Vacant job

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Description

The Department of Biology has over 50 employees and belongs to the Department of Environmental and Life Sciences at the Faculty of Health, Natural and Engineering Sciences. Biology offers bachelor's programs, master's programs, as well as teacher education in biology and natural sciences. Biology is also a doctoral subject and currently has 10 active doctoral students. Our main research areas are terrestrial plant and landscape ecology, aquatic ecology (the research group NRRV, natural resource flowing water), evolutionary biology, and biology didactics.

Research in terrestrial plant and landscape ecology focuses on how landscape patterns and processes affect ecological systems and biodiversity. The group works to understand the ecological and environmental consequences of land use, habitat fragmentation, and landscape dynamics over time. Research areas include the spread of invasive species, grasslands and wetlands, human-nature interactions, habitat modeling, and the development of tools for sustainable landscape management. For other research areas, see the biology department's website: https://www.kau.se/biologi (https://www.kau.se/biologi)

Job Responsibilities

The responsibilities include teaching and research. You are expected to take course responsibility and develop courses primarily at the bachelor's level in biology, such as 'Flora and Fauna' and 'Botany'. Additional teaching assignments may occur, for example within teacher education or the master's program.

You are also expected to conduct research that complements and broadens the research already conducted within the subject, as well as supervise students and doctoral students within your area. We expect a university lecturer to initiate new externally funded research projects in collaboration with colleagues within the department.

You are expected to collaborate with the surrounding society for mutual exchange, and to work to ensure that the knowledge and competence available at the university benefits society.

Qualifications

Eligible for employment as a university lecturer in biology with a focus on vegetation ecology and botany is one who has demonstrated pedagogical and scientific skill. In addition, a doctoral degree or equivalent scientific competence in biology is required, or alternatively some other professional competence that is significant with regard to the subject content of the employment and the tasks to be included in the employment.

Good knowledge of Swedish (or another Nordic language), both oral and written, is also required for the employment, as the teaching at the undergraduate level is conducted in Swedish.

According to Karlstad University's employment regulations, teachers must have completed higher education pedagogical training. If such training is lacking, employment can still take place, provided that the employee undertakes to complete it within the framework of the competence development period during the first two years of employment, or applies to have equivalent knowledge validated.

Additional qualification requirements according to the employment regulations:

• High quality and relevance of scientific production
• Ability to collaborate with the surrounding society, as well as to inform about activities and results
• Ability to drive and develop research/activities in the current subject
• Demonstrated good ability to plan, implement, develop and evaluate teaching, examination and other pedagogical activities, at different levels and with varying teaching methods

All employees at Karlstad University must have a good ability to cooperate and treat colleagues and students with respect. They must also take responsibility for both the activity and their own work and contribute to a good working environment.

Evaluation Criteria

In the assessment, equal weight will be given to scientific and pedagogical skill. The assessment is based on the criteria stated in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 4, Section 4.

The assessment primarily concerns experiences and merits from the last five years (a longer period may be considered in cases of parental leave, illness, or similar circumstances).

Special weight will be attached to:

• substantial and documented pedagogical skill regarding planning, implementation, and evaluation of teaching, supervision, and examination,
• substantial and documented scientific skill and high scientific production within vegetation ecology and/or botany,
• very good species knowledge of vascular plants, mosses, and lichens in the Swedish natural environment,
• good oral and written proficiency in English.

Great weight will be attached to:

• personal qualities such as good cooperation and communication skills as well as a positive attitude towards colleagues and students,
• ability to be proactive, initiate activities and achieve results, and ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work in a structured and efficient manner,
• documented success in obtaining external research funding, preferably larger grants,
• how well the applicant's research complements the current competence of the landscape ecology research group; ranking is based on the scope, depth, and relevance of the applicant's competence.

Weight will be attached to:

• how well the research conducted by the applicant can develop and strengthen research at Karlstad University, for example by contributing new methods or expert areas (e.g., eDNA or other molecular methods).
• competence in statistical analysis,
• experience in communicating research results to different groups in society,
• the ability to collaborate both within academia and with external actors,
• a comprehensive national and international network within the relevant research area.

Conditions

The employment is a permanent full-time position with a start date in May 2027 or as agreed. Probationary employment may apply.

Application

Applications are made through the university's web-based recruitment tool Varbi. Information on what your application should look like can be found in "What should be included in my application?"