Do you want to shape the future of digital nature monitoring?
Do you have experience with LiDAR, AI, and ecology—and want to contribute to remote sensing research for biodiversity and ecosystems? The Department of Ecoscience is looking for a Researcher to join our team and help advance ecological monitoring using cutting-edge tools and methods.  In this position, you'll have the opportunity to apply innovative technology to real-world conservation challenges, working directly with data that informs habitat management and biodiversity protection.
 

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a four year position starting on 1st of February 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. 

Job description

The Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, is seeking talented Researchers in remote sensing, vegetation mapping, and LiDAR-based ecology. We're looking for candidates with strong technical skills and ecological interest—people who want to use LiDAR, AI, and spatial modeling to advance our understanding of vegetation, habitats, and biodiversity. The position is based in the Section for Biodiversity, where research, advisory work, and innovation come together to shape the future of ecological monitoring.


Responsibilities

• Drive forward the department’s analytical and statistical expertise in remote sensing, LiDAR, AI tools, GIS, and spatial modeling.
• Take a leading role in developing digital tools and methodologies for next-generation nature monitoring.
• Collaborate closely with ongoing initiatives in remote sensing and with the National Topic Centre for Terrestrial Habitats and Species, contributing to the development of cutting-edge solutions for biodiversity research and monitoring.

Qualifications

We are seeking candidates who bring strong research expertise and technical skills within remote sensing and ecology. The successful candidate should have:

Required:

• A PhD degree with a publication record in peer-reviewed international journals
• Experience with remote sensing, LiDAR, or GIS applications
• Programming skills in Python, R, and/or GIS tools

Highly valued:

• Background in LiDAR point-cloud analysis and vegetation structure analysis or habitat monitoring
• Experience applying AI or machine learning methods to remote sensing data
• Experience with drone-based point cloud collection
• Experience working with or advising authorities or stakeholders
• While the role involves occasional communication with Danish authorities, we welcome international candidates and provide support for language learning. Danish proficiency is beneficial but not required to start

 

Who we are

The Department of Ecoscience is engaged in applied research and advisory work for authorities covering the major biological subdisciplines. We conduct research in the areas of conservation biology and wildlife management, aquatic biology and ecology, and biodiversity. The Department currently employs approximately 275 academic and technical staff, as well as PhD students, distributed at two geographical locations in Aarhus and Roskilde. The Section for Biodiversity is situated in Aarhus and employs about 25 staff members.
For more information on the Department see: http://ecos.au.dk/en/
 

What we offer

• Excellent research infrastructure with access to state-of-the-art facilities, shared technical equipment, and strong technical support for fieldwork and data-intensive projects.
• A vibrant interdisciplinary environment, with close links across ecology, biodiversity, AI, and remote sensing — both within Aarhus University and with leading collaborators worldwide.
• A stimulating research culture that values open discussion, academic freedom, and innovation across disciplines, set in a workplace characterized by professionalism, equality, and a healthy work–life balance.
• Applied research with real-world impact: instead of traditional teaching, you will contribute to the department’s advisory work for governmental institutions, ensuring your research is actively used in shaping evidence-based policy and management of nature.
• Life in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city: Aarhus offers a vibrant research hub, a dynamic cultural scene, and easy access to nature and coastline. The city is internationally oriented yet compact and livable, making it an ideal place to balance a research career with a high quality of life.

 

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 8, bld. 1110, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
 

Contact information

For further information, please contact:
Head of Section, Camilla Fløjgaard +45 6169 3836 (camf@ecos.au.dk) or
Senior Researcher Jesper Moeslund +45 2322 7111 (jesper@ecos.au.dk)
 

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than November 27, 2025
 


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

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.

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/