Two-year postdoc position at Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences

The Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, calls for applications for a full-time postdoc position. The two-year position is available from 1 September 2026, or soon thereafter.
The positions will be in the research unit Behaviour, Stress and Welfare (BSW).

Postdoc in poultry and pig behaviour and welfare

Animal welfare science increasingly recognises that robust and valid welfare assessment requires multidimensional indicators that capture both the negative and positive states animals may experience. Welfare assessment systems of today therefore focus on identifying problems such as disease, injury or physiological stress and describe indicators of positive welfare, reflecting animals’ capacity to experience positive affective states and to express motivated behaviours, including exploration, environmental engagement, locomotion and play.

The 2-year postdoc position focuses on the assessment of animal welfare, involving development and validation of positive welfare indicators and the associated methods in broiler chickens as well as investigating welfare consequences of e.g. umbilical outpouchings in finisher pigs. Besides creating a strong research basis, the candidate will be involved in research-based consultancy for the Danish public sector and the two EU Reference Centers on Welfare of poultry and pigs, respectively.

Qualifications

• Academic qualifications at PhD level in applied ethology or related fields
• Extensive experience in applied behaviour and welfare research, preferably in poultry and pigs
• Experience in designing experiments and project management
• Extensive experience in data handling and data analysis is considered a merit
• Excellent skills in written communication of research results as evidenced by publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals
• For non-Scandinavian candidates, an effort to learn to read, write and speak Danish is a requirement.

What we offer

• A well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment and animal experimental facilities
• An informal and multicultural research environment with high professionalism and close collaboration and networking activities
• A workplace characterised by equality and a good work-life balance, and an open discussion across different fields of research.

Contact

Further information on the position in the research unit BSW may be obtained from Senior Researcher Anja Brinch Riber, phone: +4522353374, email: anja.riber@anivet.au.dk

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, AU Viborg,
Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, and the area of employment is Aarhus University (AU)
with related departments.

Who we are

Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences is well-known for its skilled and very innovative interdisciplinary research environments with high international impact. We perform world-class research, which contributes with solutions to solve essential societal challenges within the green transition: food production and veterinary medicine – nationally and globally.

The department generates novel research at the highest international level within sustainable food production, environment, climate, health and welfare for animals and humans. The activities form the basis for the research-based public sector consultancy and degree programs covering bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degree programs within animal science and veterinary medicine. We offer a lively, engaged and innovative learning and study environment, which is closely integrated in the research environment.

Our department has unique and advanced animal experimental research facilities and technologies, situated in close connection to the research environment, and a comprehensive national and international research network and good industrial and professional collaboration.

Please refer to Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (au.dk) for further
information about the department: https://anivet.au.dk/en

Living in Denmark

Please visit the international staff website: https://internationalstaff.au.dk/prearrival/ for information about arriving to and living in Denmark for both the applicants and their potential families.
 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified 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 each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

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 depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

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.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it 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.
 

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 37,000 students (FTEs) and 8.700 employees and has an annual revenue of EUR 1.106 billion. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/