Job description

A temporary full-time associate professor position is available at the Department of Geosciences. The position is for a period of four years.

The Department of Geoscience at the University of Oslo is a leading European research unit within Earth and Planetary Sciences. Currently there are ca 40 permanent staff members organized in five different sections (Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED), Physics of Geological Processes (PGP), Section for Geography and Hydrology, Section for Meteorology and Oceanography, and section for Geology and Geophysics). The current position is organized within the PGP section, which is also part of the Njord Centre.

The department is currently establishing a large scale geochemical national infrastructure, the Goldschmidt laboratory, which currently includes an electron microprobe, a scanning electron microscope equipped with HR-EBSD and EDS, a table top scanning electron microscope, a laser ablation ICP-MS laboratory, a new TIMS U-Pb laboratory, and a new Noble gas laboratory hosted by the Norwegian Geological Survey. An application for funding of a new focused ion beam (FIB) scanning electron microscope and a new electron microprobe has been recently submitted.

The Solid Earth focused research of the Department of Geoscience in Oslo conducts studies in a large variety of geological processes applying field-based, experimental, and theoretical approaches. We currently seek a candidate to fill a temporary Associate Professor position within Metamorphic Petrology and Microstructural Analysis.

The candidate will

• have high level competence in microanalytical and microstructural techniques with emphasis on electron microscopy including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), to help making the Goldschmidt laboratory a world leading infrastructure
• will teach petrology and mineralogy at all levels
• carry out high-level research on metamorphism and deformation processes in the Earth crust

The holder of the position is expected to

• Perform laboratory developments/maintenance/upgrading to establish and develop a modern EBSD facility at the SEM laboratory
• Seek to develop this laboratory in concert with ongoing research on solid earth processes
• Conduct field work
• Contribute as a dynamic member in the university’s interdisciplinary research teams, by initiating own research projects
• Show a commitment to deliver excellent teaching at all levels
• Teach/supervise within mineralogy and petrology

Staff members have administrative duties according to regulations at the department.

Teaching is given in Norwegian and English. The standard teaching load is ca. one 10 ECTS course per semester.

Qualification requirements

We seek a dedicated person who meets the required qualifications for an Associate Professorship in Petrology, with a research record demonstrating experience with SEM/EBSD analysis in metamorphic systems.

The following requirements for the ranking of candidates apply:

• The applicant must hold a relevant PhD within petrology.
• The applicant must have a solid scientific background in phase petrology and microstructural studies.
• The applicant must provide a track record of publications in high-level international journals and have an internationally orientated research profile.
• Pedagogical qualifications; teaching and supervision experience at all levels will be an important factor in the evaluation process and should be well documented in a teaching portfolio. The applicant should describe her/his qualifications in view of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)-criteria:
  • Focus on the students’ learning
  • A positive development over time
  • A research attitude to teaching and learning
  • A collegial attitude and practice
• The person appointed must have fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• 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, the appointee will be required to learn sufficient Norwegian in 2 years, to be able to participate actively in all functions the position may involve.

The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document sufficient teaching qualifications (minimum requirement is a 200 hrs pedagogical program) will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period of the employment.

Desirable qualifications

• Candidates should be able to establish, lead and conduct research projects, also as a collaborator. A track record in academic and administrative leadership is an advantage, as well as participation in the acquisition of research grants.
• International network, outreach activities, collegiality, and the ability to create a good working environment will be part of the evaluation.
• The person appointed will be requested to take on some administrative duties. Hence such experience will be an advantage.
• Experience with laboratory development, maintenance and upgrading
• Field experience
• The ability to cross traditional disciplinary fields

Personal skills

• Ability to create an attractive, inclusive and competitive research environment.
• Networking skills, ability to collaborate and conduct scientific leadership.
• Ability to cooperate and communicate well with other members of staff.

We offer

• Salary NOK 608 200 - 694 400 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as Associate Professor (position code 1011)
• A professionally stimulating work environment.
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities.
• The opportunity to apply for promotion to full professorship at a later stage

How to apply

The application must include:

• Application letter
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of educational certificates, transcript of records
• List of publications and academic merits (awards)
• Up to ten selected scientific publications the applicant wishes to include in the evaluation
• A research statement (2–4 pages) describing scientific ambitions for the nearest future
• A teaching statement
• Documentation of teaching and supervising Master and PhD students
• Educational portfolio of 3-6 pages documenting educational competence and experience, including a reflection note in which your own practice and learning vision is anchored in the SoTL criteria (focus on student learning, development over time, a research approach and a collegial attitude and practice)
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our online recruitment system. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Interviews (alternatively: and trial lecture) will form part of the appointment process. The entire breadth of qualifications will be assessed in ranking competent applicants.

Formal regulations

As a general rule an interview will be used in the appointment process, usually supplemented with a trial teaching session. The basis for assessment will be the scholarly production of the applicant, pedagogical and educational qualifications, other qualifications, 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.

Rules for appointments to associate professorships can be found here.

Rules for the assessment and weighting of pedagogical competence for appointments to permanent academic posts which include teaching duties, check this link.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova), information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

For english language requirements, check this.

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 has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition and to recruit people with an immigrant background.

In addition, the University of Oslo aims for its employees to reflect the diversity of the population to the greatest degree possible. We therefore encourage qualified applicants with disabilities or gaps in their CV to apply for the position. The University of Oslo will adapt the workplace to suit employees with disabilities. Applicants who indicate that they have disabilities or gaps in their CV are made aware that this information may be used for statistical purposes.

Contact information

• Professor Franscois Renard, email: francois.renard@geo.uio.no, telephone: 47 22857740
• Head of Department, Brit Lisa Skjelkvåle, email:b.l.skjelkvale@geo.uio.no, telephone: +47 22858101

For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, email: t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no, telephone: +47 228524272.

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