The Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark invites applications for a permanent position as Associate Professor in experimental CERN-related physics.

The department seeks to strengthen its existing activities in experimental physics in relation to CERN. The group currently participates in experiments at CERN with focus on anti-hydrogen physics, low-energy nuclear physics and strong-field quantum electrodynamics and wishes to expand into other or similar areas of research performed at CERN, preferably areas that may be synergetic with the current activities. We are thus looking for applicants who will complement and/or strengthen the existing CERN-related physics research group at the department.

The position is open from July 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Your profile

The successful candidate will establish a cutting-edge research activity in experimental CERN-related physics at the department.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in, e.g., particle and/or nuclear physics, substantial experience with the operation of several kinds of detectors, and the analysis and interpretation of data and a strong publication record in experimental physics.

The successful candidate must:

• Demonstrate achieved and ongoing funding at the level of minimum the equivalent of an ERC Starting Grant and show a clear and realistic plan for how to sustain such a level of external research funding to support the activities.

• Lead independent research projects within a CERN collaboration and possibly suggest new directions that may lead to future collaborations.

• Engage in local and international collaborations with both experimentalists and theoreticians.

• Have a strong research record

• Document examples of leadership.

In addition, the candidate is required to take an active role in developing the teaching program at the department. The candidate must hold a PhD in physics or equivalent and document the ability to teach physics at all levels of the University curriculum. The successful candidate must document substantial experience with the supervision of BSc, MSc and PhD students and postdocs, and is expected to continue the high level of supervision activities.

Place of work, area of employment and language requirements

The place of work is Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. The successful applicant is expected to contribute positively to e.g. scientific discussions in the local research community at Aarhus University and to the general working environment at the department. Extended research stays at CERN at the level of 2-3 months per year in total are possible, subject to annual negotiation with the head of department and under the condition that teaching obligations are respected, whereas applicants wishing to reside permanently at CERN will not be considered.

The successful candidate must be able to communicate in English, both orally and in writing. There is no initial requirement concerning the level of Danish. However, since there is a national minimum requirement concerning teaching in the BSc-program in Danish, the successful candidate must be able to speak, read and write Danish within 3 years of taking up the position, at a level equivalent to that required for MSc students, see https://masters.au.dk/how-to-apply/admission-requirements/danish-language-requirements. Course fees etc. in this connection are covered by the department.

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Head of Department, Professor Ulrik Ingerslev Uggerhøj, phone +4523382373, email ulrik@phys.au.dk.

Deadline

The application deadline is March 31st, 2026

Gender balance

Ensuring gender balance at the Department of Physics and Astronomy is a high priority, and therefore we particularly encourage qualified women to apply for this position. No candidate will be given preferential treatment, and all applicants will be assessed based on their qualifications for the position in question.

Career Development & Environment

Aarhus University offers talented scientists from around the world attractive career perspectives. As an associate professor, you will be part of a vibrant academic community with access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure. The university provides:

• Support to develop scientific networks and secure interdisciplinary research at the highest level.

• Capability development, including pedagogical training.

• A broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling.

In addition, the state and in particular the city of Aarhus offers attractive conditions for new faculty members with family, e.g. with good access to childcare, spouse career counselling and typically favorable transportation times from home to work. Denmark is consistently voted as one of the happiest nations in the world, and is in general a very safe and socially secure country to live in. The city of Aarhus is located with forests, fields and beaches close by, e.g. offering a variety of outdoor activities.

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks 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 will receive his/her assessment. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

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

Natural 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.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.


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.

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 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/