PhD Position (military officer) in Leadership and Command & Control

The Swedish Defence University is currently announcing one position as PhD candidate in Leadership and Command & Control, with placement at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control.

The Swedish total defence is being built up and the need for military officers with postgraduate training is great. The position is therefore particularly aimed at applicants who are active officers and who, after receiving a PhD, have the ambition to continue working in academia.

The subject: Leadership and Command & Control

Leadership and Command & Control is an interdisciplinary subject that draws on and develops knowledge from behavioral science, social sciences and design science. Within the subject, research and knowledge traditions from scientific disciplines such as psychology, sociology, political science and pedagogy are merged. The focus of our research includes individuals and groups, functions and technical support as well as how they interact in systems for defence, crisis management and security. We also study organizations and organizing, for a better understanding of how these conditions influence individuals’ behaviors. This subject includes several possible levels of analysis, including individual, group, organization and societal. 

Area of research 

Leadership and Command & Control includes research focusing on a number of aspects of leadership and command & control in defence, crisis management and security sectors. The research focus of the position is rather open and the applicant has the opportunity to independently come up with a research plan that fits within the subject.  

For this position 9 research themes has also been specified that represent current research at the department. Applicants are invited to write their research plan so that it falls within one of the 9 themes. A description of the research themes, as well as a contact person for each theme is attached to the application. The 9 specified themes are:

1. Staffing
2. Situational/operational picture and situational awareness
3. Systems for leading
4. Governance and Leadership Challenges in Times of Climate Change and Disasters
5. Leadership, identity and power in crisis management organizations
6. Collaboration in defence, crisis management and security
7. Leadership during demanding conditions
8. Leadership and context: the impact of the environment
9. The officer of tomorrow 

Read more about the research themes on our webpage.

Degree: Doctoral degree

Basis for assessment

During the hiring process, a special emphasis will be placed on the overall assessment of the applicant’s ability to complete the doctoral program, which is based on the scientific quality of the individual’s previous work. Of equal importance is the quality of the research proposal and the overall fit, relevance and feasibility of the proposal in relation to the current areas of research at the department.

For this position, it is a requirement that the applicant is active as an officer (minimum OF 2) within the Swedish Armed Forces.

We are looking for an officer who, after completing postgraduate training, has an ambition to continue working within the academy and the Armed Forces.

The employment requires that you can express yourself fluently in English, including both verbal and written communication skills.

The employment

The total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time postgraduate education of four years. An employed doctoral student can to a limited extent (maximum 20%) perform certain tasks within the department, e.g. teaching and administration. A new employment as a doctoral student applies for a maximum of one year, afterwards the employment may then be renewed for a maximum of 2 years at a time.

As an officer and doctoral student, you will be employed, if you are granted a leave of absence, by the Defence University with a retained salary.

Since the Swedish Defence University does not have the mandate to issue a degree at the doctoral level in the subject of leadership and command & control, the employment is based on the presumption that the doctoral student is admitted to doctoral studies at another higher education institution. The Swedish Defence University will support this process, but the employment is based on the assumption that the applicant fulfills basic and special qualifications at a higher education institution that is approved by both FHS and the applicant. The Swedish Defence University has entered into agreements with Stockholm University and the University College in Skövde for the admission of doctoral students, but also other universities are possible. This means that doctoral students conduct their doctoral education at, and have their daily activities located at, the Swedish Defence University, but the student will undergo their doctoral education within the framework of the admission at the higher education institution that has the examination rights. The doctoral student has the opportunity for supervision, as well as attending courses and research seminars, at both higher education institutions.

The person who has the basic qualifications for postgraduate education has:

• a completed degree at advanced level,
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at advanced level, or,
• in any other way within or outside the country acquired substantially equivalent knowledge.

Special eligibility requirements sometimes vary between universities.

The employment can in some cases require the employee to be security classified, which requires approved security clearance and an approved background check. Swedish and international applicants are welcome.

The application

Applicants may apply via FHS’s recruitment system Varbi. The application may be written in Swedish or in English. As an applicant, you have the main responsibility for ensuring that your application is complete when it is submitted. Only complete applications will be processed.

The application must contain:

• Resume (CV) with two references
• Letter of motivation for the applied position.
• Brief draft of a research plan (max. 6 pages, including references, 12 pt, Times New Roman, single line spacing) with intended focus on dissertation projects
• Diplomas and register extracts from previous studies at undergraduate and advanced level at university or college. These must demonstrate eligibility to apply for the doctoral student position. If a degree has been taken at a foreign university, the content and scope of the attained degree must be clearly stated.
• Copy of awarded degree(s)
• Publications (including popular science) and other work the applicant wishes to refer to
• Certificates or other documents the applicant considers to be a merit for the applied position

Indicate which publication/written work is the main cited work. Label the file with the cited work "Cited work".

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

The application is submitted in Varbi

Information about the position

Further information about the employment is provided by:

Head of the department of Leadership and Command & Control: par.daleus@fhs.se

The subject council’s chairman of Leadership and Command & Control: erik.berntson@fhs.se

Contact can be reached by phone through the Swedish Defence University’s main contact number, 08-553 425 00.

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.