Natural History Museum

Job description

A permanent position as an Associate Professor in Zoology is available at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo. The appointment is a fulltime position with a start date of January 1, 2026 or by agreement.

The Natural History Museum (NHM) in Oslo houses the largest natural history collections in Norway, including extensive zoological collections of vertebrates and invertebrates. The Department of Research and Collections is currently organized in nine thematic research groups, four of them with a research focus on animals. The wet collections (ethanol/formalin) include significant collections of annelids, arthropods, bryozoans, chordates (fishes, amphibians, reptiles and birds, but also tunicates), cnidarians, echinodermates, flatworms, molluscs and sponges. NHM has a current focus on strengthening curation and research of its wet collections, and the appointed candidate will be expected to take responsibility for one or more of these collections according to the candidate’s taxonomic research profile and interests. NHM has a strategic goal of strengthening cutting edge research on museum specimens and to integrate the scientific collections better in education and outreach activities. It is also a strategic priority to modernize the collections in accordance with new research needs.

To further develop and strengthen NHM’s position at the forefront of modern biodiversity research, we seek an active researcher with a relevant and strong track record in zoology. Areas of expertise that we are looking for include, but are not limited to, evolutionary biology, comparative genomics, transcriptomics, systematics, and population genomics. We are especially interested in candidates who combine high-quality research with the use and development of museum collections, and who have the potential to attract external research grants for collection-based research. We are also seeking a candidate with complementary expertise to the current scientific staff who can contribute to ongoing research initiatives. Candidates whose research is multi- or inter-disciplinary are encouraged to apply.

An attractive start-up package is available. However, the successful applicant will be expected to obtain extramural research funding, and a proven record of acquiring such funding is a competitive advantage.

NHM has a collaborative agreement with the Department of Biosciences on teaching and supervision of students at the bachelor and master’s level, and with the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the education of doctoral candidates. NHM also hosts an international research school in biosystematics (ForBio). The successful candidate is expected to participate in teaching at all levels and be a capable and enthusiastic supervisor of master’s and PhD students. Relevant background in working with museum collections will be an advantage. Up to 50% of the working time will be devoted to curating collections (main activity), teaching and supervision of students, outreach and administrative tasks at NHM. Lectures are given in Norwegian and English. Foreign language speakers are expected to be able to teach in a Scandinavian language within three years after being hired.

Qualification requirements

The successful applicant must

• Have a PhD or an equivalent doctoral degree in biology

• Have a postdoctoral research profile with relevant experience in zoology

• Demonstrated expertise in collections-based research

• Demonstrated expertise in zoological systematics and/or taxonomy of the taxonomic group of their research focus• Have excellent English language skills (written and spoken)

The successful candidate should have

• Curatorial experience with natural history collections

• Proven ability to attract external research funding

• Teaching and supervision skills of master’s and PhD students

 • Leadership experience from research groups or projects 

• Team-working and networking skills

• Command of a Scandinavian language

We offer

• Salary from NOK 730 000 to NOK 830 000 depending on qualifications (position code 1011)
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund 
• Attractive welfare benefits in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• A professionally stimulating work environment focusing on diversity, equality and inclusion, and equal opportunities for all researchers regardless of their background.
• Opportunity to apply for promotion to a position as Professor at a later stage
• An attractive start-up package. NHM follows UiO's onboarding programme to ensure a smooth transition for new employees. 

How to apply

The application must include:

• A cover letter (including a statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, research profile and merits, grants and awards, pedagogical qualifications, curatorial experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activity)
• A list of all scientific publications 
• A Summary of up to 7 selected key scientific publications the applicant wishes to include in the evaluation describing their significance and impact. PDFs of these publications must be provided.
• A research plan, which describes how NHM’s wet collections will be utilized in the research, how the planned research may contribute to the development of these collections, and how synergies can be achieved with other research and teaching activities at NHM (up to 5 pages)
• A teaching portfolio: a document describing the applicant’s pedagogical competence including formal and practical qualifications and teaching philosophy, as well as a statement about which courses the candidate would like to teach (up to 2 pages)
• List of reference persons: 3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number). No reference letters should be submitted.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our online recruitment system. All documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Formal regulations

The basis for assessment will be the scholarly production of the applicant, other qualifications, pedagogical or educational, the applicant’s qualifications within leadership and administration as well as the general personal suitability. In ranking the competent applicants, the full range of qualifications will be considered and explicitly assessed, see the Rules for appointments to Associate Professorship. These rules also include interviews as part of the appointment process, along with a trial lecture.

The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document basic teaching qualifications will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period. Please see Rules for the assessment and weighting of pedagogical competence.

The successful candidate must demonstrate mastery of both English and one of the Scandinavian languages as working languages. If an appointee is not fluent in a Scandinavian language (B2 or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)), the appointee will be expected within a three-year period to learn sufficient Norwegian to be able to participate actively in all functions the position may involve.

Guide for applicants for Professor and Associate professor positions - University of Oslo (uio.no)

Pursuant to section 25(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, information concerning the applicant may be made public, even if the applicant has requested not to appear on the list of applicants.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc. 

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds. The University of Oslo has a goal of recruiting more women in academic positions. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Contact information

• Research Director, Professor Hugo de Boer, phone +47 98126030, email: h.de.boer@nhm.uio.no 
• Professor Arild Johnsen, e-mail: arild.johnsen@nhm.uio.no 
• Professor Torsten Struck, e-mail: torsten.struck@nhm.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system: HR Adviser Thomas Brånå, thomas.brana@nhm.uio.no 

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