Assistant professor in plant-microbe interactions

The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, is offering a position as Assistant professor focusing on interactions between the barley genome and root microbial assembly. The position will be available from 01-03-2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position will be available for a 3-year period.

You will be part of a research environment focusing on plant-microbe interactions and microbial ecology. You will be contributing to specifically the area of barley genomic effects on microbial composition and function of roots. And the main focus of your position will be to study barley drought resilience and how it arises from plant-microbe interactions at gene-for-gene level. You will integrate plant phenotypic data, large-scale root microbiome metabarcoding data with barley SNP and whole-genome data, as well as culturomics and microbial genomic data. You will design and conduct controlled experiments, including in-vitro assays and experiments using a high-throughput plant phenotyping platform. The project aims to elucidate plant genetic and microbial genomic interactions determining microbiome-mediated drought protection in barley.

We expect that you will be an important part of the research environment and that you will contribute positively to the social working environment. We also expect that you will take part in our teaching activities and that you will report research results in high-impact scientific journals.

Your profile

We are searching for a highly motivated candidate who has

• A PhD in plant-microbe interactions, plant microbial ecology or similar
• Collaborative skills and ability to participate actively in teams
• A genuine interest in classical as well as molecular microbiology
• Documented experience in scientific writing and publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals
• Teaching and supervision experience at BSc, MSc and PhD level
• Experience in writing research proposals for external funding
• Research experience in some of the areas of plant genomics and microbiome analysis.
• Networking experience

Additional qualifications

Further, we will prefer candidates with some of the following qualifications:

• Experience in planning and conducting laboratory work with plants, soils and microbiomes. Experience in analysis of microbiome and genome data.
• Insight into plant and microbial genomics
• Experience with statistical methods, bioinformatics and reproducible computational workflows.

Who we are

At the Department of Agroecology, our main goal is to contribute to sustainable solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems within the areas of soil, plants, animals, humans, and the environment. We want to make a difference by contributing to both fundamental knowledge generation and the attainment of sustainable production systems via innovative research, contracted policy advice, and education. We offer professional laboratories, greenhouses, semi-field, and field-scale research facilities, advanced computing capacities as well as an extensive national and international researcher network. The department consists of nine research sections with around 350 highly skilled employees, of which approximately 50% are scientific staff. More information can be found here .

We believe in encouraging inclusion, acceptance, and understanding by employing staff who bring unique perspectives to our department.

What we offer

• A collaborative, international research environment that combines high academic standards with an informal and supportive atmosphere. We value accountability, curiosity, flexibility, and teamwork in everything we do.
• An inclusive and respectful workplace culture, where mutual trust, kindness, and professional dialogue are part of daily life. We encourage open communication and develop a cohesive sense of community across teams and disciplines.
• A flexible working environment that supports work-life balance and individual needs.
• An active institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion – in recruitment, career development, and everyday interactions.
• An innovative and meaningful workplace where your work contributes to solving real-world challenges. No two days are alike, and we welcome creative thinking and new ideas.
• Support for international researchers and their families, including Relocation Service and an Expat Partner Programme

Living and working in Denmark

• Subsidised childcare and free education from primary school through university.
• Universal healthcare for you and your family as residents.
• Five weeks of paid holiday per year.
• Generous parental leave – up to 52 weeks shared between parents, with full or partial salary.

Place of Work

The place of work is Aarhus University, Campus Flakkebjerg (4200 Slagelse, Denmark). The affiliation will be with the Department of Agroecology.

More information can be obtained from Prof. Mogens Nicolaisen (Se e-mailadresse på nature.com).

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.

Formalities and salary range

Technical 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 and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions at basic salary steps 4-8.

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.

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.