Professor in Equine Welfare

The Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, invites highly
qualified applicants for a professor position in equine welfare from 1 December 2025.

The Position
The Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences seeks to enhance its profile in equine welfare through high-level research, teaching and policy/government advice. The research program should aim to develop and validate objective welfare indicators for horses used for sport, leisure, and nature conservation purposes. The program should seek a deeper understanding of different behavioural patterns and factors related to equine welfare, including housing, management and training methods, and it should aim for identifying interventions that can improve equine welfare regardless of the horse’s use.

We seek a candidate with a strong background in equine behaviour and welfare, who can demonstrate a strong network within the equine research society. The candidate should demonstrate strong competences and experience with research leadership, including attracting and managing extramural funding, and through the ability to collaborate with national and international scientists as well as external stakeholders.

The candidate must also have a strong profile in teaching and supervision as well as being active in knowledge transfer with external stakeholders, policymakers and society.

Responsibilities

• Develop concepts for new research with e.g. universities and industry partners to secure external funding.
• Research and evidence-based consultancy and dissemination to authorities, industry and society within the area of expertise.
• Science-based teaching in animal science and veterinary science

What we offer

• A well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment and animal-experimental facilities
• An informal and multicultural research environment with high professionalism and close collaboration and networking activities
• A workplace characterised by equality and a good work-life balance, and an open discussion across different fields of research.

Who we are
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences is well-known for its skilled and very innovative interdisciplinary research environments with high international impact. We perform world-class research, which contributes with solutions to solve essential societal challenges within the green transition: food production and veterinary medicine – nationally and globally.

The department generates novel research at the highest international level within sustainable food production, environment, climate and health and welfare for animals and humans. The activities form the basis for the research-based public sector consultancy and degree programs covering bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degree programs within animal science and veterinary medicine. We offer a lively, engaged and innovative learning and study environment, which is closely integrated in the research environment.

Our department has unique and advanced animal experimental research facilities and technologies, situated in close connection to the research environment, and a comprehensive national and international research network and good industrial and professional collaboration.

Please refer to Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences for further
information about the department.

Contact

• Further information on the position may be obtained from Head of Department, Professor Charlotte Lauridsen: +45 2443 9639, email: charlotte.lauridsen@anivet.au.dk or
• Head of Research Unit, Professor Lene Juul Pedersen, phone: +45 5116 2822, email: lene.juulpedersen@anivet.au.dk

Living in Denmark
Please visit the international staff website: https://internationalstaff.au.dk/prearrival/ for
information about arriving to and living in Denmark for both the applicants and their
potential family.

Place of employment and place of work
The place of work is the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, AU Viborg,
Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, and the area of employment is Aarhus University (AU)
with related departments.

Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee and will receive his/her assessment. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

Formalities and salary range
Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/

Department: ANIVET Adfærd, Stress og Dyrevelfæ/ANIVET Behaviour, stress and welfare (BSW)

Deadline: 19 May 2025

Location: Tjele Blichers Allé 20