The Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation invites applications for a 3-year, full time position as a postdoc with a particular focus on modelling heritage materials, buildings and collection climates.
We are looking for a visionary person with a professional profile who is committed to cross disciplinary collaboration, delivering results, presenting knowledge and contributing innovative thinking in the area. With a focus on process and method and the inclusion of the latest knowledge and technology, you are expected to be able to contribute cutting-edge knowledge to the field. The Institute of Conservation aims to build a strong research team and be on the forefront development in preventive conservation, material science and predictive modelling to design optimal heritage preservation considering climate change and minimized energy consumption. Our general aim is to strengthen the capacity for modelling and prediction for cultural and natural heritage collections, supplement our research competencies in the field and reinforce our networks and collaborations, both nationally and internationally. As postdoc you will be in the core of this effort and work with people with very different relevant backgrounds dedicated to heritage protection. You will be supervised by associate professors with strong track record in numerical simulations of matters who will be in charge of developing heritage modelling, as well as in conservation with broad experience in degradation of heritage.
The vacant position is affiliated with the Institute of Conservation. We hope to fill the position by 1 May 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Read more about the institute here:
Institute of Conservation The position We offer a creative, dedicated, stimulating and visionary educational and research environment. The successful candidate will enjoy contributory influence, responsibility and an opportunity to shape the Royal Danish Academy’s research and teaching. We value good collegial relationships conducive to mutual inspiration and discourse.
The postdoc position will consist of research in addition to a certain amount of teaching and a small amount of administrative work.
Your research will focus on predictive modelling of collections based on climate influence. Relevant materials are plastics, archaeological wood and paintings, and Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM).
Your teaching will focus on prediction modelling, damage functions, isoperms, and basic modelling approaches for conservation. The teaching can be conducted at all levels. One aim is to establish an international PhD course in ‘Materials and Modeling for Heritage’ and the postdoc will take part in developing and teaching this course.
Your duties will include:
- Research in modelling heritage materials, buildings and collection climates in a strong cross-disciplinary research team, in collaboration with relevant external institutions, enterprises and networks nationally and internationally
- Visionary and productive teamwork when planning future research projects, including actively participating in applying for external funding and fund-raising for the Institute of Conservation’s activities
- Teaching, curriculum planning and the associated administration related to the Royal Danish Academy’s programmes and interdisciplinary teaching, including preventive conservation, advanced degradation and material science.
- Participation in Royal Danish Academy committees where appropriate, as well as collegiate bodies
- Publishing and dissemination
In addition, you will be expected to participate in interdisciplinary teaching and research collaborations with the Royal Danish Academy’s other institutes and staff, including contributing to the content and development of interdisciplinary joint teaching at the Royal Danish Academy, as well as other tasks as required.
Qualifications As a minimum, you hold a relevant master’s level degree in engineering and a PhD or PhD-level scientific qualifications.
We also expect that you:
- Have excellent communication skills
- Are inclined to work in a cross-disciplinary team
- Have a strong interest in the conservation of heritage collections
- Have proficient knowledge in computer simulations:
- numerical methods including FEM and CFD
- parametric CAD tool such as Rhino/Grasshopper
- scientific coding
As the Royal Danish Academy focuses on research and teaching collaborations both internally and externally with museums, industry, public institutions and other institutions of higher education, it will be an advantage to have proven experience in developing, funding and implementing externally funded research projects.
Documented experience in teaching at bachelor’s and master’s level will also count in an applicant’s favour, as will experience in curriculum planning and development. In particular, you should be able to demonstrate an interest in actively contributing to research-based teaching at the Institute of Conservation in collaboration with the other teaching staff. In the overall assessment of the candidates for this position, importance will therefore be attached to a proven track record in innovative teaching.
Salary and terms of employment The terms of pay and employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement for academics in the Danish Ministry of Finance and a number of organisations under the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) for academic staff in public service. A qualification allowance will be negotiable, depending on your skills and experience.
The employment will also be in accordance with the job structure.
This is a full-time position with an average of 37 working hours per week and includes research and teaching duties, as well as a limited amount of administrative work. The distribution between research and teaching will generally be 75/25. The distribution of your duties may differ as deemed necessary by the Royal Danish Academy, and you may be required to undertake other job-related duties.
The position is a fixed-term appointment that will cease without further notice after 3 years.
Application Please submit a letter of motivation in English, an up-to-date CV, academic diplomas and certificates, documentation of your qualifications as listed above, a description of your research plans and a list of your published works, preferably including copies of works you wish to highlight (maximum five works). Finally, you should attach material that attests to your teaching qualifications. Any assessment(s) of previous postdoc positions held should also be enclosed.
You should submit your application via the link “Apply for position”
no later than 4 January 2026. Application material received after the application deadline will not be considered.
You can read about the application process
here.
Shortlisting is not used in this advertisement, and you may therefore disregard the description of the shortlisting process in the link above.
Further information Information regarding qualification requirements, the application process and the e-recruitment system can be obtained on request from HR-employee, Sandra Vally Jørgensen, svj@kglakademi.dk tel.: +45 4170 1606.
Details about the academic content of the position can be obtained on request from Head of Institute Rikke Bjarnhof, rbj@kglakademi.dk, tel. +45 4170 1641.
General information about the Royal Danish Academy can be found at
www.royaldanishacademy.com.
The Royal Danish Academy is an inclusive workplace that considers diversity a strength. We therefore encourage all qualified and interested applicants to apply for the position.