Senior Lecturer in System Science for defence and Security with a specialization in capability development and defence innovation

Published: 30 January 2026

The Swedish Defence University is an internationally renowned university in the area of defence, crisis management and security. We offer a unique academic environment where military and civilian researchers, teachers and students interact. We educate and train top-level executives, experts, and researchers for the task of analyzing and managing current and future crises, security issues and conflicts. The university educates all military officers in the Swedish armed forces and leads the academic progression of the military profession. We conduct research in the areas of Law with a focus on International and Operational Law, Leadership and Command & Control, Military History, Political Science, Systems Science for Defence and Security and War Studies. The Department of Systems Science for Defence and Security conducts research and education at the intersection of social sciences and engineering. The subject is interdisciplinary and studies how a combination of social and technical components affect the systems used for the defence and security of society. The subject's employees primarily teach within the Officer Programme, the Master's Programme in Defence and Security Systems Development, and the Higher Officer Programme. They also contribute by provided teaching and expertise in other civilian and military education programmes, including contract education commissioned by both governmental and private parties. Research is either financed by grants or commissioned by contract.

Do you want to conduct research and teach at the intersection of defense, society, and technology? We offer an attractive position in a unique environment, where you will have the opportunity to delve deeply into areas with a major impact on societal development.

The employment is placed at the Department of Systems Science for Defence and Security in Stockholm.

Duties

The duties include research as well as teaching and administrative work within the subject of System Science for defence and Security, with a focus on capability development and defense innovation.

Capability development here refers to systematically building, strengthening, and improving the ability of a country, an authority, or an organization to meet future challenges through analysis, planning, investments in personnel, organization, and technology, as well as through cooperation with allies. 

Defense innovation here refers to, within the defense domain (civil or military), putting new or significantly improved ideas into practice to create value, through new products, services, processes, or organizational approaches. This may involve incremental improvements or breakthrough changes.

In addition, the position also includes course responsibility, work with examinations and administrative tasks. Research, teaching and supervision take place within both civilian and military education programs.

Within this specialization, the department conducts degree programs, courses, and research. Demand for this expertise is high. In addition to conducting and planning one’s own research, the position includes course responsibility and supervision, pedagogical development work, educational planning and administration, examination, follow-up and evaluation of education, as well as academic positions of trust.

Research, teaching, and supervision take place within both civilian and military education programs.

General requirements

A teacher at the Swedish Defence University, civilian or military, must have completed higher education pedagogy training (in accordance with the Swedish Association of Universities and Higher Education (SUHF) recommendations on learning outcomes for qualifying higher education pedagogy training and mutual recognition (REK 2016:1)), or other pedagogical training leading to equivalent competence, with a passing result, either prior to employment or no later than two years after the start of employment.

Teaching is conducted in both Swedish and English. The applicant must be able to teach in Swedish and have the ability to understand, write, and speak Swedish at B1 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), which entails sufficient listening and reading comprehension to participate in and contribute to meetings and other activities. If the applicant does not have this ability at the time of application, the applicant must demonstrate that it is reasonable to expect that they will have attained this ability no later than two years after appointment.

The applicant must be able to teach in English.

For all positions at the university, the applicant must demonstrate personal qualities, such as the ability to cooperate, that are required to perform the duties of the position well.

Qualifications Required

To be eligible for appointments as a senior lecturer, the applicant must have demonstrated pedagogical competence and must hold a doctoral degree or possess equivalent scholarly competence. For a more detailed description of the eligibility requirements, see the Swedish Defence University’s appointment regulations for teaching staff.

It may be assessed in the individual case whether a foreign degree can be considered equivalent to a Swedish degree.

Assessment Criteria

When assessing candidates for appointment as a senior lecturer, the degree of proficiency required for eligibility for the position shall apply. The assessment of pedagogical competence shall be given the same level of consideration as the assessment of other eligibility-related qualifications.

The assessment criteria for this position are:

• Scholarly competence: A strong ability to independently conduct high-quality research relevant to the position, demonstrated through publications in relevant, well-regarded journals and publishers, or through equivalent activities.
• Pedagogical competence: Demonstrated through teaching, planning, and delivery of education within subject-relevant areas at a university or equivalent institution.

Additional assessment criteria:

• Experience in applied research and development within defense or societal security.
• Experience of national and international collaboration in capability development and defense innovation.
• Experience in applying for external research funding.

About the position

This employment is regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance and the Swedish Defence University's Appointments Procedure for Teaching Staff. To access information about eligibility, assessment criteria, application procedures, and other important information regarding faculty positions at the Swedish Defence University, please visit the following link.

In case of a lacking gender balance, the Swedish Defence University may, in the event of equal or largely equal qualifications among the applicants, prioritize the person of the underrepresented sex.

Employment at the Swedish Defence University may involve a security clearance according to the Security Protection Act (2018:585).

The employment may also involve wartime placement. If you are already placed in a wartime position in your current employment at an authority and your expertise is needed in the Swedish Defence University's wartime organization, negotiations will take place between the relevant authority and the school regarding your placement.

We welcome both Swedish and international applicants.

Starting date

According to agreement.

Salary and benefits

Salaries are set individually at the University.

Information about benefits for employees at the Swedish Defence University can be found here. 

Application

The application is preferably written in English, as it may be reviewed by international experts whose working language is English. Structure the application in accordance with the University’s template application for academic position.

Attach a list of publications as well as a selection of no more than ten publications cited in support of the application.

Cited monographs/books (not digital) must be clearly stated in the attached list of publications.

Cited monographs/books (which are not digital) must be clearly stated in the attached list of publications. Send them by post in two copies to the below address and mark with reference number HR 12/2026.

Swedish Defence University

Att: Registrator

Drottning Kristinas väg 37

Box 278 05 | 115 93 Stockholm, Sweden 

Try to upload all your documents digitally for the convenience of the reviewing subject experts.

The application is submitted via the Swedish Defence University's recruitment system.

The complete application must be received by the Swedish Defence University no later than the last day of application at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Welcome to submit your application by no later than February 28, 2026.

To get in contact with union representatives please send an e-mail to saco@fhs.se, OFR/O@fhs.se and OFR/S@fhs.se In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence. Please do not send offers of recruitment or advertising services.

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