory of moral economies, and 3) to compare the influence of civil society elites in different national moral economies.

The project will analyse the historical positioning of civil society elites as part of a moral elite by applying methods such as 1) Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Social Network Analysis on biographical and career data, and 2) Discourse Network Analysis to analyse position-taking data.

The project is divided into five work packages focusing on four country cases: 1) Italy, 2) Denmark, 3) Poland, 4) the UK, and 5) a methods and analysis work package. The post doc position is attached to work package 5 and will primarily be concerned with collecting and analyzing data across work packages.

The research conducted will be team based and oriented towards delivering on the project objectives. Taking the project framework into consideration, applicants are required to outline their reflections on how to study the historical positions and position-takings of moral elites.

Knowledge of one or more of the methods described above, or similar methods, is a requirement. Knowledge of historical social science is an advantage but not a requirement.

The position is mainly in-place. The candidate should be able to physically attend meetings in Copenhagen at a regular basis.

For more information about the position, please contact PI of the project Associate Professor Anders Sevelsted (ase.bhl@cbs.dk). 

Research environment
The Department of Business Humanities and Law is dedicated to an integrated approach to the contemporary challenges facing business and society drawing on the humanities, interdisciplinary social sciences, and law. The core research areas of the Department of Business Humanities and Law are organized into different research Units: Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership; Governance, Culture and Learning; and CBS Law. Faculty within these groups have research backgrounds in all areas of political science, sociology, philosophy, history, anthropology, law, theology, aesthetics, design and innovation, tourism and leisure management, cultural economics, leadership and strategy, pedagogic study, and other areas. What unites faculty in our department is an overriding concern for the organization of the human within its multiple environments: work, nature, economy, civil association, the state, and corporation. 

Teaching responsibilities of the Department comprise undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as teaching in post-experience and doctoral education. Some programs are taught in Danish, some in English.

Within the Department of Business Humanities and Law, the position will be located in the Governance, Culture and Learning Unit, an interdisciplinary research environment connecting governance studies at all levels of global society.  

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have completed a PhD in sociology or political science. The candidate will be committed to an academic career, have the capabilities to conduct internationally recognized research and be able to communicate findings clearly. 

The assessment of the candidate will be based primarily on the following qualifications:

• Excellent academic track record
• Research within elite studies
• Enthusiasm for empirical research
• The ability and desire to work autonomously and as part of a team
• Excellent organizational and communication skills (both oral and written); proficiency in English is required
• Ability to engage with others in a way that reflects our collective commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion. 

Application procedure
All applications must be sent via the electronic recruitment system, using the link below. The application must include:

A complete, numbered list of publications and work in progress (indicating titles, co-authors, page numbers and year) with an * marking of the academic productions to be considered during the review.

Application must include:

1. Cover letter outlining motivation, fit, and qualifications
2. Transcripts (Master's and PhD) and a full CV
3. A complete, numbered list of publications (indicating titles, co-authors, page numbers and year) with an * marking of the academic productions to be considered during the review. A maximum of 5 publications for review are allowed. Applicants are requested to prioritise their publications in relation to the field of this job advertisement.
4. Copies of the publications marked with an *. Only publications written in English (or another specified principal language, according to research tradition) or one of the Scandinavian languages will be taken into consideration)
5. Information indicating experience in research management, industry co-operation and international co-operation.
6. Documentation of relevant, significant, original research at an international level.
7. Documentation of pedagogical qualifications or related material.

Recruitment procedure
The Recruitment Committee will shortlist a minimum of two applicants. If possible, five or more applicants will be shortlisted. The shortlisted applicants will be assessed by the Assessment Committee. All applicants will be notified of their status in the recruitment process shortly after the application deadline. The applicants selected for assessment will be notified about the composition of the Assessment Committee and later in the process about the result of the assessment.  An appointment committee will invite a selection of qualified candidates to an interview. Once the recruitment process is completed each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application.

Appointment
Appointment and salary will be in accordance with the Ministry of Finance’s agreement with the Central Academic Organization. Information about CBS as a workplace is available at www.cbs.dk/en/about-cbs/jobs-cbs. 

For further information, please contact: PI of the project Associate Professor Anders Sevelsted, email: ase.bhl@cbs.dk, or Head of Department Pia Bramming, e-mail pib.bhl@cbs.dk. Information about the department may be found at www.cbs.dk/bhl.  Information about Copenhagen Business School is available at https://www.cbs.dk/en.

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

Copenhagen Business School invites all qualified candidates to apply for the position. An appointment committee will review the applications and invite a selection of qualified candidates to an interview.

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.