Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to work within two closely collaborating research projects aimed at developing and improving the early rearing environment for piglets in commercial production. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to engage in other ongoing research projects related to animal behavior and welfare.

About the Job

The research on pigs focuses on:

• Investigating the long-term effects of providing piglets with choice early in life regarding how and what they can root and explore for food. The studies include effects on stress resilience, cognitive development, behavior, stress physiology, and health, as well as production outcomes up to slaughter.
• Establishing a Living Lab where practical solutions for feeding and enrichment are developed together with farmers and other stakeholders. The strategies are implemented on commercial farms and evaluated concerning the welfare, health, microbiota, behavior, and economic consequences for piglets in real production environments.

Together, the projects address a central challenge in commercial pig production: how to meet natural foraging behaviors, support gut and brain development, reduce stress sensitivity, and prevent welfare and health issues at and after weaning.

The position offers a unique opportunity to combine experimental animal welfare research, field-based development work in a Living Lab, collection of behavioral and physiological data, and innovation work in close collaboration with the industry. There are also good opportunities to contribute to and maximize scientific publication through analysis and manuscript work within other behavior and welfare projects.

Your Main Responsibilities Include:

• Conducting behavioral observations, welfare assessments, cognitive tests such as object recognition, problem-solving, and attention bias, as well as sampling for stress physiology in longitudinal studies following pigs from early age to slaughter.
• Analyzing health, production, and welfare data such as growth, injuries, diarrhea, tail biting, resilience indicators, BDNF, IGF 1, and immunological parameters.
• Contributing to the integration of measures of brain plasticity, stress resilience, and affective indicators with behavioral outcomes.
• Planning and conducting workshops, interviews, and co-creation activities together with farmers, veterinarians, feed companies, advisors, and other stakeholders.
• Supporting the implementation of choice-based feeding and enrichment strategies on commercial farms in collaboration with project partners.
• Collecting data on behavior, welfare, microbiota, and production in real farm environments.
• Collaborating with economists and advisors on cost-benefit analyses of enrichment measures.
• Structuring and analyzing extensive behavioral and physiological datasets.
• Leading or co-authoring scientific publications in high-quality international journals.
• Presenting results at scientific conferences and meetings with industry and other stakeholders.
• Contributing to popular science materials such as infographics, videos, and reports aimed at farmers.

Your Background

Requirements

• PhD in animal science, ethology, animal welfare, veterinary medicine, animal physiology, or a related field.
• Strong competence in behavioral data, welfare assessment, and practical experimental work.
• Strong statistical skills, preferably with experience in R.
• Practical experience working with farm animals, preferably pigs.
• Ability to independently plan and conduct research, lead fieldwork, and collaborate in interdisciplinary teams.
• Excellent spoken and written English skills.
• Experience with scientific publication.
• Driver's license (B) due to travel to farms.

Meritorious

• Experience with cognitive and emotional testing on animals, such as behavioral tests and attention bias.
• Sampling and analysis of stress physiological markers such as cortisol, ACTH, and immune parameters.
• Field studies in commercial animal production.
• Co-creation methods or Living Lab approaches.
• Good knowledge of Swedish in spoken and written form.
• Interest in collaboration with the industry, applied welfare innovation, and translational research.

Research Environment

The position offers excellent opportunities for career development, including leadership roles in research, development of welfare-promoting measures in practice, and international collaboration within networks such as PigWeb, LIFT, and other European initiatives.

The position is intended for a junior researcher, and we are primarily looking for individuals who have obtained their PhD within the last three years.

About Us

The goal of our institution is to promote good animal husbandry and animal welfare as well as sustainable food production with high product quality through research and education about animals with a focus on feed and nutrition, management and environment, ethology and animal ethics, animal welfare, and animal protection. We are about 125 employees working in Uppsala, Skara, Umeå, and Gothenburg.

More information about us can be found here: Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare (https://www.slu.se/om-slu/jobba-pa-slu/)

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU here (https://www.slu.se/om-slu/jobba-pa-slu/).

Location:

Uppsala

Employment Type:

Fixed-term employment for 24 months

Extent:

100%

Start Date:

By agreement (spring 2026)

Application:

Welcome with your application via the application button below no later than 2026-02-20.

Union Contacts:

Union contacts (https://internt.slu.se/min-anstallning/facket/kontaktpersoner/)

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) plays a key role in the development of sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interactions between humans, animals, and ecosystems and responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Main locations are Alnarp, Umeå, and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks, and educational sites throughout the country.

SLU has over 4000 employees, 6000 students, and researchers, with a turnover of over 4.5 billion SEK. The university invests in attractive environments on its campuses. We strive for a gender-equal and inclusive work environment where open conversations between people with different experiences lay the foundation for scientific rigor, creativity, and development. We therefore welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to apply for the current position.