Faculty of Forest Sciences
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology
The Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology is part of the Umeå Plant Science Centre (www.upsc.se). The Umeå Plant Science Centre is one of Europe’s strongest research environments in experimental plant science. Approximately 200 people work within UPSC, including 30 research group leaders. Our 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
Read more about the department at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/departments/forest-genetics-plant-physiology/
Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/.
Subject Area
The subject area for the position is plant physiology with a focus on RNA biology, primarily in trees.
Duties
The employee is responsible for developing research in the subject area genomics together with researchers within the faculty and other parts of SLU. The employee shall also contribute to the pedagogic development in the subject area.
The research shall encompass both fundamental and applied questions relevant to the subject area and make use of the research infrastructure associated with UPSC. Genomics and so‑called omics technologies shall be central to the research.
This means that the employee shall:
- act in accordance with the vision, goals and values of SLU
- contribute to the strategic development of the department and the faculty
- develop and lead internationally successful research in the subject of plant physiology with a focus on RNA biology, primarily in trees
- publish scientific articles in international journals with peer-review
- apply for external funding in competition at national and international level
- supervise doctoral students and mentor postdoctoral researchers
- lead, develop and participate in teaching and supervision of students at first, second and third cycle level
- collaborate with researchers within the department, faculty and other parts of SLU, as well as nationally and internationally
- collaborate and develop regional, national and international networks with the society at large
- disseminate research findings
- fulfil administrative tasks within the department, the faculty and the university, including responsibility for budget and staff
Swedish and English are used in parallel at the department. The senior lecturer should be able to perform most of their tasks in English. However, as a public authority, the university has Swedish as its main language according to the requirements of the Language Act. Non-Swedish-speaking staff members are expected to, within four years of first being employed, have sufficient knowledge of Swedish to understand information in Swedish. The department will support the holder of the position to achieve this.
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
Assessment criteria
The assessment criteria for employment shall primarily apply to the degree of such skill, which is a requirement for eligibility for employment.
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 within the subject area
- 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 their own teaching at basic and advanced levels, including doctoral level
- supervise and examine undergraduate, master level and graduate students
- convey and implement their 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
The position will be offered to the candidate who, after a qualitative overall assessment, is assessed to be most suitable to carry out and develop the above-mentioned duties and to contribute to the positive development of the organization.
Application deadline:
2026-08-19
Place of work:
Umeå
Extent:
100%
Form of employment:
Permanent employment
Starting date:
By agreement.
Application:
It is desirable that the application is written in English, as the applications will be assessed by experts both in Sweden and abroad.
For the guidance of your application, there is SLU's appointment procedure for teachers at SLU and General assessment criteria for the appointment of teachers, which you can read here.
Please apply by clicking the apply-button below..
Adacemic union representatives:
https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/
Working at SLU:
This position offers the vibrant research climate at SLU. The benefits of the position include Swedish family health care provisions, parenting support including generous paid leave of absence policies that allow both parents to care for newborns and toddlers. Additionally, Sweden has a well-established pre-school structure as well as an educational system that provides no-cost education through university studies. Find out more facts and stories about Sweden at www.sweden.se.
Application
Reference number SLU.ua.2026.2.5.1-1818
Publishing date 8 June 2026
Last date to apply 19 August 2026
Working hours Day
Position Employeé
Occupation area Lecturer/Scientist
Occupation degree Full time
Employment level Permanent employment
Organizations SLU, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology
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Contact persons
Activity contact persons
Ulrika Ganeteg
Research Officer
+46 (0)76-527 87 97
[email protected]
Totte Niittylä
Head of Department
+46 (0)90-786 83 55
[email protected]
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden. SLU has around 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
