Vacant job

Gothenburg University meets societal challenges with diverse knowledge. 58,000 students and 6,800 employees make the university a large and inspiring workplace. Strong research and attractive education attract researchers and students from all over the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, Gothenburg University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Earth Sciences currently has about 75 employees working in the fields of physical geography, ecosystem science, and geology. We have specializations in regional climate, polar climate, paleoclimate, urban climate, alpine and polar ecology, GIS and remote sensing, hydrogeology, geophysics, Quaternary geology, and microgeochemistry. Our three prioritized research themes are "Climate and Climate Change", "Processes of the Earth's Surface", and "Geosphere". The department is well-equipped with laboratories, such as a drone lab, GIS teaching lab, an ice lab, and biogeochemical analysis lab. The department also manages the infrastructure at Skogaryd Research Station (www.gu.se/geovetenskaper/skogaryd-forskningsstation (http://www.gu.se/geovetenskaper/skogaryd-forskningsstation)), which offers an excellent opportunity to conduct research within the intended focus area of the position. The department's work focuses on Fennoscandia and polar regions. Further information about the department can be found on our website: www.gu.se/geovetenskaper (http://www.gu.se/geovetenskaper).

Job Responsibilities

The main task as a researcher is research (up to 100%) and some teaching (up to 20%). The job responsibilities include conducting independent and collaborative research, writing scientific articles, applying for external research funding, and participating in scientific meetings, conferences, and networks. Job responsibilities may include supervising bachelor's and master's students' theses, as well as supervising doctoral students and postdocs. Teaching is conducted at the undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels.

If the applicant does not have Swedish as their native language, there is an opportunity within the employment to learn Swedish to meet the requirement of level B2 according to the CEFR ("Common European Framework of Reference for Languages").

Qualifications

Eligible for employment as a researcher is someone who has obtained a PhD in didactics with a focus on environmental and sustainability education, environmental education, environment and health, sustainability science, or another subject that the employer assesses as equivalent and relevant.

Particular emphasis is placed on scientific competence. Pedagogical skills are meritorious.

For the position, we will particularly assess expertise in socio-ecological health, with a specific focus on environmental pollutants, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an environmental and societal health challenge. Experience in analyzing health risks arising in the intersection between environmental infrastructures (e.g., water systems and groundwater), healthcare systems, and everyday practices is a requirement. A deep understanding of environmental determinants of health, including synthetic co-pollutants such as antimicrobial substances, microplastics, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and their interplay with microbial dynamics and health management is central. The successful candidate has a broad and integrative understanding of socio-ecological systems that connect public health, environmental and sustainability education, environmental governance, and sustainable development, as well as the ability to communicate complex scientific knowledge to professionals, policymakers, and the public. Particular merit is given to applicants with long-term, grounded international research experience and documented ability to co-create knowledge together with healthcare professionals, local communities, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations. Experience in designing, leading, and evaluating participatory and intervention-oriented research, such as initiatives for AMR health literacy, citizen research programs on water quality, and policy-oriented collaborative processes, is considered a strong merit. The candidate should possess methodological competence in advanced qualitative research, participatory research methods, and comparative policy analysis, as well as methods suitable for studying complex socio-ecological health risks and management processes. Experience in coordinating and leading interdisciplinary research consortia and obtaining external research funding competitively is also regarded as a significant merit. Interest in and documented commitment to sustainability transitions, health risk governance, and the intersection of science, policy, and society at national and international levels is a requirement. A long-term research vision that promotes interdisciplinary research in socio-ecological health is also a strong merit.

The candidate should be able to communicate very well in English both orally and in writing.

Employment

Employment form: Permanent position as a researcher

Scope: 100%, full-time

Location: Department of Earth Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden

Start date: No later than April 1, 2026

Contact Information for the Position

Robert Björk, Vice Dean for Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Gothenburg University, Professor of Ecosystem Science, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), Tel: +46 70 454 6541

Application

You apply for the position via Gothenburg University's recruitment portal by clicking the "Apply" button. In the portal, the advertisement is available in its entirety with more information on what should be included in the application. As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and that it is received by the university no later than the application deadline.

The application must be submitted by: February 12, 2026

The university actively works for a working environment with equal conditions and values the qualities that diversity brings to the organization.

The university applies individual salary setting.

According to the National Archives' regulations, the university is obliged to store application documents for two years after the appointment decision. If you as an applicant specifically request the return of your documents, they will be sent back after the two years have passed; otherwise, they will be disposed of.

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