Tenure Track Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in plant-based food production with a special focus on sustainable weed management

Are you motivated about future sustainable arable cropping systems for plant-based food production? Do you want to contribute to the green transition of Danish and European crop production? If so, the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, invites applications for an attractive position in the Crop Health section to perform team-based projects. You will have the opportunity to expand your research portfolio in integrated weed management and sustainable crop production to support reduced reliance on chemical herbicides, advancing innovative solutions for weed management, and promoting the production of plant-based food. The Crop Health section carries out tasks for the Danish authorities, and you will also be involved in policy support related to herbicides and crop production, including the assessment of herbicide and plant growth regulator efficacy dossiers submitted for pesticide authorizations in Denmark and the EU Northern zone.

Depending on the qualifications of the applicants, the position is offered as either a Tenure Track Assistant Professor or an Associate Professor. In your application, you must indicate if you are applying for the Tenure Track Assistant Professorship, the Associate Professorship, or both. The position is full-time starting 1 February 2026, or as soon as possible afterwards.

Your profile

You have independent research-related qualifications at a high international level. You are a clear communicator, and you have some degree of experience of supervision and teaching at BSc and MSc degree level. Completed pedagogical courses in supervision or similar will be considered, as well as experience with external research collaborations. You have completed at least one productive stay in a different research environment.

Necessary qualifications for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor:
We are seeking a candidate with an extensive research background n weed management, demonstrating independent research excellence at a high international level. You should have the potential to develop into a highly influential research leader. Tenure-track positions are typically aimed at candidates who have not previously held an assistant professor position.

To be assessed as qualified for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor position, we expect you to:

• Have a PhD in weed management, agronomy, plant ecology,  or similar
• Document experience in scientific writing with several papers in high-quality journals or other high-quality publication channels
• Have established international research collaborations (e.g. joint papers and applications)
• Show proficiency in working collaboratively and establishing meaningful relationships.

Necessary qualifications for an Associate Professor:
You have established yourself as a prominent researcher within weed management and you possess solid research and teaching qualifications at a high international level. You have extensive collaborative skills and a broad academic network which you can bring into play both nationally and internationally. You have experience of research partnerships with private and public-sector stakeholders.  At the same time, you have demonstrated the ability to attract significant amounts of research funding from national and international bodies.
To be assessed as qualified for an Associate Professor position, you must:

• Hold a PhD in weed management, agronomy, plant ecology or similar
• Document experience in scientific writing with several papers in high-quality journals or other high-quality publication channels
• Possess a good H-index (depending on research area and number of years after PhD degree)
• Act or have acted as supervisor or co-supervisor of MSc and PhD students
• Have spent time on long-term research stay(s) abroad at another internationally acknowledged university or research institution
• Be skilled in working with others and possess the ability to form professional relationships.

For both positions, we prefer candidates with some of the following qualifications:

• Experience in planning and conducting experimental work on crop production, weed management, or weed ecology
• Insight into statistical analyses related to the research area
• Experience in collaboration with private companies, or the agricultural sector

For more information, please see Criteria for evaluating Candidates
Please refer to the tenure track guidelines for the tenure review criteria and for the tenure review process.

Research plan

It is required and very important for both positions that you provide a 2-3 page plan for research over the next 3-5 years within focused parts of the research area and have a clear potential to perform high-quality research as well as attract external funding.

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, Department of Agroecology, Forsøgsvej 1, Flakkebjerg, 4200 Slagelse. The affiliation will be with the Department of Agroecology.
More information can be obtained from associate professor René Gislum (rg@agro.au.dk). 

 

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 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/