Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Scientific and Managerial Lead, European Quantum Skills Academy (2-Year Position)

The Department of Management at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University invites applications for a 2-year postdoctoral position as Scientific and Managerial Lead for the European Quantum Skills Academy (EQA).

This position offers a unique opportunity to take a central role in one of Europe's major initiatives in quantum workforce development, education coordination, and skills ecosystem building. The EQA brings together a large network of European stakeholders across universities, industry, training providers, and policy organisations, with the goal of strengthening Europe's quantum talent pipeline and accelerating the development of high-quality, scalable training across the continent.

The successful candidate will work at the intersection of research, strategy, stakeholder coordination, and EU grant implementation, with responsibility for driving scientific coherence and ensuring robust project execution across the consortium.

The starting date is May 1st 2026.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific Leadership in Quantum Workforce Development

• Contribute to the scientific framing of EQA's work on quantum workforce needs, skills gaps, training provision, and talent pipeline development across Europe
• Support the design and coordination of analyses and mapping activities related to quantum education, training, and workforce demand
• Translate workforce evidence into actionable recommendations, reports, and strategic outputs for European stakeholders
• Contribute to academic publications related to quantum workforce development, skills policy, innovation ecosystems, or education strategy

EU Project Coordination and Grant Management

• Lead day-to-day implementation and coordination of work packages, milestones, deliverables, and reporting across a large multi-partner EU consortium
• Support compliance with EU grant obligations, timelines, and documentation standards
• Oversee internal processes for deliverable drafting, review, quality assurance, and submission

Stakeholder Engagement and Ecosystem Building

• Manage engagement with key European quantum stakeholders including universities, research institutes, industry partners, national initiatives, and EU-level networks
• Coordinate meetings, workshops, and strategic events, including agenda-setting, facilitation, and synthesis of outcomes
• Support the development of structured collaborations between education providers and industry

Communication and Strategic Outputs

• Coordinate the production of high-quality written outputs, including deliverables, strategy briefs, policy-facing materials, and dissemination content
• Contribute to presentations, external communications, and stakeholder-facing messaging
• Act as a bridge between scientific content, project operations, and consortium dynamics

Requirements

Essential Qualifications:

• PhD degree in a relevant field (quantum technology, science/technology policy, innovation studies, management, education research, or closely related discipline)
• Minimum 3 years of documented experience managing EU-funded projects, including hands-on grant management in the Digital Europe Programme (DEP)
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex work across multiple partners and stakeholder groups
• Strong writing skills with experience producing high-quality deliverables, reports, and stakeholder-facing outputs
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to work independently in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment
• Strong communication and collaboration skills in international and multidisciplinary settings
• Professional fluency in English (written and spoken)

About the Department

The Department of Management is part of Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University – a top 100 university. Aarhus BSS has achieved the triple-crown AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations.

The department maintains an international research and teaching environment, employing approximately 160 Danish and international researchers, academic staff, and PhD students. We excel in business management, including strategy, innovation, marketing, organisation, digitalisation, and accounting. Our aim is to deliver high-quality research, with a strong emphasis on publishing in leading academic journals and presenting at recognised conferences.

What We Offer

Aarhus University offers comprehensive services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. The university also provides a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs.

Application Requirements

Applications must include:

• Application letter
• Curriculum Vitae (including declaration of any research leave periods)
• Education documentation (diplomas for master's, PhD and any higher doctoral degrees)
• List of publications (with enclosed publications clearly marked)
• Up to three publications (with co-author statements if applicable)
• Teaching portfolio

Terms of Employment

The appointment follows the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities and the Collective Agreement for Academics