The Natural History Museum Denmark invites applicants for a post doc position in Marine Plankton Interactions. Start date is 1 July 2026 or after agreement and is funded for c. 2½ years. The project is part of a Danish Research Foundation project entitled; “Role and fate of algal toxins in single-celled grazer-microalgal interactions in the marine ecosystem”.

The post doc focuses on predator-prey systems in marine ecosystems, trying to understand the tight interplay between grazing and prey defense, and particularly for potential harmful algal species as they can affect the whole ecosystem and associated functions and services. The project will focus on the interaction between toxigenic microalgae and their protist grazers.

At the Natural History Museum in Denmark, the candidate will be part of the microalgal group in the Botanical section. The group has a broad and long history for research focusing on diversity and ecology of microalgae, with a broad focus on particularly diatoms and dinoflagellates and with special attention on toxigenic species. As a museum, we house a microalgal collection and have a focus on public outreach. We are located in the middle of Copenhagen, in the Botanical Garden area.

The postdoc’s duties will include research within marine plankton interactions as well as teaching and dissemination. The post may also include performance of other duties.

About the Natural History Museum Denmark

The Natural History Museum Denmark is the Danish national museum for nature. We work to empower citizens to connect with nature with the aim of creating 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 center 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 enhance natural history and inspire curiosity, knowledge, and empowerment for the future.

The Natural History Museum consists of the national Botanical Garden, and the new museum site 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 preserved specimens and 8,000 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.

The Natural History Museum 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 http://www.snm.ku.dk/english/.

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

The University wishes our staff to reflect on the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environments with the possibility of being part of two different research institutions. The museum in Copenhagen has excellent laboratory facilities for culturing as well as experimental work on microalgae in temperature-controlled rooms, advanced microscopy and imaging labs as well as a molecular lab. The post doc will collaborate closely with Per Juel Hansen, Dep. of Biology.

We are looking for the following qualifications:

● PhD in marine plankton biology, preferably with a background and interest in taxonomy, biodiversity and ecology of marine microalgae and their interaction with grazers

● Experience in grazing experiments on marine microalgae

● Molecular experience in preferable, but not needed

● Relevant publications within the project area

● Curious mind-set with a strong interest in natural sciences and arctic, systematics and or/taxonomy

● Good collaboration, communication and fluent English language skills

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 Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Application and Assessment Procedure

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

Please include:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. Curriculum vitae

3. Original diplomas for PhD

4. Complete publication list

5. Separate reprints of three relevant papers

6. References

The deadline for applications is 12 April 2026, 23:59 GMT +2.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.

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

Interviews will be held first in end April.

Questions for specific information, please contact Professor Nina Lundholm, nlundholm@snm.ku.dk.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.