Professor in Horticultural Plant Breeding
Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Science
Department of Plant Breeding
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The LTV Faculty in Alnarp, is recruiting three professors within Horticulture. The professors shall interact and connect activities in Plant Protection, Plant Breeding and Production Systems.
Society's long-term supply of food, industrial raw materials and energy entails major challenges to satisfy a rising demand for plant raw materials while making plant production increasingly environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Production must also be adapted to a partially changed landscape use impacted by climate change and an increasing population.
The Department of Plant Breeding focuses its activities on research, education and innovations of great strategic importance for the mentioned challenges. A wide range of technologies from field experiments and characterization of agricultural biodiversity to genetics, genomics, biotechnology, biochemistry, physio-chemistry, physiology and modelling are presently used at the Department. As an integrated part of the activities, plant breeding programs in fruit and berry crops as well as potatoes are conducted. Plant breeding of horticultural crops is one of five subject areas at this Department.
Subject area: The subject area horticultural breeding is broad and covers plant genetic variation and its importance on different aspects in mainly horticultural crops (vegetables, fruits and berry crops, and ornamentals) including crop adaptation to local climate, resistance to pathogens and pests, quality properties with effects on human health and wellbeing, and consumer preferences.
Duties: The Professor shall strengthen and develop research, postgraduate education and basic education within the field of horticultural plant breeding. The holder is expected to lead a research group. The research may include, but not be limited to, the importance of the crop’s genetic background for health- and nutrition-promoting quality traits from a molecular perspective, and preferably take advantage of advanced omics techniques in the experimental approach. The Professor is expected to proactively interact with the existing interdisciplinary research environment at the faculty. Of importance is also to establish a close cooperation with the departmental staff responsible for the cultivar development in fruit and berry crops for Sweden as well as EU, and to develop links with industry relevant for the research area. The duties include further developing research and education in the subject in collaboration with faculty and university researchers and teachers and to disseminate research finds and other relevant subject information to the public.
Qualifications:
A person who has demonstrated both academic and teaching skills shall be qualified for appointment as a professor. The applicant must be scientifically proficient in the subject area for the post and hold a PhD or the equivalent. The applicant must be pedagogically proficient and possess the ability to integrate pedagogical application with the role of researcher. Equal attention shall be given to the assessment of teaching skills and the assessment of academic proficiency.
Assessment criteria:
The applicant should hold a PhD degree in genetics, plant breeding or another relevant field suitable for this challenging job, be scientifically competent and internationally recognized in the subject field, as well as experience of independent, innovative and pioneering research at the level of professor or equivalent. Candidates must have a strong and well-documented background in plant genetics and experience in research on horticultural crops, where research on fruits, berries or vegetables is of particular advantage. Experience from use of field and greenhouse trials in research, and the use of omics methods and informatics in plant breeding, is an advantage. Likewise, the ability to obtain external research funding should be significant. Skill in staff management, science communication to the society and documented ability to collaborate with various stakeholders as well as research collaboration nationally and internationally will be given high priority.
Place of work: Alnarp
Form of employment: Permanent
Extent: 100%
Starting date: By agreement
The scientific and pedagogic documentation submitted in support of the application shall be indicated in the application, and one copy of each document shall be made available to the Registrar at the time of application. At most 10 scientific publications and at most 10 pedagogic publications, including popularized versions, should be submitted in support of the application. In addition a complete list of publications shall be supplied; the publications submitted with the application must be indicated. When expert reviewers have been appointed, the applicant(s) will be informed to send copies of the documentation listed in the application to each one of the reviewers.
Application: You are welcome to submit your application marked SLU ua 4791/2015. Enclose your CV and any other supporting documents. Send your application to the Registrar, SLU, Box 7070, SE-750 07 Uppsala or to registrator@slu.se. Applications close on November 14, 2016.
It is desirable that the application is written in English, because the applications will be evaluated by expert advisers both in Sweden and abroad.
SLU is an equal opportunity employer.
University salaries are set on an individual basis.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) develops the understanding and sustainable use and management of biological natural resources. The university ranks well internationally within its subject areas. SLU is a research-intensive university that also offers unique degree programmes in for example rural development and natural resource management, environmental economics, animal science and landscape architecture.
SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala.
The Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Science (LTV) is responsible for research, teaching, environmental monitoring and assessment as well as outreach and collaboration in the fields of landscape planning and horticulture. The LTV Faculty is also active in the fields of agriculture, food, production, health, quality of life, environment and water.
The majority of the faculty’s employees and students are based on Campus Alnarp, between Lund and Malmö. The LTV Faculty houses six departments and a large number of collaborative centres.
Campus Alnarp lies in Sweden’s most dynamic agricultural and horticultural region. It is situated close to the student towns of Lund and Malmö, a short distance from the sea and in close proximity to Copenhagen’s city life. The Öresund region is in an expansive phase, in which knowledge, education and research have a central significance. On Campus Alnarp, the focus is on landscape planning and horticulture.
Further information:
- Anders Carlsson, Head of Department, +46(0)40-415561, anders.carlsson@slu.se
Further information about the formal application process:
- Torleif Ljung, Administrative Officer, +46 (0)40-41 50 44, torleif.ljung@adm.slu.se
A guide for applicants "Appointment procedures for SLU" and a "Memorandum for Guidance in connection with applications for appointment/promotion to professor and senior lecturer at SLU" can be found at internt.slu.se. Documentation of scientific, pedagogical and other qualifications must be presented in accordance with the instructions given in these documents.
Academic union representatives: