Assistant Professor in Biochemistry with specialisation in Experimental Protein Biochemistry (SciLifeLab Fellow)

Uppsala Universitet; Uppsala kommun; On-site; SEK 700,000 - 950,000; Full time

Job summary

Uppsala University, Department of Chemistry - BMC, invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry with specialization in Experimental Protein Biochemistry. The SciLifeLab Fellow will establish an independent research program, lead an own group, and build collaborations within a leading national and international life sciences community.

The position offers substantial start-up resources, freedom to pursue ambitious questions, and a path toward permanent academic appointments

Qualifications

• PhD in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular life science, or a closely related field.
• Strong prospects for an academic career in the subject area.
• Ability and potential to develop an independent research programme and to attract external research funding.
• Teaching expertise, with potential to teach biochemistry or related topics.
• The ability to integrate research and teaching at higher education levels.
• Documentation of ability to teach in Swedish or English and work collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead an independent research group, publish high-quality research, and present results internationally.
• Actively apply for and secure external grants.
• Teach courses, supervise doctoral students in Swedish and English, and develop teaching activities.
• Participate in general academic duties, committees, and department development.
• Contribute to a constructive and collegial working environment.

Job description

Assistant Professor in Biochemistry with specialisation in Experimental Protein Biochemistry (SciLifeLab Fellow)

Uppsala University, Department of Chemistry - BMC

Are you ready to establish your own research group and pursue ambitious questions in experimental protein biochemistry? Join Uppsala University and SciLifeLab to develop an independent research programme in a collaborative, internationally leading scientific environment.

We are now looking for an Assistant Professor (SciLifeLab Fellow) with scientific originality and the potential to establish an internationally competitive research programme in experimental protein biochemistry. The position has a strong research focus and offers considerable freedom to develop an independent research direction that broadens and strengthens the existing research environment.

Biochemistry is a core area at the Department of Chemistry for Life Sciences and a central part of the Faculty of Science and Technology’s life science profile. Our workplace at the Biomedical Centre (BMC) offers an excellent environment for experimental protein biochemistry, with modern laboratories and access to advanced infrastructure for protein production and characterization, structural biology, biophysical analysis and cell-based assays. Through Uppsala University and SciLifeLab, there is also access to world-class national technology platforms in proteomics, genomics, imaging, bioinformatics and data-driven life science. These resources provide excellent opportunities to conduct and develop innovative experimental protein biochemistry and integrate mechanistic studies with advanced experimental and computational approaches.

• The successful candidate will receive a substantial start-up package comparable in scale to an ERC Starting Grant, providing the resources to establish an independent research group and develop an independent research programme.
• The position offers a clear pathway towards a long-term academic career, with the opportunity for promotion to a permanent position as Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) following a successful evaluation.
• The position is affiliated with the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).

You will join a highly collaborative and internationally strong Biochemistry programme that seeks to uncover how protein sequence, structure, dynamics and interactions give rise to biochemical activity and cellular function. The programme has established strengths in large-scale interaction discovery, quantitative characterization of molecular interactions and in time-resolved studies of protein structural dynamics. We welcome applicants with a background in experimental protein biochemistry, including areas such as structural biology, protein dynamics and intrinsically disordered proteins, molecular recognition, enzymology, protein design, directed evolution, and synthetic biology. We particularly encourage original research programmes that develop or apply innovative experimental approaches to understand, predict, or design protein function. Scientific excellence, originality, and potential for future development are central to this recruitment.

The position is part of the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). SciLifeLab is a national centre for leading edge technological infrastructures that supports large-scale data and hypothesis-driven research in the field of molecular biosciences. SciLifeLab (www.scilifelab.se) operates nationally, engaging all major Universities of Sweden including the four founding universities: Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Uppsala University. SciLifeLab brings together researchers across traditional boundaries and promotes collaborations with industry, healthcare, public research organizations and international partners. As a SciLifeLab Fellow, the recruited researcher will be part of the dynamic SciLifeLab community both locally in Uppsala and in Sweden at large. For information about the SciLifeLab fellow program, see https://www.scilifelab.se/research/#fellows.

SciLifeLab Fellows are also part of a broad national network of future academic leaders within SciLifeLab and Wallenberg’s national program for data-driven life science (DDLS fellows) and the fellow programs at the Wallenberg Centers for Molecular Medicine (WCMM fellows), within the network Program for Academic leaders in Life Science, PALS, see https://www.palsnetwork.se.

Subject area

The subject area is Experimental Protein Biochemistry. It encompasses experimental approaches to understanding how protein sequence, structure, dynamics and interactions determine biochemical activity and cellular function, and to use this understanding to predict or engineer protein function.

We particularly welcome research programmes that employ or develop innovative experimental approaches to investigate protein sequence, structure and function, spanning atomic-resolution studies and molecular mechanisms to biological processes. Of particular interest are research directions that open new avenues in experimental and predictive protein science, for example through time-resolved, quantitative, or systematic studies of protein structure, dynamics, and function, or by integrating experimental methods with AI-assisted modelling and/or the design of proteins with desired properties and functions.

The subject area is intentionally broad, and we welcome applicants from across experimental protein biochemistry, without preference for a particular protein class, biological system or methodology. Scientific excellence, originality and future potential will guide the selection.

Duties

You will work with:

• research. Research includes establishing and leading an independent research group, publishing research of high quality, presenting results internationally. Actively applying for and securing external grants.
• teaching. Teaching includes responsibility for courses, course administration and supervision of doctoral students in Swedish and English. If you are initially unable to teach in Swedish, Swedish-language training aimed at achieving this proficiency will be included in your duties.
• administration. Participate in the general academic duties of the Department of Chemistry for Life Sciences. This includes serving on committees, taking on responsibilities beyond your own research and teaching assignments, contributing to the evaluation and development of teaching and research activities, working collaboratively with colleagues, and providing support and constructive feedback to colleagues.
• keeping up to date in your subject area and following developments in society that are relevant to your work at Uppsala University.
• to contribute to a constructive and collegial working environment.

In choosing between eligible candidates, emphasis will primarily be given to both research and teaching expertise, with particular weight to research expertise. In addition, attention will be given to management and collaboration expertise.

Qualifications required

You must have:

• a PhD in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular life science, or a closely related field. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed their PhD or attained equivalent expertise no more than seven years before the deadline for applications.
• research expertise in experimental biochemistry or a closely related area, of a quality that demonstrates strong prospects for an academic career in the subject area.
• ability and potential to develop an independent research programme and to attract external research funding.
• teaching expertise, according particular weight to teaching biochemistry or related topics. The ability to integrate research in the relevant subject area, subject didactic, and higher education into teaching is also required.
• completed at least five weeks of teacher training for higher education of relevance to the organisation and its activities or be considered to have acquired the equivalent knowledge. The required training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first two years of employment if there are special circumstances.
• a documented ability to teach in Swedish or English.
• ability to work with other people and otherwise meet the demands of suitability required to perform the duties well.
• teaching expertise and research expertise that are relevant to the subject area and the duties that the position involves.

It would be an advantage if you have:

• An original research programme with high scientific potential that contributes to broadening and strengthening the existing research environment.
• leadership skills, including the ability to develop, coordinate, and lead activities and staff.
• collaboration skills, including the ability to engage with the broader society, disseminate and exchange knowledge, and apply research and development results.

All qualifications must be documented in a manner that makes it possible to assess both their quality and their scope.

When the University appoints new academic staff, candidates will be selected based on a qualitative overall assessment of their competence and expertise, taking into account their potential to perform and develop the duties of the position and to contribute to the positive development of the department.

Application

Parental leave, part-time work due to childcare, trade union responsibilities, military service or similar activities are treated as work experience and should be listed in the CV.

The position of Assistant Professor is fixed-term for up to six years and is intended to provide qualifications for a permanent teaching position with higher eligibility requirements. During the appointment, there is the possibility to apply for promotion to Associate Professor. If the requirements are met and suitability is confirmed, the appointee may be promoted to a permanent position as Associate Professor.

About the position

This is a temporary full-time position six years. The position is full-time (100%). Starting date: as agreed. Place of work: Uppsala

Further information about the position is available from:

Professor Ylva Ivarsson, [phone], [e-mail].

In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

We offer you

• Sweden offers good working conditions, including comprehensive social benefits such as generous family-focused policies that make healthcare, childcare, and children’s education available and highly affordable.
• At Uppsala University, we offer the opportunity for new international staff to learn Swedish through our language courses.
• If you have family, they will get new contacts and support through the Uppsala International Citizen hub.

If you are an international candidate, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at http://www.uu.se/joinus.

• Uppsala University’s tenure track system grants assistant professors the possibility to be assessed for promotion to the position as associate professor.
• The university provides support in various areas, such as scientific and educational development, leadership development as well as patent and innovation support.

Uppsala University is a broad research university with a strong international position. The ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a difference in society. Our most important asset is all of our 7,500 employees and 53,000 students who, with curiosity and commitment, make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces.

The position may be subject to security vetting. If security vetting is conducted, the applicant must pass the vetting process to be eligible for employment.

Please do not send offers of recruitment or advertising services.

Employee organizations: Saco-S - [e-mail], Seko - [e-mail], ST (OFR/S) - [e-mail]