Assistant Professor Position in Transient Electromagnetic Signal Processing, Modelling and Inversion Full-time NEW

Assistant Professor Position in Transient Electromagnetic Signal Processing, Modelling and Inversion

A 2-year Assistant Professor position is available from December 1, 2026 or shortly hereafter at Aarhus University, Department of Geoscience, HydroGeophysics Group (HGG). The position is funded through the DREAM project (DRone-based Electromagnetic Aerial Mapping), supported by Innovation Fund Denmark.

DREAM is an interdisciplinary research and innovation project aiming to develop the world's first ultra-lightweight drone transient electromagnetic (TEM) system for high-resolution subsurface mapping. The project combines novel instrumentation, advanced signal processing, real-time physics-based machine learning, multidimensional inversion, and probabilistic geological modelling to enable efficient mapping in previously inaccessible terrains. The successful candidate will be employed primarily in research which focuses on developing novel signal processing methodologies for drone-based TEM systems. The candidate will work closely with researchers from the Department of Geoscience, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and industrial partners involved in the development of the DREAM platform.

Job Assignments

The candidate will become part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, software developers, and geophysicists working on the development of next-generation airborne geophysical technologies.

The position focuses on advanced numerical developments for transient electromagnetic systems and close integration with hardware development activities. The successful candidate will work directly with engineering teams designing and testing the DREAM dual-drone TEM platform and will contribute to iterative prototype development and field validation.

The Assistant Professor will also be expected to lead data acquisition, processing, modelling, and inversion activities related to DREAM and other TEM-related projects within HGG. The candidate is required to publish scientific results in international peer-reviewed journals, present results at international conferences and workshops, and contribute to the supervision of PhD, MSc and BSc students.

Strong communication and collaboration skills are mandatory.

The tasks undertaken by the Asst. Prof. will include the following: Development of advanced signal processing methodologies for transient electromagnetic data Development of transient electromagnetic forward modelling and inversion algorithms. Development of processing methodologies operating in both time-domain and Fourier-domain representations. Research on spectral analysis, signal characterization, noise suppression, and data compression techniques for TEM systems. Integration of numerical methods into real-time drone-based TEM acquisition workflows. Participation in the design, testing, and evaluation of next-generation drone-based TEM instrumentation. Close collaboration with engineering teams during iterative prototype development and field testing. Planning and execution of TEM field campaigns and validation experiments. Communication and dissemination of research results through scientific publications and presentations.

Required Qualifications for the Position:

• PhD degree in Geophysics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related discipline. Demonstrated expertise in transient electromagnetic (TEM) forward modelling and inversion. Experience implementing numerical solutions to electromagnetic field problems. Experience working with electromagnetic methods in both time and Fourier domains. Significant experience in spectral analysis, signal processing, and advanced data processing methodologies. Proven experience with TEM field data acquisition, processing, and interpretation. Strong programming skills. Advanced Python programming is mandatory; experience with PyTorch, GPU-implementations, or other high-performance computing is considered an advantage. Strong analytical and quantitative skills. Excellent English skills, both oral and written. Demonstrated scientific productivity through peer-reviewed publications in recognized international journals. Experience presenting scientific results at conferences and workshops. Ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams spanning geophysics, engineering, and software development.

Place of Employment and Place of Work:

The place of employment will be Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Geoscience, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 2, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.

Further Information:

Applicants are encouraged to contact Associate Professor Denys Grombacher, Department of Geoscience, denys.grombacher@geo.au.dk, email for additional information.

Deadline:

All applications must be received no later than 1 September 2026

Application Procedure:

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks 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 will receive his/her assessment.

Formalities and Salary Range:

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Salary and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions at basic salary steps 4-8. You will be appointed as tenure track assistant professor or associate professor in accordance with the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at universities 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.