164291 Associate Professor or Professor

Associate Professor or Professor

Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

The University seeks to appoint an associate professor and/or a professor to the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology to commence January 1st 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

At the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology we work in a dynamic and committed academic community of research, education, innovation, and outreach within the Pharmaceutical Sciences bridging Health Science and Life Science. We value interdisciplinary research and education, development of individual competences, and finding solutions to todays and tomorrows challenges in society. The department furthermore prioritizes sustainability in all aspects of research and education.

The department has recently outlined a research vision, describing new strategic directions to develop towards 2030. The section Qualifications of the applicant below describes Six overall criteria for the position. The alignment between the candidate’s research plan and the following two research directions from the department’s research vision, will be considered as additional evaluation criteria:

• NEW MODALITIES: Innovative and advanced therapeutic approaches that goes beyond classical small-molecule drug inhibitors, e.g., nucleic acid-based therapies, next-generation polyfunctional chemotypes, or targeted radionuclide therapies.
• BROADENED PORTFOLIO OF THERAPEUTIC AREAS: The department has a stronghold within CNS disorders, and aims to strategically expand its research within antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance as well as cardiometabolic diseases.

Job description

The successful applicant should present an ambitious research and teaching plan within one of the above initiatives, and will be affiliated with one of our six departmental research sections: Medicinal Chemistry, Biopharmaceuticals, Structural Biology, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Translational and Clinical Pharmacology, and Pharmaceutical Informatics. Further information on the Department and a description of the new research vision can be found at: https://drug.ku.dk/about/

The position can either be at the level of associate professor or full professor, and the overall responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Research, including publication/academic dissemination and attraction of external funding
• Research, including publication/academic dissemination of results to the scientific community and to the general public.
• Develop, organize, and conduct research-based teaching, including associated examination.
• Research leadership, including guidance and supervision of students and researchers
• Obligation to share knowledge with the rest of society, including participation in public debate
• Academic assessments
• Engage in outreach and/or innovation activities both within the Department and towards academia, the clinic, and industry in general.

Qualifications of the applicant

When evaluating applicants, primary emphasis will be placed on the applicant's ability to document original scientific work of the highest international standard, an innovative mindset, and strong ambitions for advancing teaching within the fields of biochemistry, natural products research, pharmacotheray and/or pharmacology, with particular focus on teaching on compulsory courses at the BSc and MSc levels.

The qualifications of the applicant can be either at associate professor level or at professor level.

Overall criteria for the position:

Six overall criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organizational contribution, external funding, and leadership) are considered a framework for the overall assessment of candidates at each of the academic levels. Find information about each criterion here:

Criteria for associate professor level: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/5b_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-Associate_professors.pdf

Criteria for professor level: https://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/kriterier-for-videnskabelige-stillinger/dokumenter-til-meritering/5c_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-professors.pdf

Furthermore, applicants at the associate professor level must be able to document:

• Research qualifications at the level that can be achieved by satisfactorily completing a period of employment as an assistant professor/postdoc, but may also be obtained in other ways
• Teaching qualifications and pedagogical competencies
• Research-based teaching

Furthermore, applicants at the professor level must be able to document:

• Document a high degree of original academic production at an international level, including considerable contributions to the development of the academic discipline
• Manage research and other management functions, e.g. engage in the university’s external academic activities, as well as knowledge and technology transfer
• Provide research-based teaching

Applicants at both the associate professor and professor level are also required to possess good interpersonal and communicative skills.

Desired qualifications:

1. Research profile within one of the department’s above-mentioned new strategic research directions
2. Track record in attracting external funding
3. Track record in innovation
4. Strong commitment for the development of innovative and student-centered research-based teaching

Applicants already having sustainability integrated in all aspects of their research and teaching, or a clear plan for doing so, will have preference.

Terms of employment
The position is a permanent position. The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

For candidates applying at the level of associate professor, enrolment in the UCPHpromotion programme, leading to employment as a professor within an 8-year timeframe, could be a possibility for the successful candidate.

Salary and other terms and conditions of appointment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant professional organisations. The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2025.

Questions
For further information, please contact Head of Department Dan Stærk, ds@sund.ku.dk. For information about the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND), please see www.drug.ku.dk and https://sund.ku.dk/.

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://www.ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility).

Application
The application must be submitted in English and must include the following documents:

• Application, including motivations for applying for the position (maximum 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae, including information about external funding
• Diplomas (Master’s, PhD, and other relevant certificates)
• A complete list of publications
• Research plan (3–5 pages), also addressing how to create value within our new research vision
• Uploads of maximum 5 (associate professors) or 10 (professors) publications to be considered in the assessment
• Teaching plan
• Teaching portfolio (Guidelines: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/job-application-portfolio)

Application procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee. All applicants are immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Dean then appoints an expert assessment committee in order to make an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at https://jobportal.ku.dk/.

Please note that the applicant will be contacted if the assessment committee requires further documentation.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position.

Please submit the application with the required attachments.

Please submit the application with the required attachments. Only online applications will be accepted. The closing date for applications is 23.59 p.m. CET, Sunday, 3 August 2025.

First interviews for this position are likely to be held on 30 October 2025. As a following up, selected candidates will be invited for a second interview incl. site visit/research presentation.