Professorship in near-surface geoscience

The Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark invites applications from international top-level scientists for 1-2 full professorships in Near-Surface Geoscience.

The expected appointment date is March 1, 2025 or at the nearest possible date

Qualifications

We invite candidates from any sub-discipline within near-surface geoscience. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in soil science, environmental geochemistry, and/or shallow marine geophysics. Ideal candidates must have a proven track record of research at the highest international level, and experience with relevant fieldwork and industry collaborations. Interdisciplinary research within the related fields of archaeology and anthropology, is advantageous.

The positions aim to strengthen ongoing activities within the Department of Geoscience’s core research areas, which are driven by understanding Earth's past, present, and future. Candidates must have an international research standing, strong teaching portfolio and postgraduate supervision experience, a broad multidisciplinary research network, proven record of leadership and management skills in research and educational administration as well as public outreach. Proven ability to attract external funding and documented academic teaching and student project supervision at all levels, are essential.

Candidate are expected to expand research collaborations at the highest international level following their scientific priorities and establish a vibrant research group utilizing external funding from national and international sources. The candidates will develop and teach courses and supervise students as well as postdocs at all academic levels.

Department of Geoscience

The Department of Geoscience currently employs around 70 staff including faculty, externally funded researchers, post-docs, PhD students, as well as administrative and technical personnel. We have a strong research profile spanning a broad range of geological and geophysical disciplines, including basic and applied aspects of the Earth surface systems (hydrogeology, hydrogeophysics, Quaternary studies, palaeoceanography, palaeoclimate, sedimentology, stratigraphy, geochronology, organic petrology, seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation) as well as the deep interior of the Earth (petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, structural geology, basin modelling). The Department is well equipped for the relevant research and teaching with infrastructure comprising sedimentological, micropalaeontological and geochemical laboratories with state-of-the-art instruments, including a pool of seismic acquisition equipment (both onshore and offshore).  The Department has strong links to other departments at Aarhus University including Physics and Astronomy (including radiocarbon dating facility), Biology, Chemistry, and Archaeology, as well as the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, and other Danish Universities.

About us

The beautiful Aarhus University campus is located close to the downtown of Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark with about 400 000 inhabitants. Aarhus has a lively and charming downtown close to the Aarhus Bay at the Baltic Sea. In Denmark access to schools, higher education, and health care is free. Generous parental agreements are available. 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. More information about entering and working in Denmark is available here.

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. After the deadline for applications, the Head of Department together with the Appointment Committee and the Head of the Assessment Committee selects the candidates to be shortlisted and externally evaluated. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to the Assessment Committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the Assessment Committee and will receive their assessment. Once the recruitment process is completed, a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

For letters of reference, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter their contact information to ensure that the letter of reference will be submitted before the application deadline. Letters of reference received after the application deadline may not be taken into consideration.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which everyone has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. Ensuring gender balance at Department of Geoscience is a high priority for Aarhus University, and we particularly encourage female candidates to apply. No candidate will be given preferential treatment, and all applicants will be assessed on the basis of their qualifications for the position in question.

The application must be made online via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website and received by October 15, 2024.

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.