Professor / Associate Professor / Senior Researcher taking lead in Arctic environment and ecosystem sciences

Are you an engaged and visionary scientist with international standing, deep expertise in Arctic environmental and ecosystem research and excellent science leadership competences? Do you have the scientific vision to set the strategic direction for a nationally and internationally recognized Arctic research community?

The Department of Ecoscience at Aarhus University invites applications for a full-time permanent scientific position as either Full Professor, Associate Professor or Senior Researcher in the Arctic focus area. We are looking for a successful science leader who enjoys working strategically with organizational impact also looking beyond own research area.

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a permanent position from 1 November 2026 or as soon as possible.

Job description

The position centers around research in Arctic terrestrial and/or marine environment and ecosystems, with expertise in one or more of the key thematic areas of the Arctic focus area, f.ex.:

• Arctic ecosystem responses to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance including natural resource exploitation like mining and other industrial activities, biodiversity and population ecology, biogeochemistry and carbon dynamics or environmental contaminants and ecotoxicology.
• Technical environmental and innovative solutions to current and future Arctic and global challenges
• Bridging monitoring and front-edge research within Arctic environment and ecosystem sciences

Your primary scientific responsibilities may include:

• Taking lead on strategic development of central parts of the Arctic focus area
• Securing externally funded research projects, including EU research and innovation programmes and other national and international funding sources
• Bridging science and advice to agencies in Greenland and Denmark, as well as to relevant international fora, including within Arctic Council, particularly CAFF, AMAP and PAME.
• Conducting independent and leading research in Arctic ecosystems, biodiversity, environment and pollution, including drawing on long-term monitoring datasets, multidisciplinary field campaigns, and/or advanced modelling approaches
• Publishing in high-impact, peer-reviewed international journals and engaging actively with the international scientific community
• Supervising and mentoring PhD students, postdocs, and early-career researchers

Depending on the candidate’s area of expertise, responsibilities may also include:

• Contributing to pan-Arctic comparative studies and to positioning ECOS Arctic in major international initiatives
• Driving forward the Departments engagement and steering of national initiatives (e.g. the International Polar Year 2032-33)
• Integrating novel tools and methods into research and advice to Greenlandic and Danish authorities, including AI-driven data analysis, process-based modelling, and ecological forecasting

Your profile

We are looking for a scientist with a strong research track record and documented experience with science based advisory work and expertise in Arctic ecosystem and environmental related science showing interdisciplinary and broad sectoral collaborative and leadership skills. Applicants must hold a PhD in biology, ecology, biogeochemistry, ecotoxicology, physical geography or a closely related discipline. The level of appointment (Full Professor, Associate Professor or Senior Researcher) will be determined based on qualifications.

We particularly value:

• Excellent science leadership experience from similar research environments; f.ex. leading larger research groups and taking responsibility for strategic development of larger units (academic citizenship)
• An established international network and collaborative skills and relationships within Arctic science
• Competences in strategic scientific coordination, project management, and building research networks
• A strong publication record in international peer-reviewed journals within Arctic research
• Documented experience in securing and leading externally funded research projects
• Experience with fieldwork and/or laboratory analyses in Arctic environments
• Experience from Greenland institutions, collaboration or research
• Documented experience with science-based advisory work and engagement with authorities
• Experience in supervising and supporting early-career researchers

Excellent written and spoken English; Danish and/or Greenlandic language skills are an advantage but not required

Who we are

The Department of Ecoscience is one of Denmark’s leading research environments in applied ecology, spanning terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and Arctic ecosystems. We conduct both fundamental and applied research and deliver science-based advisory services to authorities in Denmark and Greenland. Our work is grounded in long-term monitoring, field-based data collection, and advanced modelling, and we pride ourselves on a research culture characterized by high scientific integrity, strong interdisciplinary collaboration, and societal relevance.

ECOS Arctic is the department’s Arctic focus area and an internationally recognized hub for Arctic ecosystem research and science-based advisory work, with excellence in ecology, biodiversity, biogeochemistry, environmental contaminants, and ecotoxicology. We are around 50 research and technical employees with Greenland as our primary base for Arctic science activities, and we are strongly anchored in the Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM) programme and to research and advise related to industrial (incl. mining) activities. But we also hold leading roles in Arctic Council working groups and contribute to pan-Arctic comparative research and global science initiatives.

Key infrastructure supporting ECOS Arctic includes Zackenberg Research Station in Northeast Greenland and the accredited ECOS Trace Metal and Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory.

Find out more about our current strategy, departmental values and more here: https://ecos.au.dk/en/about-us/au-ecoscience-our-strategy

What we offer

• A full-time permanent scientific position with an internationally competitive research environment and access to unique long-term datasets and world-class infrastructure
• A central role in shaping the scientific direction of ECOS Arctic, contributing actively to the strategy 2026–2030 and beyond
• An interdisciplinary and dynamic working environment across Arctic, terrestrial, marine, and freshwater research
• Highly engaged, motivated and positive colleagues and an innovative and dynamic working environment, where culture and values are important.
• A working environment characterized by high scientific standards, trust, and well-being
• Strong international collaborative relationships and active participation in global Arctic research initiatives, including a leading role in preparation for the International Polar Year 2032
• Access to professional support for international researchers and their families relocating to Denmark

For candidates with the right qualifications and experience in strategic research leadership a temporary role as Deputy Head of Department with responsibility for the Arctic focus area of Department of Ecoscience will be possible. Further education/competence building in leadership will be offered. Contact the Head of Department (details below) for a more detailed description of this role.

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is AU Campus Roskilde at Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 13 September 2026.

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.

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