The Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark, invites applications for a permanent position as Associate Professor in Environmental Chemistry. We seek a motivated and collaborative researcher who will contribute to improving and expanding our internationally recognised research and research-based advisory and teaching activities within environmental chemistry and related disciplines. The position is available from April 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Expected start date and duration of employment
This is a permanent position starting April 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Job description
The Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University aims to expand and diversify its research, teaching, and advisory activities addressing current and future environmental challenges. We are therefore seeking an Associate Professor in Environmental Chemistry to contribute to the continued development of the Section for Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology.
The candidate is expected to establish and maintain a research profile while contributing to collaborative research activities across the department and with external partners. The position offers considerable freedom to develop new research directions within environmental chemistry and related disciplines under the responsibility to keep your group including yourself mainly externally funded.
The Associate Professor will contribute to:
- Development of an internationally strong and externally funded research programme.
- Research addressing the occurrence, fate, transport, transformation, exposure, and impacts of chemical contaminants in natural and engineered systems.
- Research-based advisory activities for Danish ministries, public authorities, and other stakeholders.
- Teaching and course development at Life Long education, MSc, and PhD levels.
- Supervision of MSc students, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and other junior researchers.
- Development of interdisciplinary collaborations across environmental chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, biotechnology, modelling, and data science.
- Knowledge exchange and collaboration with governmental agencies, industry partners, and international research networks.
The selected candidate is expected to contribute directly to both basic and applied research and to support the department's longstanding tradition of combining scientific excellence with societal impact through research-based advisory services.
Your profile
Applicants hold a PhD in Environmental Chemistry or a closely related discipline.
The selected candidate should have documented research experience within at least one area of environmental chemistry and demonstrate the ability to develop an internationally visible research profile.
Particular emphasis will be placed on:
- Scientific productivity documented through publications in international peer-reviewed journals.
- Ability to develop and maintain national and international research collaborations.
- Experience in obtaining external research funding, or clear potential to do so.
- Experience with university teaching and supervision.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills.
- Commitment to contributing to an inclusive and collegial research environment.
In addition, experience within the following areas will be considered:
- Development and application of analytical methods for trace analysis of organic contaminants in environmental and biological matrices.
- High-resolution mass spectrometry, including target, suspect screening, or non-target workflows.
- Environmental fate, transport, and transformation of organic contaminants.
- Environmental monitoring programmes and environmental assessment.
- Exposure assessment and chemical risk assessment.
- Environmental data analysis, chemometrics, or environmental data science.
- Research-based advisory activities, including experience supporting governmental authorities or regulatory agencies.
- Experience with the Danish environmental advisory system or similar national or international regulatory frameworks.
- Interdisciplinary research bridging environmental chemistry with toxicology, ecotoxicology, microbiology, biotechnology, engineering, or computational sciences.
Qualifications at the Associate Professor level will be assessed in accordance with the criteria specified in the Danish university job structure and Aarhus University's assessment criteria for permanent academic positions.
Who we are
The Department of Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary department under the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University. The knowledge base encompasses fields such as social science, geography, economics, and policy analysis, in addition to mathematical modeling, physics, chemistry, toxicology, and microbiology. Both pure and applied research is conducted on some of the major challenges facing society, such as pollution and pollution control mechanisms, management of land, soil, water, air and biodiversity, protection of ecosystem services and climate change. Research based advisory services within these areas are offered to ministries and other stakeholders and central to the Department economy. Currently, about 150 staff and PhD-students are working at the department. Further information may be found at http://www.envs.au.dk.
The selected candidate will be affiliated with the Section for Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology. The section conducts research and research-based advisory work targeting a better understanding of the transport and fate of organic pollutants in the environment, as well as a better understanding of the links between environmental chemistry, toxicology and human exposure. This includes tools to identify and quantify impacts, which can act as indicators of emerging problems. The aim is to provide the highest capability in Denmark for assessing risks associated with the distribution and fate of organic pollutants in the environment.
What we offer
The department and section offer:
- An active, internationally recognised research environment
- a well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories with high-end analytical equipment
- an interdisciplinary environment with both national and international collaborators as well as authorities and private companies
- a research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
- a work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities
- a workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.
Place of work and area of employment
The place of work will be at Aarhus University, RISØ Campus, in Roskilde, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark. The city of Roskilde (www.roskilde.dk) is located close to Copenhagen. The area provides immediate access to a wealth of cultural and recreational pursuits.
Contact information
For further information, please contact: Head of Section, Pedro Carvalho, +45 8715 8462, pedro.carvalho@envs.au.dk or Head of Department, Carsten Suhr Jacobsen, +45 2537 7667, csj@envs.au.dk.
Technical Sciences Tenure Track
Aarhus University offers talented scientists from around the world attractive career perspectives via the Technical Sciences Tenure Track Programme. Highly qualified candidates are appointed as Assistant Professors for a period of six years with the prospect of performance- based advancement to a tenured Associate Professorship.
The aim of the Technical Sciences Tenure Track Programme is to:
- attract outstanding talented individuals that are competitive at an international level
- to promote the early development of independent research success early in the career of scientists
- to create transparency in the academic career path
As part of the tenure track position, the candidate is offered:
- access to research infrastructure
- capability development, including postgraduate teacher training
- a mentoring programme
- support to develop scientific networks and to secure interdisciplinary research at the highest level
As part of the Aarhus University Tenure Track Programme, the University carries out a mid-way evaluation to review the progress of the tenure track candidate after three years, according to the same criteria used in the final tenure review. The final tenure review is conducted after five and a half years. If the review is positive, the candidate will be offered a tenured position as Associate Professor at Aarhus University.
Please refer to the tenure track guidelines for the tenure review criteria and for the tenure review process.
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.
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 and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions at basic salary steps 4-8.
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.