Postdoc in peatland restoration and GHG emissions Full-time

Postdoc In Peatland Restoration And Ghg Emissions

The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, is offering a postdoctoral position in greenhouse gas emissions from rewetted peatlands, starting 01-08-2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position will be available for a 3-year period. You will be part of a research environment focusing on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from rewetted peatlands. You will be contributing to specifically the area of measurements, analysis, and documentation of the GHGs (CO2 and CH4) from peatland established with sphagnum moss under controlled hydrology. After some years the upper part of the living moss will be harvested with the purpose of sphagnum restoration at other sites or as growing media in horticultural production. The main focus of your position will be chamber measurements and data processing. You will work experimentally in the Danish bog peatland 'Store Vildmose' where GHG measurements are currently performed with Eddy Covariance towers as part of the Danish Research Infrastructure ReWet. The establishment of demonstration plots with sphagnum moss is part of the GUDP project RESPONGE recently funded by the Danish Agricultural Agency and carried out in collaboration with the company Pindstrup Mosebrug. Measurements of GHG emissions from the sphagnum plots will be compared with measurements at restored and pristine sites of Store Vildmose.

We expect that you will be an important part of the research environment and that you will contribute positively to the social working environment. We also expect that you will take part in our teaching activities and that you will report research results in high-impact scientific journals.

Your Profile

We are searching for a highly motivated candidate who has:

• A PhD in biology, ecology, plant physiology or similar
• Collaborative skills and ability to demonstrate commitment in teams
• A fondness of taking the initiative and the motivation to pursue a scientific career
• Documented experience in scientific writing and publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals
• Research experience in some of the areas of plant science, soil science, atmospheric science

Additional Qualifications

Further, we will prefer candidates with some of the following qualifications:

• Teaching and supervision experience at the BSc and MSc level
• Interest and experience in developing competitive national and international research applications
• Experience in planning and conducting field-work
• Experience in planning and conducting laboratory work within soil, water and plant chemistry
• Insight into plant-soil interactions, hydrology and greenhouse gas emissions
• Experience with a programming language (e.g., R, Python)

Who We Are

At the Department of Agroecology, our main goal is to contribute to sustainable solutions to some of the world's biggest problems within the areas of soil, plants, animals, humans, and the environment. We want to make a difference by contributing to both fundamental knowledge generation and the attainment of sustainable production systems via innovative research, contracted policy advice, and education. We offer professional laboratories, greenhouses, semi-field, and field-scale research facilities, advanced computing capacities as well as an extensive national and international researcher network. The department consists of nine research sections with around 350 highly skilled employees, of which approximately 50% are scientific staff. More information can be found here.

What We Offer

• A collaborative, international research environment that combines high academic standards with an informal and supportive atmosphere. We value accountability, curiosity, flexibility, and teamwork in everything we do.
• An inclusive and respectful workplace culture, where mutual trust, kindness, and professional dialogue are part of daily life. We encourage open communication and develop a cohesive sense of community across teams and disciplines.
• A flexible working environment that supports work-life balance and individual needs.
• An active institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion – in recruitment, career development, and everyday interactions.
• An innovative and meaningful workplace where your work contributes to solving real-world challenges. No two days are alike, and we welcome creative thinking and new ideas.
• Support for international researchers and their families, including Relocation Service and an Expat Partner Programme

Living And Working In Denmark

• Subsidised childcare and free education from primary school through university.
• Universal healthcare for you and your family as residents.
• Five weeks of paid holiday per year.
• Generous parental leave – up to 52 weeks shared between parents, with full or partial salary.

Place Of Work

The place of work is Aarhus University, Campus Viborg, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele. The affiliation will be with the Department of Agroecology. More information can be obtained from Senior Researcher Poul Erik Lærke, poule.laerke@agro.au.dk.

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.

Letter Of Reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee's contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee's contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration. If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person's details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk.

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.