Two positions as assistant professor at the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University

The Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences calls for applications for two positions as assistant professor in ‘Pig behaviour and welfare’ and ‘Nutrition of pigs and poultry’.

The positions are to be employed from 1 January 2025 or soon thereafter and are offered as full-time positions for four years. One of the positions will be in the research unit Behaviour, stress and welfare (BSW), and the other will be in the research unit Monogastric Nutrition (MONU)

The positions

We seek:  

• An assistant professor in Animal behaviour and welfare (BSW).
• An assistant professor in Nutrition of pigs and poultry (MONU),

Your profile as assistant professor

Qualifications for the assistant professor level at Aarhus University must include postdoctoral training or similar with a relevant research profile and a strong scientific publication record within the area of the positions as described above. This includes that you have:

• Academic qualifications at PhD level in animal science, veterinary science or biology.
• Demonstrated the ability to conduct independent research.
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills
• For non-Scandinavian candidates, an effort to learn to read, write and speak Danish is a requirement.
• Significant skills in analysis of experimental data and scientific communication of research results.
• Experience with writing grant applications is an advantage

The main focus of the position in Animal behaviour and welfare

We seek a candidate with a strong research background in animal behaviour and welfare. The candidate should have focus on and interest in research that enhances the understanding of welfare in current and future animal production systems with a focus on pig production on farm, during transportation and at slaughter/killing.

The candidate should expect to be involved in research-based policy advice as well as contribute to teaching at the animal and veterinary science degree programs at AU. Other important tasks will be to generate new research projects through grant application involving cross-disciplinary research-collaboration as well as collaboration with stakeholders and/or industrial partners. Experience in areas related to welfare challenges of the future, such as for example large litter sizes and free farrowing systems, are considered beneficial.

The main focus of the position in Nutrition of pigs and poultry

We seek a candidate with a strong background in animal science, veterinary science or biology. The candidate should have focus on and interest in nutrition of pigs and poultry as a solution in the green transition of animal production including experience in feedstuff characterization and evaluation of nutrient utilization.

Specific tasks will be on research-based policy advice on nutrient excretions from poultry, evaluation of individual feed intake of group housed pigs and to plan and conduct studies on enteric methane emissions from pigs. Other tasks will be to generate new research projects on sustainable pig and poultry feeding, teaching and supervision of students at the Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels.

Both positions will in addition have to:

• Participate in attracting external funding and do project management.
• Take responsibility for teaching and supervision of students at the BSc, MSc and PhD levels in animal science and veterinary science.
• Provide research-based consultancy to authorities where it is relevant.                

What we offer

• A well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment and animal-experimental facilities
• An informal and multicultural research environment with high professionalism and close collaboration and networking activities
• A workplace characterized by equality and a good work-life balance, and an open discussion across different fields of research.

Who we are

Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences is well-known for its skilled and very innovative interdisciplinary research environments with high international impact. We perform world-class research, which contributes with solutions to solve essential societal challenges within the green transition: food production and veterinary medicine – nationally and globally.

The department generates novel research at the highest international level within sustainable food production, environment, climate, and health and welfare for animals and humans. The activities form the basis for the research-based public sector consultancy and degree programs covering bachelor, master and PhD degree programs within animal science and veterinary medicine.  We offer a lively, engaged and innovative learning and study environment, which is closely integrated in the research environment.

ANIVET has unique and advanced animal experimental research facilities and technologies, situated in close connection to the research environment, and a comprehensive national and international research network and good industrial and professional collaboration.

Please refer to Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences for further

information about the department; https://anivet.au.dk/en

Contact

• Further information on the position in the research unit BSW may be obtained from Head of Research Unit Lene Juul Pedersen, phone: +45 5116 2822, email: lene.juulpedersenanivet.au.dk
• Further information on the position in the research unit MONU may be obtained from Head of Research Unit Jan V. Nørgaard, phone: +45 5071 8795, email: janvnoergaardanivet.au.dk

Living in Denmark

Please visit the international staff website: https://internationalstaff.au.dk/prearrival/  for

information about arriving to and living in Denmark for both the applicants and their

potential family.

Place of employment and place of work

The place of work is the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, AU Viborg,

Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, and the area of employment is Aarhus University (AU)

with related departments.

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

Technical 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.

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/