Postdoc focusing on cyber defence and deterrence

Published: 4 February 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.

The Swedish Defence University hereby announces a postdoc position focusing on cyber defence and deterrence at the Department of Systems Science for Defence and Security in Stockholm. 

Research area

As cyber defence matures, there is an increasing need to better understand the capabilities and limitations of different types of cyber operations. An interesting question at the strategic and operational levels concerns the relationship between cyber operations and deterrence, i.e., the ability to induce an adversary to refrain from or discontinue a certain action. 

There are at least three interesting high-level questions to ask: Can one’s own cyber operations make an adversary refrain from or discontinue cyber operations? Can one’s own cyber operations make an adversary refrain from or discontinue operations in other domains? Can one’s own operations in other domains make an adversary refrain from or discontinue cyber operations? 

Duties

You will, individually and in collaboration with other researchers at the Swedish National Defence University, conduct research focused on cyber defence and deterrence. The area can be productively studied from many perspectives and with different methods, such as literature reviews, mathematical game theory, case studies, close reading of doctrine documents, experiments in connection with exercises, systematic comparisons with other areas such as nuclear deterrence, etc. Your own academic background and your own ideas about how the area should be studied will influence the design of the work. 

You will disseminate results in scientific journals with peer review, at (international) conferences, and at internal seminars. Administrative tasks and tasks related to teaching may be part of your work, up to 20 %. 

Qualifications

We are looking for you who has obtained a PhD degree (or equivalent) at the start of the employment, in a relevant area of expertise (e.g. computer science, mathematics, economics, political science, international relations). You work independent and with precision. You have good communication skills and are fluent in English in both reading and writing. 

Merits:

• Scientific or scholarly publications about cyber defence
• Scientific or scholarly publications using game theory as a method
• Military experience
• Experience of working with cybersecurity at the policy level, e.g., at a regulator, a government inquiry, or an insurer
• Practical experience of international relations, e.g., at an embassy or inter-governmental organization
• Experience of and law and policymaking, e.g., in parliament or the government offices
• Swedish language skills 

You enjoy being part of the university's working community. You are present and active so that you can perform your tasks in the best way. You share knowledge and contribute to the Swedish Defence University's professional development, collegial working methods and social community. 

Employment

Temporary, full-time (100%) employment for two years. Starting date as soon as possible or per agreement. 

The position is placed in a security class, which requires an approved security clearance with a register check. Swedish citizens and citizens of other EU or NATO countries are welcome to apply. 

Applicants who have completed their doctorate no more than three years before the application deadline will be given priority. If there are special reasons, such a degree may have been completed earlier. Special reasons mean leave due to illness, parental leave, and positions of trust within trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area. 

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

Your application should include:

• a cover letter including your motivation to apply for this position
• your CV including list of publications and (planned) date of doctorate
• a research plan of max. 2 pages in which you describe your research interest and approach to this specific project
• a description of your participation in specific previous projects relevant to this position
• your previous publications of relevance to this position (max. 10) 

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 with your application at the latest March 4, 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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