Professor of Water Quality Assessment

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) seeks applicants with a strong research profile in hydrogeochemistry linked to water quality assessment to fill a new full professor position.

You are expected to contribute to GEUS’ overall strategy by strengthening our knowledge on groundwater and drinking water quality. GEUS investigates the occurrence and fate of substances in water, both of anthropogenic origin and naturally occurring on the earth’s surface, in soils and deeper sediments/rocks. Our research is based on field and laboratory studies, which are often coupled to numerical modelling to strengthen our fundamental understanding as well as to upgrade this understanding to e.g. facilitate the development of decision support tools.

Furthermore, GEUS houses the national data archive of groundwater and drinking water data, and therefore GEUS is in a unique position to collaborate with external partners to bring our results into play in relation to e.g. public health. Development and application of new, innovative methods for data acquisition, analyses in the field and in our laboratories as well as optimised data analyses continuously contribute to advancement of the research field, and the professor is expected to play a central role in this context.

You are expected to promote our ideas, competences and concepts to the surrounding world, to deliver research output at a high international level, and to successfully obtain funding for and lead larger research projects. Moreover, the position aims at strengthening and profiling our research, public sector consultancy and advisory activities.

The position is in our Department of Geochemistry, which operates from Copenhagen and Aarhus.

Job description
The candidate is expected to contribute to the further development of high-level research in the Department of Geochemistry, which closely cooperates with the other departments in GEUS as well as with Danish universities and relevant international research institutions. Many of GEUS’ activities in this research field are focused on Denmark and surrounding areas, and it will be a central task for the professor in this position to put field, laboratory and modelling studies into the context of these environments.

Candidates for professorships at GEUS must have a strong research profile in the field and have a strong publication track record in international research journals with high impact in the research field. Moreover, candidates are expected to have played and have the ambition to play a key role in advancing the research field, for example by taking part in organisation of international conferences and by editing relevant journals and/or book series.

Research activities are to a large extent dependent on external funding. GEUS has a strong tradition for attracting research funding from e.g. Danish research councils, the European Commission, private foundations and authorities. GEUS also leads and acts as partner in internationally funded research projects such as EU Horizon projects. Professors at GEUS should have a strong track record of research funding and play a leading role in research funding application and project management.

Professors at GEUS are expected to set the direction for GEUS’ research within their field of expertise and related fields to develop and advance research and make new ideas thrive in an open and welcoming research environment. Furthermore, professors at GEUS play an active role in career planning for early career scientific staff and take responsibility for the education of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. They are also expected to have a collaborative spirit and actively engage with other professors, project managers and staff to contribute to a dynamic research environment. Moreover, professors may become members of GEUS’ research committee and act as sparring partners for management decisions on strategic planning and hiring plans for scientific staff.

GEUS is an independent research institution under the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities. GEUS provides research-based public sector consultancy for Danish governmental institutions and research-based advice to private companies. Professors are expected to either take part in such public sector consultancy and advice or to act as sparring partners for colleagues and management in such matters.

Your qualifications
We seek candidates with an excellent international profile. Consideration will be given to your international network, your ability to engage and motivate staff, as well as your openness, drive, and interpersonal skills.

You have a research profile within hydrogeochemistry and you have visions and ideas for developing the research field. You are experienced in creating and establishing research projects with different partners, obtaining external funding, and in leading and managing large research projects.

Experience with supervising of MSc, PhD students and early careers researchers are a prerequisite.

We also expect you to have experience with the coupling of results from laboratory, field, and numerical modelling, using large datasets to create new knowledge within water research, and public sector consultancy and advisory activities.

The Department of Geochemistry
The aim of the Department of Geochemistry is to understand the fate of chemical substances in soil, groundwater and the deeper subsurface. The activities are characterised by both laboratory work, field tests, and numerical modelling. The fate of pesticides and other xenobiotics in soil and groundwater is one of the department’s core research areas. Another major research area is the understanding of hydrogeochemical processes in soil, groundwater aquifers, water treatment facilities and geothermal reservoirs, as well as resulting from CO₂-rock interaction. We also process groundwater chemistry data in relation to monitoring of the Danish groundwater and work with the coupling of drinking water data to health studies. We are approx. 40 people in the department; researchers, consultants, postdocs, technicians, and students.

We offer:

• A creative and interdisciplinary research environment
• A lively and informal work environment with talented and dedicated colleagues
• A family-friendly workplace with flexible working hours
• An active social environment, including a staff association and an art society
• Fitness centre with physiotherapy at the workplace

Salary and conditions of employment
The position as Professor is permanent. Terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreements between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the relevant, eligible trade union. Supplements can be negotiated according to skills. The appointment area is the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities and its institutions. The Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities considers diversity to be an asset and invites anybody interested, regardless of gender, age, religion or ethnicity, to apply for the position.

Further information
A full description of the position can be obtained from the Head of Department, Claus Kjøller, telephone +45 51 72 82 02, e-mail [email protected], or Deputy Director, Lars Nielsen, telephone +45 91 33 38 70, e-mail [email protected]. International applicants can read more about living and working in Denmark here: http://eng.GEUS.dk/about/jobs/

Application
The application is to be written in English and should include a letter of motivation, your PhD diploma and CV, a complete publication list with 1) a separate indication of peer reviewed journal papers and 2) an indication of publications where you have either been the lead or senior author.

The application shall include the relevant academic works that you wish to be included in the professor assessment (max. 10). Please also enclose other material that can document your research and teaching qualifications. You are requested to include a 2-3-page account that refers to your most important academic work with relevance to the position. Finally, you are encouraged to make a one-page explanation of your plans for the development of the field. In addition to the material that you wish to include for the assessment, the assessment committee can choose to include further material in their evaluation. It is your responsibility to send the material to the committee upon request.

It is mandatory to include your updated ResearcherID and/or ORCID, which will be used to assess the publication record in Web of Science. Any recently accepted or submitted publications can be added separately to a list of publications.

Your application must be with GEUS no later than 12.00 midday (Danish time), 10 January 2024.

Please, send your application via GEUS’ website under Jobs.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

The appointment procedure
GEUS’ Managing Director appoints an expert assessment committee consisting of a chair and two or four external researchers at professor level. The assessment committee will make an individual evaluation of the candidate’s academic qualifications for the position advertised.

Then GEUS’ Managing Director appoints an appointment committee consisting of a Deputy Director, the Head of Department, representatives of the department and a representative from HR. The appointment committee decides which of the qualified candidates they want to call for a job interview. After the interviews, the appointment committee prepares a priority list for the Director. The procedure is in accordance with “Circular on the appointment and assessment of academic staff at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland”, Sections 4 and 7.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk