4-year Group Leader (Assistant Professor) Position in Colloidal Chemistry – Aarhus

The Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University invites applications for a 4-year Assistant Professor (non-tenured) position in the field of colloidal chemistry with focus on neutron and X-ray scattering of colloidal systems with applications in food-related and pharma chemistry. The position is part of a strategic initiative to strengthen neutron and scattering based interdisciplinary research across chemistry, biophysics, and food science, and is part of the collaborative framework of the ESS Lighthouse: Colloids and Interfaces in Food and Pharma (CaIFF).

The Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University is a leading European chemistry department with a broad research portfolio. It is undergoing a restructuring and will have a permanent staff of 43 full, associate and assistant professors, a support staff of ~40 technical and administrative staff, ~150 PhD-students and ~100 postdocs and around 350 students. In addition to excellence in research, teaching and supervision, the Department of Chemistry values equal opportunities, a collegial atmosphere, and a student-friendly mindset of future colleagues.

The position is available from September 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The ESS Lighthouse: Colloids and Interfaces in Food and Pharma (CaIFF)
The position is part of the ESS Lighthouse CaIFF, a recently established research center focusing on colloidal out-of-equilibrium multicomponent systems, their investigation by neutron-based methodologies, and their application in food and pharma. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to establish an independent research profile and for cross-disciplinary research in collaboration with other researchers in the CaIFF, as well as with collaborators, both at the Department of Chemistry and with external collaborators.

CaIFF is centered around three group leader positions, where one is placed at the Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University. The group leader can expect to be able to benefit from the presence of other group leaders and established research groups in CaIFF.
Read more about CaIFF on ESS Lighthouse – Colloids and Interfaces in Food and Pharma (CaIFF) – University of Copenhagen

Scientific environment

The successful candidate will join a dynamic research environment and will have access to in-house small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and light scattering (LS) infrastructure at Department of Chemistry, as well as all other research infrastructure at the Department of Chemistry.

The position involves cross-disciplinary research at the interface of soft matter physical chemistry, food colloids, and/or pharmacological science with opportunities for joint projects, shared supervision, and acquiring access to large-scale neutron facilities.

The candidate is expected to participate in driving the Lighthouse’s research on non-equilibrium multicomponent colloidal systems preferably relevant to food or pharma systems. The work is expected to involve the application and development of neutron scattering and methodologies. This should be integrated with advanced data analysis, simulations, and/or mathematical modeling.

The work involves close interactions with other employees in CaIFF and the principal investigators to foster methodological innovation and interdisciplinary synergy. The position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a vibrant, collaborative research environment focused on translating fundamental insights into practical applications in food or pharma science.

Profile and competences

The candidate is expected to build an independent research group and conduct an active research program, which is internationally recognized and can attract external funding. The candidate should have experience with modelling and data analysis of scattering data as well as physicochemical studies of soft matter and/or food colloids. The candidate is expected to align with the Department ambition on increasing the societal relevance of our research, e.g. within improved future health, green transition and climate changes.

Applicants for an Assistant Professor position must be able to demonstrate potential for excellent research and teaching. International experience and extensive postdoctoral training are expected.

Interest and competence in teaching chemistry at all levels of university education is essential. Accordingly, a successful candidate must be able to teach all topics of introductory chemistry courses. Teaching can be in Danish and English, depending on the course. We offer didactic course to applicants who have not yet fulfilled such requirements, and we offer Danish courses, expecting non-Danish speaking colleagues to learn Danish in a 3–5-year time span.

We expect our new colleague to value and participate in the general academic work at the Department of Chemistry. This includes serving on committees, solving tasks with colleagues, helping with and giving feedback to colleagues etc. Similarly, colleagues may help you as well, for example in relation to applications for external funding.

At Aarhus University, we strive to improve gender balance. In particular, we encourage female researchers to apply for the position. Both women and men are welcome to apply for the position. No one will be given priority, and all applicants will be assessed in accordance with the requirement profile for the position.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Position Structure and Career Path

This is a 4-year independent Group Leader position with the expectation of establishing a high-impact research program and securing external funding. Towards the end of the 4-year period, a tenure track assistant professor or associate professor position at the Department of Chemistry will be announced to which the Group Leader will be eligible to apply.

As part of the 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.

Contact and place of work

For further information on the position, please contact Head of Search Committee
Professor Jan Skov Pedersen (jbrooksjspkfreeman@kempchem.aupeters-millerboone-taylor.dk), or Head of Department of Chemistry Thomas Vosegaard (garynashsschmidtselenamanntv@chem.aushahcox.dk).

The place of work is Department of Chemistry (Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus) and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 

Work and life in Denmark and Aarhus

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. We see diversity as a strength. It is a priority that the successful candidate has a personality that promotes positive interactions with students and staff, as well as being a good  colleague in general. Together, we define the future of the Department of Chemistry, both scientifically and with respect to thriving in our day-to-day work. 

Working in Denmark offers opportunities for a good work-life balance. In Denmark
there is a system of guaranteed and affordable daycare. Education is free, including
universities. English is widely spoken, though Danish is the common language off campus. A fraction of the courses at the Department of Chemistry is given in English. The majority of BSc and MSc thesis works are written in English, as are all PhD theses.We offer free Danish courses to all non-Danish speaking employees for helping in integration and for use in teaching.

Aarhus University offers a wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a Relocation Service and an Expat Partner
Programme.

Aarhus is Denmark’s second largest city and forms the center of the western parts of
the country on the Jutland peninsula. It is situated beautifully at the Aarhus Bay near
Mols National Park and the Lake District around Silkeborg. Recently, Aarhus has
attracted international attention as a travel destination due to its unique combination of
a thriving food-scene, high-quality museums, surrounding beautiful nature, a lively city
due to the “young population”, and many cultural events including music festivals etc.

See e.g. the recent recommendations by CNN
(https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/aarhus-denmark-things-to-do/index.html) and
Time https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2023/

Aarhus is easily reached through local international airports in Jutland within 1 hour of
Aarhus, or through either Copenhagen or Hamburg Airports, both situated about a 3-
hour train-journey from Aarhus.

Aarhus University is consistently ranked as a top-100 university in the World and it
houses both an engineering and a medical school, as well as divisions for the
traditional natural sciences, business, social sciences, arts, and environmental and
agricultural sciences.

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.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattechrichardchristiancrichardsongregoryheather@thompsonhuangaunelson-washington.dk

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.

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/