Associate Professor in Single-cell Microbiology and Chemical Imaging, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark

The Department of Biology at Aarhus University, Denmark, invites applications for a position as Associate Professor in Single-cell Microbiology and Chemical Imaging. The position is to be filled by January 1, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter, subject to negotiation.


The Position

We seek an associate professor to complement and expand our strong research profile in microbial ecophysiology, biodiversity, evolution, and biogeochemistry. The appointee is expected to develop single-cell microbiology research at the department with a focus on single-cell chemical and correlative imaging of microorganisms from various environments, including but not limited to freshwater and marine water columns, sediments, soils and technical systems. The appointee is also expected to establish an externally funded research program in this field and engage in developing and maintaining a state-of-the-art chemical imaging infrastructure at the department.

The candidate will become a member of the Section for Microbiology of the Department of Biology, Aarhus University, and should contribute to the section's scientific environment and teaching. The candidate is expected to contribute to the Department’s strategy, administrative tasks, and social environment. While our working language is English, the candidate must be able to communicate and teach in Danish within four years of employment.


The Candidate

We are looking for an internationally competitive researcher with an excellent academic track record in single-cell environmental microbiology and microbial ecophysiology, with a proven ability to address forefront research questions within this area. Specifically, we seek a candidate with expertise in prokaryotic single-cell imaging within mapping of elements and isotopes. The ideal candidate should have an active research focus within aquatic microbiology and microbial ecophysiology, including cell-to-cell microbial interactions, and extensive expertise in state-of-the-art single-cell imaging techniques.
We expect the successful candidate to:

• Conduct research at the highest international level and publish in high-impact scientific journals
• Establish and develop their own research group by raising third-party funding
• Establish and develop a state-of-the-art core imaging facility on single-cell microbiology at the department
• Raise substantial external research funding for infrastructure
• Establish synergies between their own research and ongoing research activities at the section and department levels
• Contribute to relevant teaching and supervision in the biology degree programs, including supervision of BSc, MSc and PhD students
• Interest in contributing to the development of the scientific environment of the Department

Assessment criteria

The qualifications of each candidate will be evaluated according to the Criteria for evaluating candidates for scientific positions at AU Natural Sciences

Assessment of qualifications will be based on:

• Research output, including high-level peer-reviewed publications
• Research leadership experience
• International research collaboration
• Proven ability to attract external funding
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality undergraduate and graduate teaching
• Supervision of students
• Communication skills
• Ability to collaborate and build working relationships

Place of Employment

The place of employment is Aarhus University, Department of Biology, Ny Munkegade 114-116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.


About the Department of Biology

The Department of Biology (www.bio.au.dk) hosts research programs and teaching curricula that cover all major biological sub-disciplines. The Department currently employs approximately 40 tenured academic staff, 60 postdocs, 40 PhD students, and 60 technical staff. The Department hosts BSc and MSc study programs in Biology with about 400 students enrolled, as well as a PhD program. The Department offers a vibrant and informal research environment with a long-standing tradition for collaboration with international university partners in the absolute elite. The working language is English, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.


Further Information

For additional information, please contact Head of Section, Associate Professor Kasper Urup Kjeldsen ([email protected]) or Head of Department, Professor Hans Brix ([email protected]).


Deadline

Applications must be submitted online and received by October 1, 2024.
 


Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee and will receive his/her assessment. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.


Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.


Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.


Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
 


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/