Assistant professor position in Microbial Trait Modeling

Center for Volatile Interactions, a Center of Excellence at the University of Copenhagen, is recruiting an assistant professor starting on August 15, 2026. The position is for 2 years, 6.5 months, until the end of February 2029.

Scientific environment

The successful candidate will join the Center for Volatile Interactions, led by Prof. Riikka Rinnan. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic, collaborative, and international research environment. The center staff consists of ecosystem ecologists and microbial ecologists working in terrestrial and aquatic environments as well as ecosystem modelers. The center is housed at the North Campus in Copenhagen, where we have laboratory facilities and state-of-the-art instrumentation for analyses of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), molecular analyses of microbial community structure and activity, as well as incubation and climate chamber facilities. The center staff has collected a range of unique datasets to link VOC production and consumption rates with DNA- and RNA-based data of microbial communities in different environments and habitats as well as data on environmental factors. The center has access to supercomputing resources to process large datasets and to run trait-based microbial models. We also have specialists who work with process-based ecosystem models (see modelling work at Tang’s group).

Main tasks and responsibilities

The assistant professor will lead trait-based microbial modeling activities and focus on adding processes to link VOC emissions with microbial traits and community dynamics in an existing model framework. The assistant professor will apply and develop the trait-based microbial model DEMENT, under the guidance of the VOLT’s key collaborator, Prof. Steven Allison, University of California, Irvine. The modeling work will incorporate the microbial trait database and VOC and genomic data collected by VOLT members. Metagenomes and metatranscriptomes will be used to calibrate microbial VOC-related traits. The developed processes will be further coupled to ecosystem-level models to assess interactions and impacts at landscape and regional scales. The work will encompass data analysis, model development and model application. The successful candidate will be responsible for lead-writing and co-authoring scientific publications. The candidate will also have the opportunity to supervise BSc and MSc students.

Qualifications

We seek an ambitious and highly motivated candidate with a PhD in biological sciences, computational biology, mathematics or a related field. A successful candidate should have experience with microbial-related modelling with the DEMENT model. Moreover, analysis of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets is a key skill. Experience with and knowledge of VOC datasets as well as with multivariate and geospatial statistical analyses is a plus. Fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement, as well as excellent writing skills demonstrated by the publication record. The candidate should be comfortable working in teams with a collaborative mindset.

Further information on the Department is linked at www.bio.ku.dk . Inquiries about the position can be made to Riikka Rinnan riikkar@bio.ku.dk.

The position is open from 15/8/2026or as soon as possible thereafter.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Terms of employment

The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking "APPLY for position" below.

When you will be affiliated with the University of Copenhagen or otherwise have access to their research, you may be required to undergo a background screening. The purpose is to protect the security and research integrity of the University of Copenhagen.

Please include

• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
• Research plan – description of current and future research plans
• Complete publication list
• Separate reprints of 3 particularly relevant papers

The deadline for applications is 29 April 2026, 23:59 GMT +1.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/