Karlstad University / Faculty of Health, Science and Technology / Department of Environmental and Life Sciences

Sapere Aude—dare to be wise—is our motto. Our students and employees develop knowledge and expertise that enrich both people and the world around them. Our academic environment is characterised by curiosity, courage and perseverance. Gender equality, diversity and a democratic approach form the foundation of our organisation. We are located in an active and scenic region and we promote sustainable development in close collaboration with the wider society.
 
Karlstad University has a total of approximately 1,400 employees and 17,300 students spread across two inspiring campus environments in Karlstad and Arvika.
 
More information at: kau.se/en/work-with-us

Description

The subject of Biology has a staff of around 40 people and belongs to the Department of Environmental and Life Sciences within the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology. The subject of Biology offers a Degree of Bachelor, Degree of Master and Master of Science in Secondary Education in Biology and Science. Biology also offers doctoral studies and currently has 18 doctoral students enrolled. Our main research areas are ecology, evolution and biology education. Ecology research is mainly conducted by the River Ecology and Management Research Group (RivEM) and includes fundamental and applied research on lakes, rivers and streams, as well as their catchment areas. The department offers excellent conditions for aquatic ecology research with access to an aquarium facility with artificial streams, technical support and field material, among other things. Research is primarily focused on sustainable use of natural resources that is mutually beneficial to human society and nature. This includes research areas such as the effects of hydropower on aquatic and terrestrial environments, invasive species and endangered fish and invertebrate species. Many research projects are carried out in collaboration with stakeholders from industry, government agencies, professional organisations and land owners. You can find more information about us and our research on our websites: kau.se/en/biology and kau.se/en/nrrv.

Duties

We are now accepting applications for a senior lectureship in biology with a specialisation in aquatic ecology. Duties include teaching and research. The position also includes supervising future doctoral students and postdocs in the subject area.

Teaching duties primarily include teaching courses in our undergraduate and Master's programmes. It may also be required to teach courses included in the teacher education programmes. Links to programmes: Biology Programme and Master Programme in Biology: Ecology and Conservation Biology 

In addition to teaching, the position includes research. As senior lecturer, you will develop a research area that complements our current biology research, primarily research in freshwater ecology. We expect you to initiate new externally funded research projects, in collaboration with other biology researchers at the department.

You will also be expected to collaborate with the surrounding community to ensure that the knowledge and expertise available at the university benefit society.

To contribute to a positive working environment and help further the subject’s activities, we expect you to be a present and to actively take part in the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for the position of senior lecturer in biology, applicants are required to have demonstrated teaching expertise and hold a PhD in biology with a specialisation in aquatic ecology, or equivalent academic qualifications.

Pursuant to Karlstad University’s Appointments Procedure, teachers must have the personal qualities required to perform the duties involved, as well as completed training in higher education pedagogy. An applicant without these qualifications may be appointed on the condition that he or she commits to completing the training within two years of employment, or applies for validation of equivalent qualifications. For other qualification requirements and assessment criteria, please refer to Karlstad University’s Appointments Procedure available on the University’s website: https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/work/vacancies

Excellent command of written and spoken English is also a requirement. As a lecturer at Karlstad University, you should be able to teach in both English and Swedish. An applicant who does not meet the requirement of proficiency in Swedish may still be hired provided they are able to actively acquire the language skills.

Assessment criteria

In the assessment, equal weight will be given to research and teaching expertise. The assessment will be based on the criteria stated in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 4 Sect. 4. We will mainly focus our assessment of your application (research, teaching, obtained research funding, administration) on experience and qualifications from the last 5 years (with the exception of parental leave, illness, etc.).

Special weight will be given to:

  • documented research expertise in aquatic ecology
  • documented teaching expertise, based on the ability to plan, conduct, evaluate and develop teaching as well as the ability to supervise and assess students
  • previous success in securing external research funding, preferably substantial grants
  • how well the applicant’s research complements and fits with the research group’s current research expertise in freshwater ecology, for example by contributing with new methods or areas of expertise. Ranking is based on the scope, depth and relevance of the applicant’s expertise

Considerable weight will be given to:

  • - personal qualities such as the ability to cooperate, show good communication skills as well as a positive attitude towards colleagues and students
  • - ability to take initiative, initiate activities and achieve results
  • - ability to think strategically, apply a broad perspective, look at long-term consequences and adapt actions accordingly
  • - ability to plan, organise and prioritise work in a structured and efficient manner

Weight will be given to:

experience of disseminating research findings to various groups in society the ability to collaborate both within the academic community as well as with external partners the scope of the applicant’s network of international and national contacts of relevance to the position experience in supervising doctoral students

The appointment will be based on a qualitative, holistic assessment of expertise and skills in order to determine which applicant is best suited to perform the duties at hand, as well as contribute to a positive development of the subject of biology.

Terms

This is a permanent full-time position starting in the autumn of 2024, or as agreed upon by both parties. A probationary period may be required.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. For advice on how to draft your application, refer to “What should be included with my application?”
Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardies a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

  • CV
  • cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications in relation to the duties of the position
  • an in-depth account of teaching experience and qualifications. The account should include (1) experience of planning, implementation, evaluation and development of teaching, supervision and examination, (2) any experience as course or programe coordinator, or developer of courses, parts of courses or education material, and (3) the applicant’s teaching philosophy
  • certificate to verify completed courses in higher education pedagogy or an account of equivalent skills
  • an in-depth account of research experience
  • plans for future research work
  • an account of other experiences of importance
  • an account of managerial and administrative experience
  • an account of collaborations, international network experience, etc.
  • list of publications showing which of the co-authors acted as the applicant's supervisor
  • a maximum of 7 representative publications as PDF files, with a short description for each of the publications why it is particularly relevant in relation to the position.​ For multi-authored publications, the role of the applicant must be specified
  • language proficiency certificates
  • copy of PhD degree or documented equivalent academic expertise, or equivalent professional qualifications deemed relevant to the nature of the position and the duties included therein.
  • include three references, at least one of which is a current or previous supervisor
    Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books or publications, should be sent in triplicate to the following address:

Karlstads universitet
Hanna Ljungdahl
651 88 KARLSTAD

Application deadline: 28 February 2024                       

State the reference no: REK2023/272

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.

Type of employment Permanent position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment Fall 2024
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Karlstad
County Värmlands län
Country Sweden
Reference number REK2023/272
Contact
  • Daniel Olsson, 0547002298
Union representative
  • Thomas Bragefors, SACO, 054-7001714
  • Denita Gustavsson, OFR, 054-7001434
Published 29.Jan.2024
Last application date 28.Feb.2024 11:59 PM CET

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