Professor to the research group Pro2BE - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Are you an inspiring and resourceful researcher who wants to lead and develop a growing research team and cooperate at regional, national and international levels? If so, this is an opportunity for you!

Background
The Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences at the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology comprises four subjects: Environmental and Energy Systems, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Building and Construction Engineering. The department hosts the research group Pro2BE (Processes and Products for a Circular Bio Economy), focusing on sustainable solutions for process engineering and product applications for the forest industry and society.

Pro2BE is in an expansive phase and needs to recruit a professor with the main duty to be head of research and successfully develop Pro2BE towards academic excellence. Pro2BE has strong networks, regionally as well as nationally, with active researchers in national and international cooperation projects. One aim is to ensure a future expert workforce for regional forest industry actors. Pro2BE collaborates with external partners to develop regional test beds.

Research in the area of Pro2BE has a focus on:

• cellulose fibre based functional surfaces and materials, products and processes,
• dewatering and drying of paper and other bio-based materials,
• utilising residues from forest industrial processes,
• compressing and extruding bio-based materials.

For more information of Pro2BE, see www.kau.se/en/pro2be

We are now recruiting a professor to inspire and lead research in cooperation with academic and industrial partners with a view to shaping the future of Pro2BE.

Duties
At present, the main task is to act as head of research in the area of Pro2BE.

Acting as head of Pro2BE includes the following duties:

• develop strategies and plans of action for the research of Pro2BE and its organizational development
• actively apply for funding and establishing networks regionally, nationally and internationally that benefit Pro2E progress
• develop laboratory facilities and their use, internally and with external partners
• represent Pro2BE externally and be receptive to input from communities and partners
• develop Pro2BE´s work procedures
• promote a creative and constructive atmosphere of cooperation.

The position of professor also includes teaching, supervising, pursuing own research and developing undergraduate and doctoral studies.

Qualification requirements
A doctor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, environmental and energy systems or other fields relevant to the position is required as well as demonstrated teaching expertise in the research area of Pro2BE. This means that broad and deep research experience in the subject area is required.

Further requirements are abilities to initiate, plan, lead and develop research, and experience of cooperating externally and with international academic environments. Good command of English in speech and writing is also a requirement.

In addition, ability to develop, implement and teach at undergraduate, master and doctoral levels is a requirement, as is well documented and successful experience of doctoral supervision. A further requirement is completed courses in higher education pedagogy and doctoral supervision. On certain conditions, these courses may be completed within two years of employment

For more information on eligibility, see Higher Education Ordinance Ch.4 and Karlstad University's regulations for appointment and promotion of teaching staff, https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/work/vacancies.

Assessment criteria
In the ranking of candidates to the professorship, expertise in research as well as in teaching is assessed with special weight given to research expertise, although equal consideration is given to assessing teaching expertise. Research expertise is primarily assessed on the basis of research quality and scope in terms of breadth and depth. Experience of research in the fields of Pro2BE is given priority in the assessment.

In the ranking process special weight is given to:

• experience of research leadership, leadership skills, such as ability to engage and inspire, communicative and cooperative skills, initiative and drive
• ability to attract external research funding
• ability to create relationships and cooperate with academic as well as other external societal partners

In the ranking of eligible candidates considerable weight is given to:

• experience of working with research in international environments
• experience of working with interdisciplinary research projects

We value employees who have a positive attitude to colleagues and students and who contribute to a good atmosphere at work.

For more information on assessment criteria, see Karlstad University's regulations for appointment and promotion of teaching staff, https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/work/vacancies. 

Terms of employment
This is a full-time, non-fixed term employment with starting date as soon as possible, by agreement.

Application
Application needs to include well documented qualifications. Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application must be submitted no later than the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair and qualitative assessment of all aspects.

Application needs to include:

• application letter briefly describing the applicant’s qualifications and research interests in relation to the duties of the position
• CV
• contact information to at least two references
• account of research and teaching activities
• certificates of completed course in doctoral supervision and higher education pedagogy, or account of equivalent qualifications
• brief account of experience of leadership, administration and cooperation in/with other organisations
• future plans
• list of publications (specify your contributions to co-authored works)
• copies of relevant transcripts, degree certificates, employment certificates and letters of recommendation
• max ten academic publications and max five works designed to convey knowledge such as text books, educational software, or popular science articles (specify your contributions to co-authored works)

More information on the application is available in ”Application guidelines for appointments/promotion”, at https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/work/vacancies

Submit your application via the university’s web-based recruitment tool Varbi and attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not provide links to them). Three copies of documents that cannot be submitted electronically should be sent to Karlstads universitet, Registrator, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden. State Ref.no. REK2019/135.

Last day of application: 2019-10-31

We look forward to your application.

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