Position of Associate professor in Marine Ecology – microorganisms and phytoplankton in high latitude ecosystems

Eallju – Developing the High North

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus research university and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective. 

UiT has approx. 18 000 students, more than 4000 employees, and is established at 4 main campuses and 7 study sites in the whole of Northern Norway and Svalbard. Our main campuses is in Tromsø, Alta, Narvik and Harstad. 

Read more about UiT´s strategy towards 2030

The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE) consists of Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NFH) and School of Business and Economics. 

The main task of BFE is to conduct teaching and research dissemination at a high national and international level within all relevant fields. Prioritized research areas are aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, climate, life in the arctic, marine bioprospecting, fish health, seafood products, business and macroeconomics, resources and environment, markets and management of marine resources. The interdisciplinary profile of the faculty provides good opportunity to develop research projects involving several research groups at the faculty according to its strategy

 The position

Are you our new colleague, with expertise in polar phytoplankton and other microbes? The Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB) has a vacant position as Associate Professor in Marine Ecology, which seeks links to the strategic initiative towards the Arctic Ocean 2050 program. The position is focusing on phytoplankton and microbial organisms in Subarctic and Arctic marine areas and affiliated with the research group Arctic Marine System Ecology (AMSE).
 

The Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB) includes 6 research groups distributed across three buildings. Research and teaching at AMB has a broad span, from molecular mechanisms at cellular/subcellular levels via studies of adaptations at the organismal level, to ecological interactions in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The department is an exciting and cutting-edge academic and research unit in biology that addresses basic research, industrial and governmental-oriented research with a strong focus on northern ecosystems. UiT has access to icebreaker ship time and has research vessels for open ocean and fjord research. The department has in-house sea water and a broad span of lab facilities. AMB has extensive national and international research collaborations including regional institutions like the Fram Centre, Institute of Marine Research and the Norwegian Polar Institute. 

The AMSE research group focuses on studies of structure and function of high-latitude marine ecosystems. There is work on a large variety of organisms, ranging from bacteria through plankton, benthic animals and parasites, to top predators such as fish and seabirds, and often takes a system-level approach. Understanding trophic interactions, life cycles, and the responses of organisms to various biotic and abiotic factors, including changing climate and environmental contaminants, are common interests within the group.  The research group is part of a broader Arctic research environment at AMB, our sister department Norwegian College of Fisheries Science (NFH), the Fram Centre, and the ARCTOS research network. There is extensive national and international collaboration.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start the position within a reasonable time, after receiving the offer.

The position’s field of research or work

The position is expected to actively contribute to research on pelagic microorganisms and/or primary producers. Emphasis should be on organism roles in biogeochemical and trophic cycling of carbon and nutrients. The new hire should use modern technology and observational and/or experimental methods to strengthen the research group’s competence and activity. The position will complement and integrate activities within the Arctic Marine System Ecology research group, emphasizing collaboration.

The position includes 50% teaching responsibilities within subjects such as botany, marine biology, and ecology as part of the Bachelor’s (Norwegian) and Master’s (English) programs in Biology. Furthermore, supervision at the bachelor-, master- and PhD-levels is part of the position. Participation in the planning, implementation, and development of study programs is expected. The new hire will contribute to dissemination and communication in the field of expertise both internally, within the academic community, and to management and the public in general. AMB expects the new hire to engage themselves in the ongoing development of your discipline and the university.

Qualifications

Required competence: 

• Doctoral degree in relevant field, or competence at a corresponding level documented by scientific work of the same scope and quality.
• Documented international recognition in your field and an international network, with documented scientific qualifications beyond doctoral level.
• Documented ability to obtain external funding for research.
• Documented expertise in process-orientated research related to microorganisms and/or phytoplankton, focusing on their roles in biogeochemical and trophic cycling of carbon and nutrients.
• Documented expertise on Arctic marine biology, ecology, and ecosystem function.
• Documented skills in quantitative data analysis.
• Documented pedagogical competence (can be acquired – see below). 
• Excellent written and oral presentation skills in English at level C2, and skills in Scandinavian languages at minimum level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Those who do not meet the requirement for Scandinavian language skills must do so within three years of appointment. UiT facilitates attendance of Norwegian courses.

We are seeking a colleague with strong collaboration skills, engagement, and initiative to strengthen competence and contribute to collaboration and academic development within the AMSE research group. Personal suitability will therefore be emphasized. The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

Additional desirable skills:

• Experience in phytoplankton species identification.
• Competence in quantitative estimates of microbial/primary production and nutrient uptake dynamics.
• Competence and interest in phytoplankton-microbial interactions.
• Experience with modern observational technologies, e.g. remote sensing, and other approaches.
• Marine fieldwork experience. 
• Experience in supervising master and PhD students.
• Teaching experience at bachelor-, master- and PhD-levels, including teaching experience in botany (micro- and macro-algae).

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

Pedagogical competence

All applicants for teaching and research positions shall document their pedagogical competence. You must have acquired basic competence for teaching and supervision at higher education level. This includes basic skills in planning, conducting, evaluating and developing teaching and guidance. For information about how to document pedagogical competence and teaching portfolio, see: https://result.uit.no/om-pedagogisk-mappe/  (Only in Norwegian) 

Those who do not meet the requirements for pedagogical competence upon employment will be required to meet them within two years. UiT offers courses in educational competence to employees.

Application

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee’s mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants’
qualifications on the basis of the written material presented by the applicants, and the description draw up for the position. The application must include: 

• Cover letter (max 2 pages) including a statement on how you envision future collaboration within AMSE both in terms of research and teaching.
• An outline of your future research plans relevant for the position (max 2 pages). 
• CV containing a complete overview of education, experience and professional work. 
• Diplomas, diploma supplements and transcripts (all degrees, in original language and translated to English or a Scandinavian language). 
• Two references with contact details. 
• Documented pedagogical competence (if applicable). Brief description of teaching philosophy/documentation of educational competence in the form of a pedagogical map or course certificate of completed university pedagogical basic competence such as UNIPED 100 at UiT or equivalent from other universities.
• Documentation of Norwegian/Scandinavian proficiency can be done with the following: 
  • High school diploma.
  • Course certificate for Norwegian/Scandinavian test.
• Proficiency in the English language can be documented in the following ways: 
  • Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours) 
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) 
  • IELTS (International English Testing Service) 
  • Completed university degree in the field of English language or literature 
  • One year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instructions. 
• A list and description of your academic production, including a PDF of the five publications you consider most relevant for the position. The list should include the following:
  • author(s), title of the work 
  • for articles: name of the journal and volume, first and last page of the article, year of publication 
  • for other publications: publisher, printer, year of publication, number of pages  
• The academic works (published or not) you wish us to take into consideration in the assessment 

Documentation has to be in English or a Scandinavian language. The application and submitted documents must be sent electronically via www.jobbnorge.no. The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall among other things, aim to clarify the applicants personal suitability for the position and motivations. A trial lecture may also be held.

We offer

• Research and educational leave (R&E leave)
• Good welfare arrangements for employees
• Good career opportunities
• Good arrangements for pension, insurance and loans in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The remuneration for Associate Professor is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1011 with a gross annual salary ranging from NOK 750.000 to 890.000 in a 100 % position. In special cases, a higher salary may be considered. There will be a deduction of 2 % per year from your gross salary to the Norwegian Public Sector Pension Fund.

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

The allocation of working hours is flexible and allocated on a case-by-case basis. In general Associate Professors will spend an equal amount of time on teaching and research and development work after time spent on other duties has been deducted. As a norm, the time resources spent on administrative duties constitutes 5 % for academic staff. 

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

More information about moving to Norway and working at UiT: http://uit.no/mobility

​According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence. 

Questions about the position

Camilla Svensen

forskningsgruppeleder

+4777644532

camilla.svensen@uit.no

Hanne Risan Johnsen

Instituttleder

+4777645272

hanne.r.johnsen@uit.no