Senior lecturer/Associate professor* in Crop production science specialized in forage

 

Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences

The Department of Crop Production Ecology

SLU is a world-leading university in the fields of agriculture and forestry and is one of the leading centres in the Nordic region for ecological research. We offer a dynamic and distinguished research environment combined with modern infrastructure. This includes advanced crop production facilities, four field research stations, more than 60 long-term agricultural experiments, including a new large-scale landscape experiment. SLU’s broad expertise in research related to the use and management of land, forests, and water, together with cross-faculty initiatives, creates opportunities for interdisciplinary research.

The Department of Crop Production Ecology is primarily based in Uppsala. The Department develops knowledge on cropping systems to meet demands for both quantity and quality of food, animal feed, and bio-based raw materials in a sustainable way in a changing world. The research focuses on challenges arising from increasing demand, climate change, environmental impacts, and biodiversity loss linked to agricultural and food systems.

The department’s research and education address crop production ecology from the molecular level, via the plant, the field, and the farm, up to the landscape level. Activities are organised in four subject areas: cropping systems, crop production specialized in forage, plant ecology, and weed ecology. Research is often conducted in collaboration with other scientific disciplines and with external stakeholders to contribute to the development of more sustainable agricultural and food systems.

This position is placed in a research group in Umeå that primarily conducts research on sustainable and competitive agricultural systems based on forage crops such as ley, pasture, and whole-crop cereals to secure access to environmentally friendly and sustainable food from ruminants. This includes agronomic research, agricultural systems assessment, and applied remote sensing. The group provides teaching at both undergraduate and advanced levels, mainly within the agronomy- soil & plant programme, and is also active in courses for professionals. 

Together with a research group from the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, the research group forms an inspiring and interdisciplinary research environment at the joint campus of SLU and Umeå University. The two departments work with a holistic perspective on sustainable agriculture that includes farm animals and crops, as well as their management. The research will form an important part of SLU's node for knowledge development on food production and food security in northern Sweden, which is under construction.

Read more about our activities and infrastructure here

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU here

Subject area

The subject encompasses crop production science with focus on forage-based agricultural systems including perennial grasslands.

Duties

The candidate should within the subject area

• develop and lead internationally successful research
• develop, lead and participate in teaching at first, second and third cycle level
• supervise doctoral students
• collaborate with other SLU research teams in order to strengthen interdisciplinary activities at the university
• develop and maintain national and international networks with academia, relevant public authorities, industry, organisations and society at large
• apply for external research funding
• contribute to the strategic development of the department, faculty and SLU
• communicate research findings and other relevant information to society at large
• perform administrative duties within the department, faculty and university.

Swedish and English are used in parallel at the department. The holder of the position should be able to perform the majority 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 and the holder of the position must be able to use Swedish as their working language within four years of beginning the position. The department will provide support with language learning.

Eligibility

The applicant must meet the following qualification requirements:

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications
• research expertise in the subject area
• teaching expertise and ability to integrate research and a scientific approach into teaching
• good knowledge of English.

Assessment criteria

In the assessment criteria for employment, the primary consideration should be the level of skill required for eligibility for the position. Assessment of the eligible applicant’s suitability for the employment will primarily be based on:

• completed and ongoing research in the subject area
• ability to independently initiate and conduct successful/outstanding research
• ability to obtain external research funding in competition
• ability of planning, implementation and examination, as well as evaluation of own teaching
• supervision and examination of doctoral students
• ability to integrate research and a scientific approach in teaching
• pedagogic vision and reflection.

Furthermore, the assessment will consider the applicant’s expertise in:

• developing and leading activities and staff within academia
• collaborating with relevant stakeholders and society
• communicating research findings and development. 

As much attention must be given to the assessment of teaching expertise as to the assessment of research expertise. The position will be offered to the eligible candidate who, following a qualitative comprehensive assessment is deemed to have the best qualifications set to conduct and develop the duties in question, and contribute to the positive development of the organisation. 

Additional information

* Swedish “universitetslektor”, a tenured position approximately equivalent to senior lecturer (UK) or associate professor (US). The applicant who is offered this employment at SLU will be employed as senior lecturer.

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 Located in the greater Stockholm region, the city of Uppsala has a rich history and culture, and is a true academic and cultural hub. Find out more about moving, living and working here at https://internationalhub.uppsala.se/

Application deadline:

2026-06-30

Place of work:

Umeå

Scope:

100 %

Form of Employment:

Permanent employment. 

Starting date:

By agreement.

Application:

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.

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/min-anstallning/facket/kontaktpersoner/

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.