Assistant Professor in Advanced Microscopy, Spectroscopy and Chemical Imaging

The nanotechnology centre NanoSYD at the Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), invites applications for a 3-year Assistant Professor position in Advanced Microscopy, Spectroscopy and Chemical Imaging.

The position starts on January 1, 2027, and will terminate at the end of the appointment period unless otherwise agreed.

The position involves research in advanced imaging, spectroscopy, chemical analysis, and chemometrics. The Assistant Professor is expected to lead the development and application of advanced analytical methods that combine complementary imaging and spectroscopic techniques with quantitative data analysis.

Relevant methods include Raman spectroscopy, nano-FTIR, SEM-EDX, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), FIB-SIMS, advanced optical microscopy and nanoscale chemical imaging. These activities form part of the NANOCHEM research environment and contribute also to ongoing EU Interreg research projects, where complementary microscopy, spectroscopy and chemical imaging techniques are combined for multimodal characterisation of materials and complex samples. A key part of the position will be developing and applying chemometric, multivariate and data-driven methods to analyse and interpret complex spectroscopic and imaging datasets.

We offer a challenging position in an international, stimulating research environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure for advanced imaging, spectroscopy, and nanoscale characterisation, and excellent opportunities for collaboration within SDU and with international research groups and industrial partners.

The successful applicant should have:

• A PhD degree (or equivalent) in physics, engineering, chemistry, materials science or a related field
• A strong background in advanced imaging, spectroscopy, chemometrics or related analytical methods
• A strong academic record
• Good collaboration and communication skills
• Interest in co-supervising BSc, MSc and PhD students

Following qualifications are preferred:

• Experience with Raman and/or FTIR spectroscopy
• Experience with nano-FTIR or other nanoscale spectroscopic methods
• Experience with SEM-EDX, XRF, FIB-SIMS or related chemical imaging methods
• Experience with chemometrics, multivariate data analysis or machine-learning approaches for spectroscopic and imaging data
• Experience with writing research applications
• Experience in teaching and education

For further information please contact Prof. Horst-Günter Rubahn, rubahn@mci.sdu.dk, or Associate Prof. Jacek Fiutowski, fiutowski@mci.sdu.dk.

Application

Applicants are requested to forward:

• A letter motivating the application
• A Curriculum Vitae
• PhD diploma
• A complete and numbered list of publications
• Research portfolio
• Teaching portfolio
• Documentation of other qualifications with relevance to the position

All documents must be in English and PDF format. CPR number (civil registration number) must be crossed out. All PDF-files must be unlocked, allow binding and may not be password protected.

SUBMISSION GUIDE: Motivated application must be uploaded under ‘Cover letter’ (max. 5 MB), Curriculum Vitae must be uploaded under ‘Resume’ (max 5 MB). All other documents must be uploaded under ‘Miscellaneous documents’ (max 10 files with a maximum 50 MB per file).

The application deadline is 15. October 2026 at 11:59 PM/23:59 (CET/CEST)

Assessment and selection process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU.Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation.

Read about the Assessment and selection process.

Employment terms

Appointment as an assistant professor is temporary and for an initial 3-year period, and the preferred start date is from 1. January 2027.

During employment, the assistant professor will complete the Lecturer Training Programme.

Employment as an assistant professor requires academic qualifications at a minimum of PhD level at the time of employment. Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state including the associated circular on the protocol for the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for assistant professor as described therein.

Salary is determined in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and based on objective and gender-neutral criteria, including the content of the position, responsibilities, and qualification requirements. As an applicant, you are entitled to information about the starting salary and salary range for the position. This information will be provided during the recruitment process. SDU does not collect information on applicants’ previous salary. Further information on salary and taxation.

Persons employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organizer”.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes its staff to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, is subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position(s).

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.

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