[xxxxx]/24-2K The Natural History Museum of Denmark seeks to appoint one or more Professors

The Natural History Museum of Denmark seeks to appoint one or more Professors
Faculty of Science
University of Copenhagen

The Natural History Museum of Denmark seeks to appoint one or more Professors within relevant disciplines that can serve as role models for our visions and values as a museum and enhance the quality and impact of research, curation, and public engagement at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Professors at the Natural History Museum of Denmark are internationally recognized researchers in their fields of expertise. Their research is influential and plays a leading role in advancing our understanding of the natural world. Professors exercise academic leadership, including the development of and delegation of responsibilities to junior researchers. Professors provide curatorial expertise and take an active part in curatorial activities including the global effort concerning digitization of natural museum history collections. Professors interact with external partners and establish collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, they take a large responsibility for the organization, are deeply involved in public engagement, which among many things includes, contributing to exhibitions, programming and public lectures at the museum. As such, professors at the Natural History Museum of Denmark are expected to take a leading role in society as advocates for science and nature, creating impact at all levels. Professors also take an active part in research-based teaching and supervision of students at the University of Copenhagen, but due to curatorial, and public engagement obligations, teaching is limited, compared to university departments.

We expect our professors to be creative and interdisciplinary thinkers who inspire and foster collaboration across disciplines and professions to create solutions to global challenges.

Ideal candidates will have:

• An outstanding reputation for high quality research in a field related to the core scientific activities at the Natural History Museum of Denmark: Geology, Botany, Zoology and Science & Society. A proven track record of interdisciplinary research is imperative
• Scientific expertise that ensures ability to curate specific collection(s) held by the museum
• Considerable curatorial experience of natural history collections
• Extensive experience from a major natural history museum
• A record of scientific use of museum collections and/or data
• A vision for how digital, genomic, and other new technologies will drive advances in natural history science
• A proven ability to work at a strategic level
• An excellent track record of public engagement and creating impact beyond academia
• Experience working on museum exhibitions
• A broad understanding and appreciation of all areas of science relevant to the Natural History Museum of Denmark and an ability to demonstrate competence in leadership and management in an organisation of considerable size and complexity
• Experience in fundraising and actively work to grow research funding from external sources
• Supportive and performance-oriented people skills and commitment to an inclusive workplace that celebrates diversity and respect for everyone with equality and opportunity for all
• A passion for the vision and values of the Natural History Museum of Denmark
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Confidence in ability to provide advocacy for the Museum with multiple stakeholders

Applicants are required to have university level teaching experience, documented teaching competencies and must be able to explain and reflect upon own teaching practice and portfolio. Formal pedagogical training or supervision equivalent to the University of Copenhagen teacher training programme for assistant professors is required.

Duties include the applicant’s own research, development of the field, assessment tasks, grant applications, and research management such as supervision and training of research fellows and other staff. The successful applicant must also teach, supervise, prepare, and participate in examinations, and fulfil other tasks requested by the Department.

Assessment of applicants will primarily consider their level of documented, original scientific production at an international level, including contributions to developments in their field, as well as their documented teaching qualifications. Managerial and out-reach qualifications of applicants including ability to attract external funding will also be considered.

Six overall criteria apply for professor appointments at the University of Copenhagen. The six criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) are considered a framework for an overall assessment of the candidates.
Furthermore, each candidate must be assessed according to the specific requirements stated in the job advertisement.

Please read more at https://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/kriterier-for-videnskabelige-stillinger/dokumenter-til-meritering/5c_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-professors.pdf .

Furthermore, each candidate must be assessed according to the specific requirements stated in the job advertisement.
Please read more here

The position is open from 1 December 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About the Natural History Museum of Denmark

The Natural History Museum of Denmark is the Danish national museum for nature. We work to empower citizens to connect with nature with the aim to create positive change for people and planet. We want to inspire, engage, and enable people to enjoy, understand, and care for the diversity of the natural world. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic forces on biodiversity has reached a critical point. We firmly believe that natural history museums can and should play a key role towards a more sustainable relationship with nature.

We are currently building a new Danish national museum for nature. One big museum site, in the Botanical Garden, in the centre of Copenhagen, will host state-of-the-art laboratories, outstanding research collections, new public galleries, and combined facilities for programming, education, and citizen science. It is an ambition for the museum to change the way people think about and use natural history museums.

The Natural History Museum of Denmark supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in all aspects of museum activities.

The Natural History Museum consists of the national Botanical Garden and three museum sites with public galleries, offices, laboratories, and collection space. The Botanical Garden was founded in 1600. The collections date back to Ole Worm’s Cabinet of Curiosities from around 1620. With 14 million specimens and 9,000 different species in the Botanical Garden, it is the largest museum collection in Denmark. It covers our planetary history with botanical, zoological, and geological specimens from all over the world.

As a professor, you will build and lead research groups and engage in interdisciplinary research across the various research sections at the museum. The Natural History Museum of Denmark is part of the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen. The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is the largest in Denmark. Read more about the museum at www.snm.ku.dk/english/

Inquiries about the position can be made to Deputy Director of Research, Michael Storey (+45 40 18 54 97 or [email protected]). Please put “Professorship in natural history” in the subject of e-mail inquiries.

Affirmative action

The Natural History Museum of Denmark is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, or disabled status. We are actively promoting a strategy to improve the gender balance among scientific staff.

Copenhagen is a highly diverse and international Scandinavian capital with a green profile. Education is free and childcare is subsidized. Public transport is well developed, and most Copenhageners take their bikes to work. There are lots of green areas in and around Copenhagen, the water in the harbor is clean enough for swimming, and the city has multiple museums and other cultural venues.

Terms of employment

The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The successful candidate is expected to take Danish lessons if there is no prior knowledge of Danish language. The International Office at the University of Copenhagen can help.

How to apply

The application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include

• A cover letter stating the motivation for applying (1 page)

• Research profile: description of previous, current and future research plans (1 page)
• A vision for creating impact as a professor at the Natural History Museum of Denmark (1 page)
• Suggested curatorial area (half a page)

• Curriculum vitae documenting:
  • Leadership experience
  • Previous positions at museums, universities, or other research or cultural institutions
  • Fundraising experience
  • International network and relations
  • Curatorial experience (curation of collections)
  • Public engagement activities, i.e. citizen science projects, exhibitions, popular lectures or other relevant activities
  
  
• Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
• If available, description and documentation of teaching and supervision experience and qualifications- please describe and document:
  • Experience with supervision of BSc, MSc students, and PhD students
  • Teaching experience
  • Formal pedagogical training
  
  

• Complete publication list
• Separate reprints of up to 5 particularly relevant papers

The deadline for applications is 15 April 2024, 23:59 GMT+2

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorised recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.
We work thoroughly with this process. Several professionals from different fields must be involved. Therefore, we will not be ready for interviews until October.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews/trial lectures will be held on 10 October 2024.

Please refer to the following no. in future communication in this case: 211-0265/24-2K.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk