Competition for the position of Adjunct in the Humanities, Department for the study of Nazism and German occupation during the Second World War - Instytut Pileckiego

We invite you to participate in the competition for the position of Adjunct in the Humanities, Department for the study of Nazism and German occupation during the Second World War.

Competition for the position of Adjunct in the Humanities, Department for the study of Nazism and German occupation during the Second World War at the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor

Offer ref. no. DPB.003.2.2026

INSTITUTION: Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor

CITY: Warsaw

POSITION: Adjunct in the Humanities, department for the study of Nazism and German occupation during the Second World War

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE: History

DATE OF OFFER ANNOUNCEMENT: 13 February 2026

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS: 8 March 2026

WEBSITE LINK: www.instytutpileckiego.pl

KEYWORDS: history of the 20th century; Second World War; German occupation of Poland; Third Reich’s occupation policies; Third Reich’s security and terror apparatus; German crimes in Polish territories; German administrative and police structures in the territories annexed into the Third Reich and in the General Government; Polish citizens of German nationality in the years 1939–1945; social behaviors and attitudes under the occupation; relations between the occupiers and the local populace; mechanisms of violence within the occupation system; German archival sources for the study of the occupation.

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Employment contract

WORKING HOURS: Full-time

Core requirements:

1. Academic degree of Doctor of the Humanities in the field of History.
2. Achievements in academic activities related to the history of the 20th century, in particular the history of the German occupation of Polish territories during the Second World War, including research on the Third Reich’s occupation policies, the functioning of the German security apparatus and administration (including the Gestapo, the Security Police and auxiliary organizations), German crimes and the mechanisms of the occupation system in the territories annexed into the Third Reich and in the General Government. Research experience concerning the relations between the occupiers and the local populace – including issues connected with social relations under the occupation, the attitudes of various groups towards the occupation policies, the functioning of auxiliary structures and the social and institutional determinants of occupation violence – is desirable. A publication record comprising national and/or international scholarly publications based on archival research, in particular in Polish and German archives, is required.
3. Managing research projects financed by grant agencies and ministries (such as NCN, NAWA, MNiSW, MKiDN) or participating in the implementation of research projects financed by grant agencies.
4. Knowledge of two modern foreign languages, including active knowledge of both spoken and written German that enables the candidate to deliver academic presentations and prepare academic texts in that language.
5. Experience of work in archives both in Poland and other countries.
6. Experience of speaking and appearing in public.
7. An expression of willingness in the form of a statement to be employed at the Pilecki Institute as the primary place of employment on a full-time basis; readiness to submit declarations in accordance with the Law on Higher Education and Science, authorizing the Institute to count the candidate among employees conducting academic activities (number N) and to demonstrate the academic achievements of the candidate for the purpose of the evaluation of academic activities.

Additional criteria:

1. Experience of international academic co-operation.
2. Completed internships, fellowships or other forms of academic activity in academic units in Poland and abroad.
3. Education obtained outside Poland, higher education in disciplines other than history or completed specialized professional courses.
4. Experience in the field of popularizing history.

Documents required from candidates:

1. Cover letter of no more than 3,500 characters with spaces, including the reference number of the relevant offer, as well as information about research interests and research plans for the next 4 years in the context of the Institute’s mission, a description of the 5 most important academic achievements to date, and information about any participation in research projects.
2. Curriculum vitae including breaks in work and academic work.
3. Copies of documents confirming education and academic titles or degrees held; or, in the case of graduating from a foreign university and obtaining an academic title or degree from a foreign university, copies of diplomas equivalent to Polish diplomas.
4. List of the 5 most important academic achievements in the last 6 years (for women, each birth of a child extends this period by one year).
5. List of all academic publications including the candidate’s most important works in their own estimation.
6. List of all research projects in which the candidate has participated, with a detailed description of the role.
7. Declaration as to fluency in foreign languages, optionally with relevant certificates attached.
8. Declaration on familiarization with the Regulations governing the organization of competitions for academic positions at the Pilecki Institute.
9. Declaration as to provision of consent to the processing of personal data by the Pilecki Institute, in the following wording as appears in the annex to this offer.
10. Declaration to the effect that, in the event of being selected in the competition, the candidate shall recognize the Pilecki Institute as their essential (primary) place of employment, as well as a statement of readiness to make the declarations referred to in point 7 of the core requirements of the competition.
11. Application for employment at the Institute, including mailing address and contact information (e-mail address and telephone number) (for new employees).
12. Application for employment in an academic position (in the case of a research staff member or a person employed in a non-academic position at the Institute).

It is permitted to submit scans of documentation, however with the reservation of declarations, which must be submitted in writing (handwritten signature or qualified signature).

Candidates may submit additional documents and declarations:

1. Copies of diplomas confirming graduation from foreign universities, certifying the completion of higher education in disciplines other than history, or certifying the completion of specialized professional courses.

2. Declaration as to completion of research fellowships/scholarships or copies of relevant documents.

3. Declaration as to other forms of academic activities in academic units in Poland and abroad (such as participation in conferences and symposia, implementation of or participation in research projects) or copies of relevant documents.

Applications:

Candidate applications containing the documents and declarations enumerated above are to be submitted by the non-extendible deadline of 8 March 2026 in one of the following ways:

• delivered in a sealed envelope marked “Competition for the position of Adjunct in the Humanities, Department for the study of Nazism and German occupation during the Second World War at the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor” to the seat of the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw, 82 Sienna Street, ground floor (the reception area of the Pilecki Institute is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.), the date and time of delivery will be marked on the envelope by the person receiving the envelope on behalf of the Institute;
• sent by regular mail to the address: Instytut Pileckiego, ul. Sienna 82, 00-815 Warszawa (the date of receipt of an application by the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw shall be decisive);
• sent by electronic mail to the following e-mail address: rekrutacja.obnt@instytutpileckiego.pl, including the offer reference number, position and department name in the subject field (competition applications may be sent in by 11.59 p.m.).

The Competition shall comprise the following stages:

1. Analysis of applications received in terms of completeness of the documentation submitted.

2. Evaluation of applications received in terms of fulfillment of the core requirements set forward in the announcement, and also of any desired requirements.

3. Evaluation of interviews with candidates.

4. The Academic Council of the Institute shall give its opinion on the qualifications of the successful candidate for an academic position.

5. The Director of the Institute shall make the decision concerning employment of the candidate. Employment of the candidate selected in the competition shall be by order of the Director of the Institute.

If the Competition Committee finds that none of the candidates meets the requirements, the competition shall remain unresolved.

Additional information:

1. The Competition Committee reserves itself the right to conduct individual interviews or the entirety of interviews with candidates using means of direct remote communication.
2. Applications submitted following expiry of the deadline will not be considered by the Competition Committee, and will be returned to their senders.
3. Candidates will be notified of their admission to the competition procedure and of the place and date of any job interview via e-mail or telephone.
4. The Competition Committee reserves itself the right to conduct job interviews with candidates selected in the course of the competition.
5. A candidate’s failure to turn up at a designated job interview will be considered tantamount to resignation from the application procedure, regardless of the reason therefor.
6. Documents and declarations shall be submitted in Polish, while foreign language documents shall be translated into Polish by a sworn translator. Documents submitted in a foreign language and not translated by a sworn translator will not be considered by the Competition Committee.
7. If the candidate provides data other than the essential items for participation in the recruitment process, the following consent to its processing is required:

– for ordinary data: “I consent to the processing of my personal data contained in my (e.g., CV, cover letter, or other attached documents) by the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor in the recruitment process for the position of …”

– in the case of special categories of data: “I consent to the processing of special categories of my personal data referred to in Article 9(1) of the GDPR, contained in my (e.g. CV, cover letter or other attached documents) by the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor in the recruitment process for the position of …”.

8. Information on the legal, organizational and economic factors governing the functioning of the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor is available at: https://instytutpileckiego.pl/pl/bip.
9. Information about the competition may be obtained from the Secretary of the Competition Committee, Ms. Ewa Serafin-Prusator, e-mail: e.serafin@instytutpileckiego.pl.
10. We would like to inform that the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor supports reporting breaches of the law “Procedure for reporting breaches of the law and taking follow-up”, in accordance with the Act of 14 June 2024 on the Protection of Whistle-blowers. The full procedure is available on the BIP (Bulletin of Public Information) website of the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor: https://instytutpileckiego.pl/pl/procedura-dokonywania-zgloszen.

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