Professor in Intelligence Studies

Published: 6 March 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 position will be placed at one of the Swedish Defence University's departments in Stockholm, depending on the applicant's academic background and planned future research focus.

Description of the subject area

At the Swedish Defence University research and education on intelligence and intelligence analysis is conducted at several of its departments. The research covers a wide range of scientific approaches and perspectives and has grown in scope and impact in recent years. Education is provided within the framework of civilian master's programmes, military training and commissioned education for the intelligence sector. In addition, commissioned studies and reports are produced in specific assignments. The Swedish Defence University has a unique position in the university sector in the field of intelligence due to its close links to practical application.

The Swedish Defence University is now making a comprehensive effort to bring together and develop the study of intelligence and intelligence analysis into a strong multidisciplinary research and education environment. To this end, the university is also receiving substantial research funding from the Ministry of Defence. As a first step, the Swedish Defence University, in collaboration with authorities in the Swedish intelligence community, has therefore established a Platform for Intelligence and Protective Security to facilitate collaboration. At the Swedish Defence University, the platform functions as a centre that brings together researchers from different departments. The goal is to create a nationally and internationally leading environment for research and education that encompasses both basic and applied research based on different scientific perspectives and approaches. The environment shall provide expertise and knowledge to the intelligence system in an increasingly complex environment, as well as create conditions for academic regrowth and development in the academic field.

A professor of intelligence studies is being recruited to the Swedish Defence University to lead the work of establishing and developing this multidisciplinary research environment. We are looking for someone who is not only a skilled researcher and teacher, but who also has proven leadership skills and has demonstrated an ability to build and develop strong research environments.

If there is a need, as well as available funding and interesting applicants, the recruitment may be expanded with an additional position. However, there is only one position available to lead the research environment.

Responsibilities

As a professor of intelligence studies, you will represent the research area within and outside the university and be responsible for its strategic development. Your main task will be to lead the work of developing the Swedish Defence University's research environment in intelligence studies. The goal is to establish the Swedish Defence University as a nationally and internationally leading research environment in the field, and as a node in a larger system that also includes other universities in Sweden and internationally. This includes both internal development work and external collaboration with other universities, authorities, and the business community – not least the intelligence authorities in Sweden.

The responsibilities also include coordinating research on intelligence services with other related research on protective security, cyber and AI capabilities, strategy, leadership, legal perspectives, and national security. In addition, the professor is expected to contribute to the development and evaluation of methods, processes, and working methods in the field of intelligence and security. The broader task of the research environment also includes translating research into, for example, decision-making support, policy-related reports, training modules, methodological support and demonstrators.

A professor position at the Swedish Defence University generally involves leading and conducting research in the subject area and teaching in Swedish and English at undergraduate, advanced and postgraduate levels, as well as supervising doctoral students and undergraduates. The work includes course design and course responsibility. The responsibilities also include applying for and obtaining external research funding. Employees in this more specific environment will also work extensively with commissioned education within the sector.

General duties include monitoring and promoting national and international developments in the subject area and keeping up to date with other relevant societal developments. As a professor, you will share your knowledge and contribute to the Swedish Defence University's (professional) development, collegial working methods and social community. Finally, employment as a professor at the Swedish Defence University involves administrative duties, such as participating in academic committees and the developing of contacts with the surrounding community.

The professorship in intelligence studies is deliberately not assigned to a specific subject/department during the recruitment phase. When an offer of employment is made, the leading candidate will, based on their background and research focus, be employed in the most suitable of the Swedish Defence University's six subjects. This will be done in consultation with the applicant.

General requirements

All positions at the Swedish Defence University require that the applicant has the personal qualities necessary to perform the tasks. All employees are expected to cooperate and treat colleagues and students with respect, take responsibility for the organisation and their own work tasks, and contribute to a good working environment. The specific position of professor of intelligence studies entails particular demands on social skills to bring together and inspire colleagues, as well as to represent the organisation externally.

A teacher at the Swedish Defence University, whether civilian or military, must have completed higher education teaching training (in accordance with guidelines from the Swedish Association of Higher Education, SUHF, or equivalent international guidelines) or other teaching training of equivalent scope and content, with a passing grade before employment or no later than two years after the start of employment.

The applicant must be able to conduct research and teach in English and understand, write and speak Swedish at B1 level (European scale), which means sufficient listening and reading comprehension to be able to participate in and contribute to meetings and other activities. If the person employed does not have a command of Swedish at the time of employment, they are expected to acquire the necessary language skills during the first two years of employment.

Qualifications

To be eligible for employment as a professor at the Swedish Defence University, you must have a doctoral degree or equivalent scientific competence. In addition, a qualification requirement for employment as a professor is that the applicant has demonstrated both scientific and pedagogical skills that significantly exceed what is required for docent (associate professor) competence, both qualitatively and quantitatively. For the position in question, leadership skills are considered as important as teaching and academic skills. The applicant should also have shown kills in external collaboration (third stream activities) and have good administrative skills.

For a more detailed description of eligibility requirements, see Appointment Procedure for Teaching Staff.

Assessment Criteria

The assessment of pedagogical skills is given the same attention as the assessment of scientific skills. For the position in question, documented ability to lead and develop a research environment is given the same weight as pedagogical and scientific skills. Other skills are then assessed in the following order: external collaboration skills and administrative skills.  

 Scientific expertise has been demonstrated through, among other things:

• independent research efforts within the subject area, i.e. research of direct relevance to the study of intelligence, which is of very high quality from a national and international perspective and which significantly exceeds the requirements for docent competence.
• planning, initiating, leading and developing research in a multidisciplinary context.
• ability to obtain external research grants in competition.
• supervision of doctoral students.
• experience of research conducted in collaboration with external partners..

 Pedagogical skills have been demonstrated through, among other things:

• High-quality education and teaching that significantly exceed what is required for employment as a senior lecturer. Both breadth and depth shall be taken into account.
• Experience of supervision at undergraduate, advanced and research levels.
• Ability to plan, initiate, lead and develop education.

Leadership skills have been demonstrated through the ability to lead activities and/or staff, make decisions, take responsibility, and motivate and provide others with the conditions necessary to effectively achieve common goals. Leadership skills may also have been demonstrated through the ability to:

• build and develop new research and education environments.
• lead projects with mixed stakeholders (such as academia, government agencies and companies) managing requirements of delivery, confidentiality and utilisation requirements where relevant.
• provide others with the conditions necessary to effectively develop the subject area and produce high-quality research and education.
• coordinate groups as well as contribute to creating commitment, participation and the ability to manage conflicts.

In this context, external collaboration skills refer to the skills that a person demonstrates in their work at the intersection of research, education and the surrounding community. In the assessment, merits from collaboration with the community of which the university is a part, as well as the utilisation of research and education, shall be evaluated. Of particular importance for this position are:

• The ability to lead and conduct research and education in collaboration with agencies in the field of intelligence through, for example, joint projects, commissioned research and/or educational collaboration. Such ability may also be demonstrated through professional experience from intelligence and security services, their political governance, and/or corporations operating in this sector.
• Documented ability to translate research results into applied forms (e.g. models, methods, frameworks, indicators or decision support).

 Administrative competence has been demonstrated through the ability to:

• following processes and regulations, and managing administrative systems for the implementation of work.
• plan, organise and prioritise work in an efficient and appropriate manner.

About the Position

The position is a permanent full-time position. 

The employment is regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100) and the Swedish Defence University's Appointment Procedure for Teaching Staff. HERE you can find information about qualifications, assessment criteria, the application process and other important information about teaching positions at the Swedish Defence University.

In cases where there is no gender balance, the Swedish Defence University may, in the event of equal or broadly equal qualifications of the applicants, employ the underrepresented applicant.

Employment at the Swedish Defence University may involve a security clearance in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585). In the case of a required security clearance, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved.

The position may also involve wartime placement. If you are already assigned to wartime placement in your current position at a government agency and your skills are needed in the Swedish Defence University's wartime organisation, negotiations will take place between the relevant agency and the Swedish Defence University regarding where you will be placed.

Start date by agreement, but as soon as possible.

The Swedish Defence University implements individual salary setting.

Read more about the benefits for employees by clicking HERE.

Application

It is advisable to submit your application entirely in English, as English-speaking experts may be appointed. Applications should be submitted via the Swedish Defence University's recruitment system by clicking on the ‘Apply’ link on the advertisement page. The recruitment system contains a number of selection questions to answer. Here you fill in your experience and qualifications and upload everything you want to include in support of your application, such as a list of publications and a selection of up to ten publications. You can find support in the Swedish Defence University's TEMPLATE for the employment of teachers.

Attach a list of publications and a selection of no more than ten publications that support your application.

Monographs/books (that are not digital) cited should be clearly indicated in the attached list of publications. Send these to the address below and mark them with reference number HR 13/2026.

Försvarshögskolan

Att: Registrator

Drottning Kristinas väg 37

Box 278 05 | 115 93 Stockholm

If possible, please upload all documents digitally to make it easier for the experts.

Complete applications must be received by the Swedish Defence University no later than midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time) on the last day for applications. #LI-POST

Contact

Further information about the position is provided by:

• Petter Narby, petter.narby@fhs.se, Director for the Platform for Intelligence and Protective Security.

Welcome to submit your application by 3 May 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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