The Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, offers a PhD position. The position is connected to the project ‘Life and Work in Balance: Legal responses to working life in times of change and crisis’ (LaW-BALANCE).

The project concerns labour law, social security law and discrimination law, and the relation between EU/EEA law and Norwegian law. It is not a requirement that the person appointed has experience with research in these legal areas.

The position is a fixed-term contract. The term of employment for the postdoctoral position is 3 years, which can be extended to 4 years if the applicant is qualified to teach in compulsory courses at the Master’s program at the Faculty of Law. Starting date is 15 September 2023 or later upon agreement.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

A Norwegian Master’s degree in Law or an equivalent degree from abroad.
A genuine interest in Norwegian and/or EU/EEA labour, social and discrimination law. Previous knowledge of these areas of law is an asset, but not a requirement.
A high academic level, demonstrated through grades and / or written work.
The ability to work independently and in a structured manner, and to collaborate with others.
Proficiency in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language), both written and oral.

About the PhD position:

Work tasks

The applicant is expected to do the following during the period of employment:

Work on a doctoral thesis (monograph or article-based) to be submitted by the end of the fellowship period.
Take part in the PhD program at the Faculty of Law.
Engage in continuous dissemination and communication of the research project and project results in relevant arenas.
Attend and organize research activities in the project, in close collaboration with the other members of the project.
Be an active member of the Bergen European Law Research Group (BERG) and/or the Research Group in Welfare Law, and contribute to the scientific community at the Faculty.

LaW-BALANCE project

LaW-BALANCE seeks to provide a better understanding of the legal framework of working life in transition and develop knowledge on how law can function as an instrument to achieve an inclusive working life and a well-functioning welfare state. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway.

LaW-BALANCE centers around the concept of ‘work-life balance’, understood as an individual’s evaluation of their satisfaction with the fit of work and private life. The project focuses on two key instruments related to work-life balance: flexible work arrangements and the availability of paid leave. The project will also look at the protection against discrimination when claiming and enforcing these rights, and on the impact of EU and EEA law in the area.

LaW-BALANCE will collaborate with Maastricht University (Netherlands), as well as the new Centre on the Europeanization of Norwegian Law at the University of Bergen. For more information about the project, please visit uib.no/en/jur/law-balance or contact project manager Melanie.Hack@uib.no.

The research training

The PhD position is a fixed-term position with the aim of leading to a doctoral degree. The successful applicant will participate in the Faculty of Law’s PhD program. Read more about the program here.

We can offer:

An excellent opportunity for exciting career development in a professionally challenging working environment at the Faculty.
Opportunity to apply for a mobility grant to institutions abroad as part of the position.
Salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 501 200, – NOK 544 400,- (equivalent to pay grade 54-59) per year. For particularly highly qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered.
Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
Generous welfare benefits.

Read more about what UiB can offer its employees at What can the University of Bergen Offer its Employees? | Division of Human Resources | UiB

Your application must include:

A cover letter with a brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position, and how this agenda fits with the aims of the overall LaW-BALANCE project.
A short project proposal for the planned research (8-10 pages). This proposal shall include a description of the doctoral project’s overall topic, objectives, theory and method, and an implementation plan (see guidelines).
Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts of grades.
CV (using the template in the application portal)
Complete list of scientific work (Publication list)
Master’s thesis and up to three additional academic works in pdf format. The works must be in English or in a Scandinavian language unless otherwise specifically agreed upon. The applicant may include unpublished manuscripts.
The names and contact information of two referees. One of these should preferably be the main supervisor of the Master’s thesis.

Applicants whose education is from another country than Norway, need to attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, if the original is not in any of these languages. They are also advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.

Applicants whose native language is not a Scandinavian language need to include certificates or other relevant documentation showing that they have the language skills required for the position.

The application can be written in English, Norwegian, or another Scandinavian language. The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be sent electronically via the link «Apply for position» on this page.

The application must be completed within the deadline. Applications that do not include all mandatory attachments will not be considered.

General information:

The assessment will emphasize the quality of the project description and its relevance and importance towards the objectives of Law-BALANCE, as well as the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites for carrying out the research training and contributing to the research community at the Faculty. Relevant applicants will be called in for an interview.

Further information about the employment process at the University of Bergen can be found here.

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting project manager Melanie Hack, email: Melanie.Hack@uib.no tel. + 47 55589679.
Detailed information about the recruitment process and employment conditions can be obtained by contacting HR at the faculty, e-mail address hrjur@uib.no.

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

About UiB

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.

Faculty of law – Read more about the faculty.