The Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), embedded within the Faculty of Health Sciences, invites applications for a vacant fulltime position as Assistant/Associate Professor within the area of Clinical Psychology.  

The assistant professorship is a minimum three-year fixed position, while the associate professorship is a permanent position. The position will have employment at Campus Esbjerg and includes occasional research- and educational tasks at our program in Campus Odense.

As an Assistant/Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology you will be expected to help form and support the strategies at SDU and the Department of Psychology. Depending on the level of seniority, the main tasks will be to apply for and manage innovative research projects, develop research environments around these projects, as well as support early career researchers. You will also be expected to teach and supervise students, to be involved in knowledge transfer to society, and to actively engage in department activities, including taking on administrative responsibilities.

The position is expected to start December 1^st 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

About the workplace

The Department of Psychology (Campus Odense) has been established over the last 15 years and forms the research basis for the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in psychology at the University of Southern Denmark. Both degree programs are fully developed, and the first master's students graduated in August 2015. The psychology program at the Esbjerg Campus is newly established, and the first cohort of about 75 bachelor students started autumn of 2025. A corresponding master’s degree program will start in 2028. 

On the Odense campus, all disciplines of the faculty are placed in the new health sciences building, which opened in 2023. The new university hospital, which is still under construction, is directly connected to the health sciences building, providing an ideal environment for collaborative research. SDU is a campus university with all disciplines situated in close spatial proximity, providing for a wealth of opportunities to establish multidisciplinary collaborations.

The Esbjerg branch of our department offers an exceptional opportunity to contribute to defining the foundations of the education and research program. The psychology program in Esbjerg has an independent profile with strengths in community and applied psychology, engaging in co-creation processes with industry, governmental bodies, and civil society.

The Department of Psychology (Campus Odense and Campus Esbjerg) is committed to advancing psychological science and its practical application, and our research goals encompass understanding human emotion, cognition, and behavior, including both functional and dysfunctional processes. We aim to enhance human health through translational research, covering dissemination, prevention, intervention, treatment, and education.

The Department is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences and is organized into three units across our two campuses. This includes 1) health and cognitive psychology, 2) clinical psychology, and 3) community psychology. 

For more information on the department units, research foci and education program, see

https://www.sdu.dk/da/om-sdu/institutter-centre/institut_psykologi

We offer:

• A dynamic and international workplace that values collaboration both among colleagues and with external stakeholders

• Continued education of members of staff

• Flexibility in planning working hours

• An attractive working environment

Qualifications:

• A master's degree and a PhD degree in psychology or a related field

• Pedagogical and didactic qualifications and competences

• Proficiency in spoken and written English

We further expect the successful applicant to (depending on level of seniority):

• have insight into, and preferably experiences with applied clinical psychology, this could include being a certified clinical psychologist or having a comparable certification,

• show an interest in the establishment of a new education program,

• have proven capabilities in research-based teaching of high quality at all university levels including experience with study program management, and course development,

• be open to teach different areas of psychology and collaborate with colleagues in teams on development and teaching activities,

• have skills in communication and building collaborative relationships across academia and key stakeholders. This should be reflected in relevant national and international networks with both scientific and non-academic collaborators,

• present as highly motivated, with strong and documented research skills, including both theoretical as well as applied perspectives relevant to clinical psychology, 

• have a strong research plan with a vision and strategy for the respective field, that includes a focus on the synergy with other disciplines,

• demonstrate the ability to attract competitive funding and show successful project management 

• actively participate in departmental activities and to contribute to a positive work environment. This involvement extends to engaging in both current strategies and the future development initiatives at the Department of Psychology.

• be physically present and participate in the activities at the Department of Psychology

For more information on the department’s recruitment criteria and career advancement, see:

https://www.sdu.dk/en/om-sdu/institutter-centre/institut_psykologi/om_ip/recruitment 

Non-Danish-speaking applicants will be expected to have and show an interest in learning the Danish language at a level which enables them to read Danish mails, administrative documents, oral and written exams as well as to understand spoken everyday Danish. 

Further information and contact

Application deadline August 9th, 2026 23.59 CEST

For further information please contact Rikke Holm Bramsen, Head of Department, e-mail: rholmb@health.sdu.dk, tel. +45 6550 7251 or Mette Elmose Andersen, Head of the Clinical Unit, e mail: melandersen@health.sdu.dk, tel. +45 6550 4625

Shortlisting may be applied