Professor in Surface Spectroscopy of Biological Systems at the Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University

Applications are invited for a position as full Professor in the field of surface spectroscopy at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences at Aarhus University. The intended start is April 1, 2025 or as soon as possible. The place of work is Department of Chemistry, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 

The Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University is one of the leading chemistry departments in Europe with a broad research program. It has a permanent staff of about 30 full, associate and assistant professors, a support-staff of around 30 technicians and other personnel, ~100 PhD-students, 50 postdocs and 300 students. In addition to excellence in research, teaching and supervision, the Department of Chemistry values equal opportunities, a collegial atmosphere, and a student-friendly mindset.

The Department of Chemistry seeks outstanding applicants who are expected to lead and develop research and teaching activities within the field of spectroscopy at surfaces and interfaces of biological systems. In particular, the applicant must have demonstrated extensive research involving femtosecond time-resolved laser spectroscopy for studying structure and dynamics of molecules at surfaces and interfaces in biological- and other natural systems.

Applicants must have a PhD degree in chemistry or a closely related area. A qualified candidate will have a track record of excellent high-impact research, documented through articles in peer-reviewed international journals. The candidate is expected to build and lead an independent research group in Aarhus and conduct an active internationally recognized research program.

To qualify for the position, it is essential to document experience in managing an active research group.  In particular, the qualified candidate must demonstrate the ability to (a) publish at an internationally high level, (b) attract substantial research funding from a broad pool of sources, and (c) supervise and advise people ranging from bachelor students to postdoctoral associates and faculty colleagues. Collaboration with other groups at the Department of Chemistry is expected. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged, and collaboration with research groups in other Departments at Aarhus University, at other Universities, and with private industry is anticipated. Strategic plans for future research should be outlined in the application.

Interest and competencies in teaching chemistry at all levels of university education are essential. Applicants must document a record of significant teaching and supervision experience at undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. A qualified candidate must be able to teach all introductory chemistry courses as well as undergraduate and graduate level courses in chemistry, including courses in surface chemistry, biophysical chemistry and advanced, laser-based spectroscopic techniques for characterization of materials and biological systems. Teaching can be in Danish and English, depending on the course. For non-Danish speaking employees, we offer Danish courses, expecting non-Danish speaking colleagues to learn Danish in a 3–5-year time span.

We expect our new colleague to value and participate in the general academic work at the Department of Chemistry. This includes serving on committees, collaborating with colleagues on the many tasks of a department, helping and giving feedback to colleagues, mentoring junior colleagues, etc. Experience with administrative tasks is desirable.

At Aarhus University, we aim to improve gender balance. In particular, we encourage female researchers to apply for the position. Both women and men are welcome to apply for the position. No one will be given priority, and all applicants will be assessed in accordance with the requirement profile for the position.

For further information on the position, please contact the head of the search committee Prof. Henrik Stapelfeldt (henrikschem.au.dk), or the Acting Head of the Department of Chemistry, Prof. Jørgen Skibsted (jskibchem.au.dk).

Work and life in Denmark and Aarhus

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. We see diversity as a strength. It is a priority that the successful candidate has a personality that promotes positive interactions with students and staff, as well as being a good colleague in general. Together, we define the future of the Department of Chemistry, both scientifically and with respect to thriving in our day-to-day work.

Working in Denmark offers opportunities for a good work-life balance. In Denmark there is a system of guaranteed and affordable daycare.  Education is free, including universities. English is widely spoken, though Danish is the common language off campus.

Aarhus is Denmark’s second largest city and forms the center of the western parts of the country on the Jutland peninsula. It is situated beautifully at the Aarhus Bay near Mols National Park and the Lake District around Silkeborg. Recently, Aarhus has attracted international attention as a travel destination due to its unique combination of a thriving food-scene, high-quality museums, surrounding beautiful nature, a lively city due to the “young population”, and many cultural events including music festivals. etc. See e.g. the recommendation by CNN (https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/aarhus-denmark-things-to-do/index.html). Aarhus is easily reached through local international airports in Jutland within 1 hour of Aarhus, or through either Copenhagen or Hamburg Airports, both situated about a 3-hour train-journey from Aarhus.

Aarhus University is consistently ranked as a top-100 university in the World, and it houses both an engineering and a medical school, as well as divisions for the traditional natural sciences, business and social sciences, arts, and environmental and agricultural sciences.

Application and Deadline

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website and must be received by received by: November 1, 2024. Interviews are expected to be held early 2025.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a description of previous funding, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and information on previous teaching experience. Guidelines for applicants can be found on Guidelines & rules - Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University (au.dk)

Please provide your ResearcherID, ORCID, Google Scholar profile link, and/or a unique search query in Google Scholar, Scopus and/or Web of Science to retrieve your publication and citation track record.

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/