Associate professor or professor, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

The University seeks to appoint one or two visionary and team-oriented associate professor(s) or professor(s) to the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology to commence September 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology is committed to advancing human health through discovery, design, and evaluation of safe and effective medical treatments. To achieve this, we work in a dynamic and committed academic community, that bridges health science and life science in a translational and innovative approach from molecule to patient. We value interdisciplinary research and education, development of individual competences, and finding solutions to todays and tomorrows challenges in society. The department furthermore prioritizes sustainability in all aspects of research and education.

The department is organized in six research sections and furthermore houses Center for Pharmaceutical Data Science Education and Center for Protein Design. Further information on the Department can be found at: https://drug.ku.dk/

The section Qualifications of the applicant below describes Six overall criteria for the position. The alignment between the candidate’s research plan and one or more of the following three research directions, will be considered as additional evaluation criteria:

Cardiometabolic diseases: The ideal candidate will have a strong research program in pharmacology and drug discovery focused on cardiovascular, metabolic, or endocrine disorders. Desired qualifications include, among others, expertise in disease mechanisms, target validation, or preclinical drug evaluation. Demonstrated ability to lead innovative, interdisciplinary research and contribute to translational or clinical research projects is highly valued.

Antimicrobial drug discovery and antimicrobial resistance. The ideal applicant will be an internationally recognized leader in microbiology, in the broadest sense, with a strong research profile in areas such as antibacterial or antifungal drug design, mechanism-of-action studies, or studies of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Emphasis on small-molecule, natural products, or peptide-based drug discovery in collaborative and interdisciplinary research programs is highly valued.

Structural biology: The ideal candidate will have an established international research program in structural biology applied to drug design and discovery, with expertise in techniques such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM technologies, NMR spectroscopy, SAXS, computational structural modelling, and protein production and purification. Experience in interdisciplinary, collaborative research that translates structural insights into rational drug design, as well as leadership in developing new technologies, is highly desirable.

Job description

The successful applicant should present an ambitious research and teaching plan within one or more of the above research directions.

The position can either be at the level of associate professor or full professor, and the overall responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Research, including publication/academic dissemination of results to the scientific community and attraction of external funding
• Develop, organize, and conduct research-based teaching, including associated examination.
• Research leadership, including guidance and supervision of students and researchers
• Obligation to share knowledge with the rest of society, including participation in public debate
• Academic assessments
• Engage in outreach and/or innovation activities both within the Department and towards academia, the clinic, and industry in general.

Qualifications of the applicant

When evaluating applicants, primary emphasis will be placed on the applicant's ability to document original scientific work of the highest international standard, an innovative mindset, and strong ambitions for advancing teaching within the fields of biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, pharmacotherapy, natural products research, or structural biology, with particular focus on teaching on compulsory courses at the BSc and MSc levels.

Applicants already having sustainability integrated in all aspects of their research and teaching, or a clear plan for doing so, will have preference. Likewise, a clear and structured plan for internal and external collaborations will be given positive consideration. Finally, alignment with the department’s 2030 research vision (https://drug.ku.dk/about/) will be evaluated positively.

The qualifications of the applicant can be either at the associate professor level or at the professor level.

Overall criteria for the position:

Six overall criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organizational contribution, external funding, and leadership) are considered a framework for the overall assessment of candidates at each of the academic levels. Find information about each criterion here:

Criteria for associate professor level: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/5b_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-Associate_professors.pdf

Criteria for professor level: https://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/kriterier-for-videnskabelige-stillinger/dokumenter-til-meritering/5c_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-professors.pdf

Furthermore, applicants at the associate professor level must be able to document:

• Research qualifications at the level that can be achieved by satisfactorily completing a period of employment as an assistant professor/postdoc, but may also be obtained in other ways
• Teaching qualifications and pedagogical competencies
• Research-based teaching

Furthermore, applicants at the professor level must be able to document:

• Document a high degree of original academic production at an international level, including considerable contributions to the development of the academic discipline
• Manage research and other management functions, e.g. engage in the university’s external academic activities, as well as knowledge and technology transfer
• Provide research-based teaching

Applicants at both the associate professor and professor level are also required to possess good interpersonal and communicative skills.

Desired qualifications:

• Research profile within one of the above-mentioned research directions
• Track record in attracting external funding
• Track record in innovation
• Strong commitment for the development of innovative and student-centred research-based teaching
• Interest and experience in applying modern data science methods within research and teaching

Terms of employment
The position is a permanent position. The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

For candidates applying at the level of associate professor, enrolment in the UCPHpromotion programme, leading to employment as a professor within an 8-year timeframe, could be a possibility for the successful candidate.

Salary and other terms and conditions of appointment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant professional organisations. The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2025.

Questions
For further information, please contact Head of Department Dan Stærk, ds@sund.ku.dk. For information about the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND), please see www.drug.ku.dk and https://sund.ku.dk/.

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://www.ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility).

Application
The application must be submitted in English and must include the following documents:

• Application, including motivations for applying for the position (maximum 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae, including information about external funding
• Diplomas (Master’s, PhD, and other relevant certificates)
• A complete list of publications
• Research plan (3-5 pages)
• Uploads of maximum 5 (associate professors) or 10 (professors) publications to be considered in the assessment
• Teaching plan
• Teaching portfolio (Guidelines: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/job-application-portfolio)

Please note: It is mandatory and a part of the application process to complete the ‘Executive summary’ form, which you will find when you click on “Apply for position”

Please note the level of appointment sought. Please note that selected applicants who have applied for either both positions or the professor position will be assessed for the associate professor position if they are found not-qualified for the professor position

Application procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee. All applicants are immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Dean then appoints an expert assessment committee in order to make an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee, and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at https://jobportal.ku.dk/.

The first round of interviews may be conducted either on-site or on-line. The second round of interviews will be on-site. Candidates selected for the second round interviews may be asked to deliver a research seminar, conduct a teaching session, and participate in one-on-one or small group discussions regarding their research, teaching and innovation plans with selected members of the department’s faculty staff.

Please note that the applicant will be contacted if the assessment committee requires further documentation.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position.

Please submit the application with the required attachments. The closing date for applications is 23.59 p.m. CET, 6 April 2026.