Postdoc position

Countries of the Global South and Indigenous communities are especially vulnerable to climate change, partly due to reliance on local, wild-caught foods. At least 54 species of toothed whales are consumed across 86 countries worldwide and the practice is increasing. Yet, toothed whale harvest often occurs in remote and understudied regions, leaving a large gap in knowledge of whale populations, their contamination and nutritional value, and their socioeconomic importance to communities, particularly in the context of accelerating climate change.
WhaleAdapt is an international collaboration of researchers and local organizations in Canada, the US, Denmark (Greenland, Faroe Islands), and St. Vincent and the Grenadines that uses cutting-edge approaches combined with local ecological knowledge (LEK) to address the overarching question – how vulnerable communities reliant on whale consumption can adapt successfully to shifting marine resources due to climate change?
The present postdoc will work with:
Assess concentrations of key contaminants and nutrients in harvested whales, and improve knowledge on contaminant sources and pathways via isotopic tracers (Risk addressed: Human health); with special focus on mercury isotopes to track sources and pathways as well as compound-specific carbon isotopes to track PCB sources.

Expected start date and duration of employment
This is a position from 1st January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter (duration 15 months).

Job description
The successful candidate will join a strong research team that has gathered detailed data on the effects of contaminants on marine mammals over the last three decades, combining a variety of methods including various contaminant groups, histology, BMD measurements, stable isotopes, fatty acids surveys, climate change parameters, age and other relevant parameters.

This position provides a unique opportunity to contribute to our understanding of how dynamics of toothed whale contaminant loads are linked to environmental variability. The researcher will be expected to contribute actively to the department’s advisory activities for the Danish Ministry of Environment, related to effects of Arctic contaminants. The researcher is also expected to co-supervise graduate students and help secure funding for new research projects.

Qualifications:

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with the following qualifications:

• A PhD degree within biology, environmental chemistry, chemistry, or similar.
• Experience with writing scientific publications.
• Experience in working with contaminants like PCBs and mercury, fatty acids, stable isotopes and modelling in R.
• A talent for working with analytical instruments and exploring new techniques, and an interest in exploring a relatively new research field.
• An ability to work both individually and in small teams, and be self-motivating.
• Fluency in English (speaking and writing).
• Good communication skills, both written and oral, and an interest in spending a considerable amount of time on data crunching and scientific writing.

In addition, it will be considered an advantage if you have:

• Experience with analytical instruments like ICP-MS, MC-ICP-MS and/or GC-IRMS.
• Initiated the development of a research network.

Your application shall include:

• Cover letter explaining your motivation, research interests, skills you bring to the position (max. 2 pages).
• Project description including your ideas for the development of this postdoc project (1-2 pages).
• CV.
• Diploma for Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degree.
• Transcript of grades/academic record Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degrees.
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available).
• Documentation of English proficiency.
• Contact information for 2-3 references.
• PhD thesis, and any other relevant academic works.

All documentation to be considered must be in English or Scandinavian language. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position.

Who we are
The Department of Ecoscience is engaged in research programs and advisory work covering the major biological subdisciplines. We conduct world-class research in the areas of aquatic biology and ecology, Arctic environment and ecosystems, biodiversity, conservation biology and wildlife management. The Department currently employs approximately 275 academic and technical staff, as well as many PhD students.

The successful candidate will work in a dynamic and internationally engaged scientific environment at the Section for Marine Mammal Research (for more information see: AU Ecoscience - Marine Mammal Research).

The department is, and wishes to continue to be, an active, dynamic and inspiring workplace with exciting challenges, enthusiastic colleagues and academic opportunities for development. The department wishes to support employees in creating a good balance between their work and home lives and to maintain and attract talented and committed staff, where freedom, creativity and respect for the long-term perspective are core values. For more information on the Department see:

What we offer
The department offers:

• a well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment.
• an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators.
• a research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research.

A workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.

Place of work and area of employment
The place of work is Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.

Contact information
For further information, please contact: Professor Rune Dietz, +45 21254035, and/or Senior researcher Jens Søndergaard, +45 23227103,

Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Formalities and salary range
Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenue of EUR 935 million. Learn more at

Department: Havpattedyrforskning 2/Marine Mammal Research 2.

Deadline: 13 September 2024.

Location: Roskilde Frederiksborgvej 399.