Postdoc in seabird ecology

The Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, invites applications for a 17-month postdoc position, offering applicants an exciting opportunity to join a new research project on the origin and causes of death of beached seabirds.

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 17-month position from 1 November 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

Job description

The Department of Ecoscience leads a citizen science-driven project on seabird mortality in Denmark (https://ecos.au.dk/en/researchconsultancy/themes/supre). As part of this project, volunteers count beached birds and collect carcasses for analysis.

Your task will be to explore what we can learn from the beached bird data. Topics include the distribution of mortality in time and space, and among species; causes of death, as inferred from necropsies; and breeding origin of the birds involved, determined through DNA-based assignment.

Your main responsibility will be to make sense of the data, help understand the impact of the observed mortality on seabird populations, and report the findings as scientific manuscripts. In addition, you may be involved in necropsies.

Key partners include BirdLife Denmark, who organize the beached bird surveys, and Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, who carry out the genetic analyses.

The project will further connect to ongoing research on plastic ingestion and contaminant body burdens, conducted in collaboration with marine pollution researchers within the department.

Your profile

We are searching for a highly motivated candidate who has:

• A PhD in seabird ecology or a related field
• Experience in statistical analysis and visualisation of ecological data
• Experience with scientific writing and publication
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative team
• Excellent English skills

In addition, it will be an advantage to have:

• Experience with avian necropsies

Who we are

The Department of Ecoscience is engaged in research programs and advisory work covering the major biological sub-disciplines. We conduct innovative, advanced research in the areas of aquatic biology and ecology, marine pollution, Arctic environments and ecosystems, biodiversity, conservation biology, and wildlife management. The Department currently employs approximately 300 academic and technical staff, as well as many PhD students.

The qualified candidate will work in a supportive and internationally engaged scientific environment at the Section for Arctic Ecosystem Ecology, in cooperation with the section of Marine Biodiversity and Pollution. The department aims to be a supportive and encouraging workplace that offers interesting challenges.

What we offer 

The department offers:

• a well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment 
• an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators
• 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 is Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Professor Morten Frederiksen, +45 30822910, [email protected].

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 14 August 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 appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified 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 each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. 

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.
 
Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it 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.