Postdoc in System Dynamics Modelling and Adolescent Health Full-time

Postdoctoral Researcher Position

A three-year position as a postdoctoral researcher is now available at the Copenhagen Health Complexity Center, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen. The postdoc's employment is expected to start on 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About the Center

You will be employed at the Copenhagen Health Complexity Center, which aims to build a strong scientific foundation for understanding and acting on complex public-health challenges. The Center leverages multi-layered nationwide social and health data combined with an interdisciplinary fusion of methods spanning data science, epidemiology, ethnography, econometrics, and systems science. Our research focuses on the complex interplay of health, social, and environmental factors that shape individuals, families, and networks over time. We emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, offering you an opportunity to actively engage as a collaborative partner in different projects depending on your interests and expertise.

About the Department

The Department of Public Health provides the scientific foundation for researchers and educators who aim to improve public health, both nationally and globally, and to create greater insight into the links between health, the individual, and society as well as the ethical, equity, and political implications. This is achieved through research, education, and engagement with stakeholders and the general public along with a broad multidisciplinary research agenda that addresses most aspects of public health at a high international level.

About the Position

The position will be nested within the Child Health group at the Center, where we advance knowledge through a combination of research activities that leverage the Center's data infrastructures and methodological expertise, and engagement with policymakers and practitioners. The Center has developed a strategic partnership with a Danish municipality – the Thriving Communities Lab – which offers a platform for connecting the scientific activities at the Center with real-world health promotion efforts. The focus of this partnership is to enhance the conditions for adolescents to thrive through a dynamic learning process that involves professionals across sectors in the municipality, the local government, and researchers, over a period of several years. One question we will explore is whether computational modelling can usefully bring together local knowledge, scientific evidence, the Center's data resources, and insights emerging from practical interventions, and so strengthen this learning process. Your work as a postdoc will be anchored around this question. Our vision at the Center is to build on this experience to engage with more municipalities over time, addressing a variety of complex health challenges.

As a Postdoc, your responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Spearheading the development of a decision-support/scenario exploration tool that offers policymakers a way to visualize and simulate systemic effects of social investments and programmes, in close collaboration with our partners in the Thriving Communities Lab.
• Engaging with municipal collaborators within the Thriving Communities Lab to ensure a dynamic interplay between research activities and local efforts.
• Exploring multi-layered life-course data from the Danish Life Course Cohort (DANLIFE), augmented with local data from the municipal partner, to map the interrelated landscape of well-being among adolescents.
• Contributing to scientific publications and engage in the dissemination of research results related to these topics.
• Collaborating with researchers in the Center on interdisciplinary projects.
• Participating in research-based teaching at the Department of Public Health.
• Actively contributing to the development of organizational elements within the Center, such as network activities, website, outreach initiatives, social engagements, scientific meetings, and more.

Profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with the following competences and experience:

• You have a PhD degree in social science, economics, epidemiology, data science, complexity science, computational science, or other related sciences.
• You have experience with system dynamics modelling. Experience with agent-based modelling, social return on investment analysis or other analytical frameworks to model social and systemic impacts of social policies and programmes would also be an advantage.
• Experience working with Danish register data is an advantage.
• You are motivated to engage in participatory processes with practitioners and policymakers, and to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to foster change.
• You have an active interest in complex-systems science applied to public health and epidemiology.
• You have proficient communication skills and a proven ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
• You have excellent English skills, both written and spoken.
• Danish language skills are an advantage but not essential.

Place of Employment

The place of employment is the Copenhagen Health Complexity Center, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, next to the Lakes in Central Copenhagen.

Terms of Employment

The average working hours are 37 hours per week. The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is February 1st, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or another relevant organization. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 35,000 DKK/approx. 4,700 EUR (October 2021 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund. Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark for the past 10 years. The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Application Process

Your application should be written in English and must include the following documents – all in PDF format:

• Letter of motivation (max 1 page). Please briefly describe your previous research experience and interests as well as what attracts you to the position.
• Curriculum Vitae, including a list of publications.
• Certified/signed copies of a) PhD certificate (if the PhD has not been completed, a written statement from the applicant's supervisor will suffice) b) Master of Science certificate.
• A research plan (max 2 pages) outlining your ideas for how a decision-support/scenario exploration tool could be developed, drawing on system dynamics modelling or other analytical frameworks suitable for modelling dynamic effects of social policies and programmes.

Please submit your application by clicking on “Apply Now” below. Only online applications will be considered.

After the expiration of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager will select applicants for assessment based on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been advanced for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment has been completed, each applicant is given an opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant themselves.

You can read more about the recruitment process here.

Application Deadline

Deadline for applications: 31/10/2026 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right to reject material received after the deadline, and to reject applications that do not meet the abovementioned requirements.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 47-48.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of their personal background.