Applications are invited for a position as tenure track researcher at the Department of Chemistry (www.chem.au.dk), Faculty of Natural Science (nat.au.dk), Aarhus University, Denmark. The intended starting date is November 1st, 2021 or as soon as possible.

The Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University is one of the leading European chemistry departments with research programs that range from medicinal chemistry to theoretical chemistry. It has a permanent staff of ~35 full and associate professors, a support-staff of ~30 people, ~150 PhD students and postdocs, and around 400 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.

The candidate will lead the construction of the SINCRYS side-station at the DanMAX beamline at the MAX IV synchrotron in Lund. The SINCRYS project is partly funded from the Danish National Committee for research Infrastructure (NUFI) in a 5-year project. The beamline will comprise a diffractometer for single crystal X-ray diffraction, and the construction will be done in collaboration with the existing Aarhus University DanMAX team.

The position is additionally affiliated with iNANO, which is among the leading nanoscience centers in Europe with strong research activities ranging from physics and chemistry to molecular biology (www.inano.au.dk). The candidate will be part of the vibrant materials research environment at Aarhus University (imat.au.dk), which includes the ESS Lighthouse SMART (projects.au.dk/smart), focusing on studies of the atomic structures of functional materials.

Responsibilities and tasks
The candidate will be responsible for the design and construction of the X-ray optics and end-station instrument for the single crystal side-station at the DanMAX beamline as well as setting up a Scandinavian Crystallography Service (SCS) for fee-based solutions of crystal structures from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. In the operations phase the position must be funded from external sources such as the fees obtained from SCS. The candidate will in addition be responsible for developing and supporting educational activities within synchrotron science as well as developing an independent research activity.

Qualifications
Candidates must hold a PhD degree in chemistry or a related field, with strong experience in crystallography. A successful candidate must have a strong background in single crystal X-ray diffraction, development of new X-ray instrumentation and development of software to control diffractometers and to analyze diffraction data. Furthermore, the candidate must show significant self-motivation in scientific research, ability to work independently, ability to plan and carry out complicated tasks as well as good communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

Assessment
In addition to the above criteria, consideration will be given to scientific production as well as documented ability to design and construct advanced scientific instrumentation within the field of single crystal X-ray crystallography. Innovative skills and the ability to generate new ideas, the ability to communicate at all levels such as the provision of scientific advice to public sector authorities, the ability to promote and utilize research results, an all-round experience basis, preferably including international experience, and the ability to contribute to development of the department’s internal and external cooperation are all competences that are evaluated positively for this position.

Applicants are expected to meet the criteria listed for a tenure-track researcher here

Additional Information
Initially the place of work is split between Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus and the MAX-IV site, Lund University, Fotongatan 2, 225 92 S-Lund. From the end of 2022, the work will predominantly take place in Lund. The area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments, but a dual affiliation to Aarhus University and MAX IV will be in place. The position follows the tenure-track program at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University. In the operation phase, external funding must be secured to sustain the position. Expected time for interviews is October 2021.

For further information on the position please contact Head of Search Committee Prof. Bo Brummerstedt Iversen (bo@chem.au.dk or tel +45 60 20 26 39) or Head of Department, Prof. Birgit Schiøtt (birgit@chem.au.dk or tel +45 87 15 59 75).
 
Natural Sciences Tenure Track
Aarhus University offers talented scientists from around the world attractive career perspectives via the Natural Sciences Tenure Track Programme. Highly qualified candidates are appointed as Researcher for a period of six years with the prospect of performance- based advancement to a tenured position as Senior Researcher.

The aim of the Natural Sciences Tenure Track Programme is to:

• attract outstanding talented individuals that are competitive at an international level
• to promote the early development of independent research success early in the career of scientists
• to create transparency in the academic career path

As part of the tenure track 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

As part of the Aarhus University Tenure Track Programme, the University carries out a mid-way evaluation to review the progress of the tenure track candidate after three years, according to the same criteria used in the final tenure review. The final tenure review is conducted after five and a half years. If the review is positive, the candidate will be offered a tenured position as Senior Researcher at Aarhus University.

Please refer to the tenure track guidelines for the tenure review criteria and for the tenure review process.

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.
 

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 Finance 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 Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Ensuring gender balance at the Department of Chemistry is a high priority at Aarhus University, and we particularly encourage women to apply for this position. No candidate will be given preferential treatment, and all applicants will be assessed on the basis of their qualifications for the position in question.

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, 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.

Deadline: 01 August 2021

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

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    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 8,000 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 885 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/