Postdoctoral Researcher - Finance Communities at University of Copenhagen

The Department of Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for a postdoctoral position in empirical studies of finance communities beginning 1 February 2026,or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position is a fixed-term position for two years.

Introduction
The successful applicant will be employed in the project FINFLUENCE, funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark (Sapere Aude Research Leader program). The project examines how young adults navigate the range of new actors in the financial space – from influencers and digital platforms to online communities – that has emerged over the past few years.

In just a few years, trading with financial assets – such as stocks, cryptocurrencies and derivatives – has become much more available to ordinary people through the spread of digital trading apps. Especially young adults have taken these opportunities to heart and have started investing money on their own on an unprecedented scale. Building on this trend, popular influencers and online communities sell investing as a way to achieve the dream of economic independence or a shortcut to riches. FINFLUENCE seeks to understand in which ways these new financial actors appeal to the young investors compared to more traditional opinion leaders such as family, friends, celebrities and experts.

Duties and Responsibilities
The applicant will undertake empirical research of communities organized around everyday finance and household economy. Communities can be predominantly online (such as on social media) or traverse contexts (such as investment groups that meet in person as well as through digital media). Likewise, the empirical material collected can be in Danish, English or other languages. The research can be carried out, for instance, as fieldwork, digital ethnography, computational analyses or a mixture of methods. The candidate will carry out the research individually and in collaboration with members of the FINFLUENCE project.

The letter of motivation should outline how the applicant envisions the empirical research including reflections on scope, sample, method(s) of data collection and method(s) of analysis.

Qualification requirements and assessment criteria
Employment as a postdoc requires academic qualifications at PhD level.

Applicants must have previous academic experience conducting empirical research on communities and/or individuals. Experience with and competencies in mixing qualitative and quantitative methods is preferred.

Applicants must be fluent in speaking and writing in English at an academic level. Proficiency in Danish is an advantage, but not a necessity.

More information on careers at UCPH and the requirement for the different academic positions is available on:
Career at The University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

For more about postdoc positions and qualification requirements, see the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities: Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish only).

Applicants will primarily be assessed in relation to their research qualifications, including their publications, ability to conduct independent research and participate in research collaborations, and their experience of research management. In addition, the applicant’s letter of motivation, research plan and research potential will be assessed in relation to the FINFLUENCE project described above.

Application
Applications must be submitted online in PDF or Word format. Click on the “Apply now” button at the bottom of this advertisement to apply.

Applications may be written in English and must include the following attachments:

1. Letter of motivation (max 3 pages)
2. CV (max 2 pages)
3. Documentation of qualifications (exam certificates and PhD diploma)
4. Complete publication list (attached publications must be marked with an asterisk). The list must be structured systematically and divided into the following categories:
   • Peer-reviewed publications:
     • Monographs and anthologies
     • Articles in journals
     • Book chapters/anthology contributions, etc.
   • Non-peer-reviewed publications:
     • Publications disseminating research findings, etc.​​​​​​​
   • Applicants can attach a maximum of 3 publications. The publication dates must be clearly marked on the list. The selected publications must be uploaded as attachments and numbered 1-3.
5. Research plan (max 1 page).
6. Documentation of teaching competencies/teaching portfolio (see the UCPH guidelines for teaching portfolios here) and other work on the dissemination of research.

Only documentation in Danish or English will be assessed.

Applicants are invited to familiarize themselves with the faculty’s strategic landmarks here: Strategic landmarks – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

Salary and terms of employment
Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at approximately DKK 38,700 (EUR 5,190) + an 18.07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Once the deadline for applications has expired, the Head of Department will consider advice from the appointment committee and select applicants for assessment. All applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted. The Head of Department will then set up an expert assessment committee to consider the applications. The selected applicants will be informed who is serving on the committee. They will be offered the opportunity to comment on the committee’s assessment of their application before the appointment is announced.

Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: Recruitment process – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

As an applicant to the University of Copenhagen, you should be prepared to undergo a security screening related to international research collaboration as part of the recruitment process. The security screening will be conducted in cases where the University deems it appropriate based on an overall assessment.

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see HR Excellence in Research – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR South, email: HR-soendretiffany26iklinekellyblake@howard.dktran.dkmyers-allen.dkadm.ku.dk - please refer to ID number: 211-2309/25-2I #2.

Additional information about the position, including an outline of the FINFLUENCE project, can be obtained from the PI of the project, Associate Professor Jacob Ørmen, e-mail: jacob.oermenmichelle16charles74melissa24@hubbard.dkhum.ku.dkmcintyre.dk.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on 19 October 2025 (CEST).

Any applications or additional material submitted after the deadline will not be considered.