Assistant Professor in Chemistry with specialization in hydrometallurgy

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.

The Department of Chemistry - Ångström conducts research and education in the chemistry field. The department has more than 260 employees and has a turnover of 300 million SEK. At the department's six programs, we conduct very successful research of a high international standard. We have a large number of externally funded research projects, often with international cooperation and we see continued good growth in our subject area. The department has education assignments in engineering programs and master's programs. More information is available on our website.

This recruitment is connected to the Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE, wise-materials.org). WISE, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, is the largest-ever investment in materials science in Sweden and encompasses major efforts at Sweden’s foremost universities over the course of 12 years.The vision is a sustainable future through materials science. Read more: https://wise-materials.org

The position as a WISE Fellow includes a start package from the WISE program, covering 4 years salary as well as the salary of 2 PhD students and 2 post-doctoral candidates.

Description of subject area of the employment: The subject area for this position is research and teaching within hydrometallurgical methods. The field of hydrometallurgy is considered the employment of methods where solution, coordination and complex chemistry is used in combination with flotation and other separation techniques to excavate critical materials from raw materials or waste streams. It is at the borders of materials chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical-chemistry methods, inorganic and organic chemistry, and where chemical engineering techniques are critical. Since the department study a range of different materials targeting numerous devices (batteries, magnets, solar cells, etc.), recycling of components of these after end-of-life is of particular interest. Collaboration with the department of Earth Science is envisioned, and thereby in precursor synthesis from raw materials.       

Duties: 

• Teaching, research and administration. Teaching duties include course responsibility and course administration and supervision of second- and third-cycle students. The teaching will primarily have a focus within the chemical engineering area.
  
  
• The research is intended to have an experimental focus.
  
  
• Build up your own research group within the division by defining and planning research activities within the framework of the above-described subject area, applying for external research funding, supervising postdocs.

• Follow developments within the subject area and the development of society in general that is important for the work at the university.

• The position may include course responsibilities and other administrative duties within teaching. Collaboration with relevant industry may be included.

Appointment Period: The position can be held for a maximum of six years. An Assistant Professor can apply for promotion to Associate Professor. If the Assistant Professor is deemed suitable and fulfills the criteria for promotion established by the Faculty Board he/she shall be promoted to and employed as Associate Professor.

Qualifications Required:

• PhD in Chemistry/Chemical engineering or have the corresponding research competence or some other professional expertise. Applicants who have obtained a PhD degree or achieved the equivalent competence in seven years or less prior to the end of the application period will be given priority.

• Research Expertise and Teaching Expertise. It is necessary that the pedagogical skills, the research expertise and the professional skills are relevant to the content of the employment and the tasks that will be included in the employment.

• Applicants should have completed teacher training of relevance to operations at the University, comprising five weeks, or have acquired the equivalent knowledge. If special circumstances apply, this training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first two years of employment.

• Documented ability to teach in Swedish or English is a requirement unless special reasons prevail. The holder is expected to be able to teach in Swedish within two years.

• Personal capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment.

Assessment Criteria/Ranking of applicants that fulfil the above-mentioned qualifications required
The ranking of eligible applicants will be based primarily on research and teaching expertise, where research expertise will be given higher priority.

Research Expertise comprises research merits as well as the applicant´s potential to contribute to the future development of both research and teaching. In assessing research expertise research quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of research, primarily in regards to depth and breadth, must also be afforded consideration. In assessing research expertise special weight will be attached to research merits in hydrometallurgy, where firstly research merits regarding solid-state waste management/recycling are important, secondly precursor synthesis from raw materials, and thereafter other applications of hydrometallurgical methods. Documented research experience from using large-scale research infrastructures for X-ray and neutron scattering is considered a strong merit. Experience from international research collaborations, is also considered a merit.

Teaching Expertise comprises educational and teaching qualifications. In assessing teaching expertise teaching quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, must also be afforded consideration. In assessing teaching expertise special weight will be attached to merits in chemical engineering. Competences regarding chemical engineering are of particular interest. Especially teaching capabilities on process chemistry are valuable. Teaching administration is of importance, likewise student-activating teaching methods and teaching involving collaboration with industry.

Administrative Expertise is important for the employment and will be given consideration. Administrative expertise is demonstrated, for example, through the capacity to plan, organise, and prioritise work in an efficient and task-related manner as well as through the ability to assign and observe time frames. Expertise includes overall operational planning and the capacity to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities as well as the ability to work in a structured manner based on an awareness of goals and quality.

Management Expertise is important and will be afforded consideration. Management expertise is demonstrated through the capacity to lead operations and personnel, make decisions, take responsibility, and motivate others, providing them with what is needed for the efficient achievement of common goals. The abilities to coordinate the group and help create a sense of involvement, participation, and enjoyment in work and to deal with conflicts constitute further examples of demonstrated expertise.

Collaboration Expertise is important and will be afforded consideration. Collaborative expertise is demonstrated by the ability and skill of planning, organizing and implementing interaction with the surrounding community. Popular publications, public debate and lectures are examples of forms of interaction with the surrounding community. Other examples of collaboration are patent applications, commercialization and industrial cooperation. The ability to translate knowledge sharing with the surrounding community into activities of importance to the education's development and quality is part of the collaboration expertise.

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

In filling this position the university aims to appoint the applicant who, following a qualitative holistic assessment of her/his competence and expertise, is judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to help advance operations.

Further information
In an overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, parental leave, part-time work relating to care of children, union assignments, military service, or the like are to be regarded as work experience.

University appointment regulations

Faculty appointment regulations

Instructions for application                                   

Type of position: Temporary full-time position six years.

Salary: Individually negotiated salary.

Number of positions: 1

Town: Uppsala

Starting date: As agreed

Scope of employment: 100%

For further information about the position please contact: Professor Martin Sahlberg, e-post: martin.sahlberg@kemi.uu.se

Please submit your application by 1 September 2025, UFV-PA 2025/1933.

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

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