Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Plant Physiology

An appointment as Senior Lecturer in plant physiology / Assistant Professor (tenure-track) with focus on RNA biology, primarily in trees, is available at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå. The department is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre.

About the department

The Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology is part of the Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC), one of Europe’s strongest research environments in experimental plant science. Approximately 200 people work within UPSC, including 30 research group leaders. The core activity is academic research in experimental plant biology, with the goal of understanding all aspects of plants in relation to the environments in which they live.

Subject area

Plant physiology with a focus on RNA biology, primarily in trees.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead internationally successful research in plant physiology with a focus on RNA biology, primarily in trees.
• Publish scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Apply for external funding in competition at national and international levels.
• Supervise doctoral students and mentor postdoctoral researchers.
• Lead, develop, and participate in teaching and supervision of students at first, second, and third cycle levels.
• Collaborate with researchers within the department, faculty, and other parts of SLU, as well as nationally and internationally.
• Develop and maintain regional, national, and international networks with society at large.
• Disseminate research findings.
• Fulfill administrative tasks within the department, faculty, and university, including responsibility for budget and staff.
• Contribute to the strategic development of the department and faculty.
• Act in accordance with the vision, goals, and values of SLU.
• Integrate genomics and omics technologies into research.

Qualifications

The applicant must:

• Have completed a doctoral degree in a subject area relevant for the position.
• Be scientifically skilled within genomics and RNA biology.
• Be pedagogically skilled.
• Have demonstrated leadership skills.
• Have good knowledge of English.

Non-Swedish-speaking staff members are expected to, within four years of employment, have sufficient knowledge of Swedish to understand information in Swedish. The department will support the holder of the position to achieve this.

Assessment criteria

The assessment of scientific skills will consider:

• Completed research activities and ongoing research within the subject area.
• Earlier experience in genomics and RNA biology.
• Future research vision within the subject area.
• Ability to independently initiate, lead, and develop innovative research.
• Ability to attract external funding in competition.
• Ability to supervise and examine at doctoral level and mentor postdoctoral researchers.

The assessment of pedagogic skills will consider the ability to:

• Plan, conduct, and evaluate teaching at basic and advanced levels, including doctoral levels.
• Supervise and examine undergraduate, master's level, and graduate students.
• Convey and implement a pedagogical vision.
• Integrate up-to-date research and scientific approaches into teaching.

The assessment will also consider:

• Ability to develop and manage academic units and staff.
• Vision for leadership.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate.
• Ability to collaborate with external stakeholders and the surrounding society.
• Dissemination of information on research and development projects.

About Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC)

UPSC is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology in Northern Sweden. The mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment, and society. Research spans a wide range of disciplines in plant science, from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. UPSC belongs to both the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Umeå University. About 200 people from more than 40 different nationalities work at UPSC, which hosts some 30 principal investigators. Researchers have access to state-of-the-art analytical platforms, unique tree germplasm resources, and plant growth facilities. UPSC supports scientists throughout all career stages by providing professional training opportunities and individual career mentoring.

Application deadline: August 19, 2026.
Place of work: Umeå.
Extent: 100%.
Form of employment: Permanent employment.
Starting date: By agreement.