Senior Lecturer in horticultural genomics and breeding

Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Science

The Department of Plant Breeding

The Department of Plant Breeding conducts research, education and innovation of strategic importance for the sustainable and profitable cultivation of agricultural and horticultural crops for food, feed and industrial products in a changing climate. The department is divided into five subject areas: Applied genetics and crop genetic improvement; Genomics and phenomics of plant diversity; Plant biotechnology and functional genomics; Plant product quality improvement; Plants and the Environment. Read more on the department and subject area websites.

Subject area 

The subject of the position is horticulture, with a focus on plant genetics and genomics. The emphasis is on key traits in horticultural crops, such as resistance to diseases and pests, product quality, and climate adaptation. The subject is of central importance to sustainable horticultural production systems in the Nordic region.

Duties

The work is expected to combine methods such as quantitative genetics, genotyping, genetic markers and phenotyping, sequencing and -omics technology to generate knowledge on key resistance, quality and adaptation traits that can be translated into breeding strategies for sustainable horticultural production in the Nordic region. The senior lecturer shall, within the subject of the position,

• establish and develop internationally competitive research that complements and strengthens the department's ongoing research and is in line with the faculty's and the university's strategic goals
• apply for external research funds in competition
• plan, lead and implement research projects
• develop synergies with other relevant research at the department
• publish scientific articles
• develop, lead and conduct teaching at undergraduate, advanced and doctoral levels
• supervise students at all levels in the educational cycle
• develop and maintain national and international networks with researchers, industry, businesses and authorities
• communicate about research and research results
• be able to teach in Swedish or another Scandinavian language

The department has a parallel-language working environment. The senior lecturer will be able to carry out most academic duties in English. However, since Swedish is the university’s official working language, the candidate is expected to achieve a functional level of Swedish within four years of appointment. The department undertakes to provide support to help the candidate reach this goal.

Qualifications

The applicant must, within the subject of the position,

• have completed a doctoral degree in biology, horticulture, plant breeding or genetics or have equivalent scientific competence
• be scientifically skilled and have experience in basic and applied research, and plant breeding or pre-breeding
• have demonstrated the ability to obtain external research grants
• have demonstrated pedagogical skills in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including supervision of students
• have experience in supervising doctoral students
• have completed higher education teaching training or otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge
• have good knowledge of English

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for employment shall primarily be the degree of such skill as is a requirement for eligibility for employment.

When assessing scientific skill within the subject of employment, the following shall be taken into account:

• completed research efforts and ongoing research
• ability to independently initiate and conduct outstanding and innovative research
• external research funding received in competition

When assessing pedagogical skill within the subject of employment, the following shall be taken into account:

• planning, implementation, examination and evaluation of own teaching
• supervision and examination at all levels in the educational cycle
• ability to integrate research and a scientific approach into pedagogical work
• pedagogical vision

Furthermore, skills in

• developing and leading operations and personnel within the academy/university
• communicating and collaborating
• collaborating with external stakeholders and the surrounding community
• informing/communicating about research and development work

Expertise in quantitative genetics, modern genomic tools, the integration of multi-omics data, and the evaluation of traits in horticultural crops intended for food production within Nordic cultivation systems is considered a particular merit. A network of contacts with stakeholders in the Swedish and/or Nordic horticultural sector is also considered a particular merit.

The assessment of pedagogical skills shall be given equal care as the assessment of scientific skills.

The position is offered to those who, after a qualitative overall assessment, are deemed to have the best conditions to carry out and develop current work tasks and contribute to a positive development of the business.

Working at SLU

At SLU, you become part of a vibrant research environment that is based on active collaboration. As an employee at SLU, you have access to a number of benefits (including Swedish family healthcare, parental leave and generous paid leave policies). Read more about benefits at SLU here. SLU is often highly ranked in the various university rankings that are made around the world and is ranked as one of Sweden's most attractive workplaces.

Sweden also has a well-established pre-school structure and a free education system. Find out more facts and stories about Sweden at www.sweden.se 

SLU in Alnarp is located in southern Sweden near the university cities of Lund and Malmö, and Copenhagen in Denmark. The Öresund region offers a rich history and culture and is a real academic and cultural hub.

Deadline:

2026-11-01

Place of work:

Alnarp

Extent:

100%

Form of employment:

Permanent 

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/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

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.