SDU Civil and Architectural Engineering (CAE) invites applications for a vacant position as Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering, focusing on advancing probabilistic modelling techniques for assessing and improving the performance of existing structures. The position is to be filled by February 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position is a five-year Tenure Track Position. Before the end of the fifth year of employment and with no advertisement of the position, the successful candidate will be offered a permanent (tenured) position as Associate Professor provided that a positive academic assessment is received. 

Job Description

The successful candidate will be a part of the research group SDU Structures. The primary responsibilities of the position include research, teaching and supervision. Focusing on probabilistic modelling of existing structures, the successful candidate will carry out research related to the new research programme called Civil Engineering and the Green Transition in the Built Environment (CEBE). SDU Structures is co-leading the programmes research on existing structures in collaboration with Aarhus University and Technical University of Denmark. The successful candidate will be able to contribute to and preferably build upon the existing areas of the research group. As a part of the CEBE research programme the successful candidate will join a highly ambitious initiative involving extensive national and international collaboration with leading academic institutions and industry partners. 

The candidate will supervise PhD and MSc students involved in the CEBE research programme in close collaboration with the other researchers involved in the programme. The successful candidate will be part of a vibrant and growing research environment with strong ties to industry, offering opportunities for applied research and innovation.

The research activities will be linked to the educational programmes in Civil Engineering, where the selected candidate will contribute to teaching and supervision in the areas of structural engineering. 

Research focus areas

SDU Structures focuses on experimental and analytical research of concrete and timber structures. The experimental research is predominantly carried out in the SDU Structures laboratory which is equipped with state-of-the-art testing and data acquisition equipment for structural testing. Within the CEBE research programme, the group will be active within the following areas:

• Probabilistic assessment of structures and structural elements. Including focus on uncertainty modelling of structural models and load models.

• Derivation of optimal target reliability, incorporating environmental and sustainability considerations 

• Concrete plasticity and limit analysis for structural assessment and safety evaluation.

• Capacity and strengthening of existing structures.

• Residual load-bearing capacity of damaged existing structures.

• Design, optimization and calculation of robotically printed concrete structures.

• Development of sustainable concrete solutions with emphasis on structural performance. 

• Circular design and reuse of structural concrete elements.

• Behaviour and development of design methods for structural concrete.

• Design and strength of connections for concrete and timber structures.

• Aerodynamic stability and wind-induced response of long-span bridges.

Teaching

The position involves participation in teaching activities, including teaching structural and safety engineering courses and supervising student projects in the Civil Engineering programmes. SDU Structures contribute significantly to the following educational programmes:

• Professional Bachelor (BEng) in Civil Engineering

• BSc in Civil and Architectural Engineering

• MSc in Civil and Engineering, with a specialization track in structural engineering

The selected candidate will be enrolled in the Lecturer Training Programme at SDU to strengthen the candidate’s educational and pedagogical skills.

Qualifications

• The candidate must hold a PhD degree in structural engineering or similar. Preferably covering areas of probabilistic engineering or structural safety.

• Internationally competitive research experience within probabilistic modelling.

• Strong research outcome during or as a result of the PhD project

• Preferably Postdoc or similar experience

• A strong research potential

In addition, experience in innovation and bringing research results to the market will be highly valued as well as experience with teaching structural engineering courses.

Contact information

Further information about the position is available from Head of Section, Associate Professor Henrik Brøner Jørgensen, tel. +45 65507520, email: hebj@iti.sdu.dk. 

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk. 

Conditions of employment

The position is open now and the start date is as soon as possible but negotiable and preferably no later than February 1, 2026.

Employment as an assistant professor requires scientific qualifications at PhD level. 

With the tenure track programme at the Faculty of Engineering, SDU, we offer an attractive career opportunity for promising scholars. The tenure track is aimed at the most talented scholars who have established a high level in their current research and other professional work, and those who possess exceptional potential to achieve the highest international level within their research area. 

Appointment as a tenure track assistant professor is a 5-year temporary position with a guaranteed assessment for a permanent position and if successful you are promoted to associate professor by the end of the programme, provided an expert assessment committee confirms that you have acquired the international level of scholarly excellence characteristic of associate professors. Indicators of relevant scholarly merits include documented independent scholarly output, ground-breaking publications, achievement of excellence grants, and international research network. 

Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the protocol for the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for tenure track assistant professor as described herein. Further information on salary and taxation. The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial evaluation, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organiser”.

During employment, the assistant professor will complete the Lecturer Training Programme. 

An application must include:

• Statement of motivation

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae

• Diplomas/Certificates (MSc and PhD degree)

• List of publications indicating the publications attached

• Examples of the most relevant publications. Please attach one pdf-file for each publication

• A teaching portfolio as documentation for teaching experience as well as supervision qualifications may also be included. 

• Reference letters and other relevant qualifications may also be included.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English and be in PDF format. CPR number (civil registration no.) must be crossed out. All PDF-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected. 

UPLOAD GUIDE: Statement of motivation shall be uploaded under ‘Cover letter’ (max. 5 MB), Curriculum Vitae shall be uploaded under ‘Resume’ (max 5 MB). All other documents shall be uploaded under ‘Miscellaneous documents’ (max 10 files of max 50 MB per file). 

The application deadline is December 15, 2025, at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST) 

Assessment and selection process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU.  Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation.

Read about the Assessment and selection process.  

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The University of Southern Denmark wishes our staff to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, are subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.