The position

The position is a fixed-term position for four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD program is a prerequisite for employment, and the program period starts on the commencement of the position. The workplace is at UiT Campus Tromsø (Northern Norway). These will be your primary tasks:

• Review of the literature
• Practical preparation and conduction of three empirical studies
• Data analysis
• Research dissemination at scientific conferences
• Publication of manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals
• Teaching and other duties

The position's affiliation and field of research

The position is affiliated with the social psychology research group at the Department of Psychology at UiT The Arctic University of Norway (UiT). The group consists of social and work and organizational psychologists. The field of research for this PhD position will be work and organizational psychology, more specifically in precarious careers and/or the work-nonwork interface. That is, we have a special interest in economic stressors (e.g., job insecurity and unemployment) and their relevance for health and careers, as well as the partners and children of affected individuals. 

More generally, we are interested in how work affects one’s private life and vice versa, and our research is informed by a contextualized perspective. We study the phenomena mentioned above also in the context of the employee’s immediate social environment (e.g., in couples) and over the lifespan. While the outcomes of our research are located at the micro-level, we are striving to be considerate of the higher-level context. Our research is sensitive to the ecological challenges of our era as well as prevailing social inequalities at the workplace and beyond, particularly in terms of sexism, heteronormativity, racism, and classism.

Contact

Please contact Associate Professor Dr. Dana Unger for further information about the position
Email: dana.unger@uit.no

For administrative questions, please contact Head of Department Per-Håkan Brøndbo
Email: per.h.brondbo@uit.no

Qualifications

This position requires:

• Interest in work and organizational psychology
• Interest in research methods and statistics
• A master's or cand. Psy. degree in psychology (you can still apply if you are near completion and will have graduated by August 2025)
• Highly motivated, reliable, and proactive working style
• Fluency in English (Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma)
• Documented level A2 in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish or the willingness to acquire Norwegian (i.e., you will have to earn 15 credits in Norwegian classes during your employment. UiT will facilitate this) 
• Willingness to reside within a commutable distance to our campus in Tromsø (without the necessity of air travel)

It is considered an advantage if you have:

• Experience in the field of work and organizational psychology or social psychology
• Prior knowledge of research methods and statistics
• Team-work experience
• Shown mobility

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme may be given consideration.

We will also emphasize motivation 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
• Want to contribute to a good working environment

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme 

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

Applicants must have a grade of C or better on the master's thesis and have a grade point average of C or better for the master's degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.  

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway 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 are strengths, 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 at 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 and international academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Good career opportunities, and high employability after successful graduation
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 536 200 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase

People living in Tromsø have access to good and affordable child care and education (provided by university kindergartens, local schools, after-school clubs, and an on-campus international school).

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.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application 

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's or cand. Psyk. degree
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency (Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma)
• Contact information of three references
• (Draft of) master’s thesis or main assignment (hovedoppgave)
• If available: Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at a minimum of level A2

Qualification with a master’s degree or cand. Psy. degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s or cand. Psy. degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline. 

Assessment 

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. The interview is planned for June 2025.

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. 

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.