Associate Professor in Freshwater Biology & Ecological Interactions

EURAXESS Ireland; Tromsø; On-site; NOK 750,000 - 890,000; Full time

Job summary

UiT The Arctic University of Norway invites applications for an Associate Professor in aquatic ecology at the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics in Tromsø. The position emphasizes research on freshwater systems, meta-ecosystem interactions, and teaching at BA and MS levels.

Candidates should have a strong publication record, international networks, and the ability to secure external funding. The role balances teaching and research with flexible duties, field and ship-based training,

Qualifications

• PhD in aquatic ecology or equivalent with strong theory and methods for population and community ecology.
• Strong background in freshwater ecosystem research and fish ecology; field and experimental studies.
• Experience with environmental management and a strong quantitative background.
• Meta-ecosystem perspective including coastal–freshwater flows and interactions; work on anadromous fish and ecological interactions across ecosystems.
• Ability to obtain external funding.
• Broad national and international scientific network to complement aquatic ecology competence.
• Excellent collaboration, teaching and outreach skills; willing to contribute to department development.
• Pedagogical competence or plan to obtain it; English and Norwegian/Scandinavian proficiency at CEFR B2 or higher.
• Outstanding publication record in international peer‑reviewed journals.

Responsibilities

• Teach biology courses at BA and MS levels, focusing on ecology, parasitology, catchment‑to‑coast perspectives, and field courses.
• Supervise BA/MS theses and PhD candidates; participate in field‑based or ship‑based teaching.
• Contribute to research on population and community ecology in freshwater systems with a meta‑ecosystem perspective.
• Engage in long‑term and field studies on freshwater ecology, anadromous fish, and parasite–host research.
• Collaborate with colleagues within the department and university to strengthen teaching and research programs.

Skills

Freshwater ecology

Fish ecology

Quantitative methods

Teamwork

English proficiency

Norwegian proficiency

Education

PhD in aquatic ecology

Job description

The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics

Organisation/Company UiT The Arctic University of Norway Department The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Environmental science » Ecology Biological sciences Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Positions Other Positions Application Deadline 16 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Country Norway Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

The focus of the position is on freshwater biology and biotic interactions across ecosystems, and ecological responses to environmental changes and human activities at high latitudes.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The position’s field of research or work

The new hire will conduct research addressing population and community ecology in freshwater systems with a strong meta-ecosystem perspective, e.g. connecting coastal-freshwater flows and interactions. The candidate will engage in the group's long‑term and field studies on freshwater ecology, anadromous fish studies, and parasite‑host research. We are looking for a strongly motivated and outstanding scientist and educator, committed to providing academic excellence to our degree programs and willing to stimulate outstanding research at our institution.

The position will contribute to teaching university courses in biology at the BA and MS levels in the biology degree programs, and possibly other degree programs at UiT. Teaching will focus on the BA and Master courses in ecology, ecological interactions, parasitology, catchment‑to‑coast perspectives, and management of northern populations, with a strong focus on field courses.

Supervision and mentoring of student theses at BA and MS level and of PhD candidates is expected, as is participation in field‑based and/or ship‑based teaching activities.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements:

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D) in aquatic ecology relevant to the position's research focus, with a solid foundation in modern theory and methods for population and community ecology. Or competence at a corresponding level documented by scientific work of the same scope and quality.
• Documented competence in freshwater ecosystem research and fish ecology, and a strong background in field and experimental studies on ecological interactions and global change biology in aquatic systems (e.g. biological invasions and climate change).
• Experience with research related to environmental management, and a strong quantitative background.
• A meta‑ecosystem perspective, including coastal‑freshwater flows and interactions, and work on anadromous fish and ecological interactions across ecosystems will be a central component of this position, and previous experiences in these fields will be considered important assets.
• Documented ability to obtain external funding.
• Broad national and international scientific network who will complement and strengthen our general aquatic ecology competence.
• We encourage teamwork in both teaching and research, and we are looking for a colleague with excellent cooperation skills, and a positive attitude towards collaborative research, education, and outreach. The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.
• Documented pedagogical competence (can be obtained - read more below).
• Documented good written and oral proficiency in English and Norwegian / Scandinavian language proficiency at level B2 within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) . Those who do not meet the requirement for Scandinavian language skills must do so within three years of appointment. UiT facilitates attendance of Norwegian courses.
• An outstanding publication record in leading international peer‑reviewed journals.

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA ).

Pedagogical competence

All applicants for teaching and research positions must document their educational competence in their application. You must have acquired basic competence for teaching and supervision at university and college level. This entails basic skills in planning, implementing, evaluating and developing teaching and supervision.

Those who do not meet the requirements for pedagogical competence upon employment will be required to meet them within two years. UiT offers courses in educational competence to employees.

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants .

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non‑disclosure.

In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.

Eallju - Developing the High North

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi‑campus research university and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close‑up perspective.
Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.

The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE) consists of Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NFH) and School of Business and Economics.

The main task of BFE is to conduct teaching and research dissemination at a high national and international level within all relevant fields. Prioritized research areas are aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, climate, life in the arctic, marine bioprospecting, fish health, seafood products, business and macroeconomics, resources and environment, markets and management of marine resources. The interdisciplinary profile of the faculty provides good opportunity to develop research projects involving several research groups at the faculty according to its strategy.

The remuneration for Associate Professor is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1011, with a gross annual salary ranging from NOK 750.000 - 890.000 in a 100 % position. In special cases, a higher salary may be considered. As a state employee, you have one of the best pension schemes available. For more informationsee: spk.no . Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

The allocation of working hours is flexible and allocated on a case‑by‑case basis. In general, Associate Professors will spend an equal amount of time on teaching and research and development workafter time spent on other duties has been deducted. As a norm, the time resources spent on administrative duties constitutes 5 % for academic staff.

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics Country Norway City Tromsø Postal Code 9019 Street Hansine Hansens veg 18 Geofield