Senior lecturer/Associate professor* in agricultural and food economics

Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences

Department of Economics 

We hereby announce an opening for a senior lecturer (associate professor) in agricultural and food economics, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Department of Economics in Uppsala, Sweden. SLU is a world-class university in the fields of biological and environmental sciences, with a vision to play a key role in developing a sustainable life, based on science and education.

Within this framework, the Department of Economics (www.slu.se/en/departments/economics/) serves as an important platform for research and teaching in business and economics, with an emphasis on applied science, often in collaboration with the university’s natural science disciplines. Our research and teaching are focused on knowledge and understanding of the sustainable use, management, and governance of natural resources, including the value chain for agricultural products and food. The department consists of four research groups: agricultural and food economics; natural resource and environmental economics; decision-making and management; and entrepreneurship and innovation. In addition to research, these groups also provide bachelor and master level teaching in business studies and economics. The department also includes the AgriFood Economics Center (www.agrifood.se), a collaborative initiative between SLU and Lund University, which, on behalf of the government, provides economic expertise to decision-makers in the areas of food, agriculture, fisheries, and rural development.

The Department of Economics has 65 full-time employees, including 18 doctoral students, and approximately 300 full-year students. The total research budget for 2024 is about 60 million SEK, with half coming from various external research grants. In a recent employee survey, the department’s staff gave high ratings for overall satisfaction (work environment, vision & goals, organization, and management). Compared to similar figures at other Swedish universities, the department’s results rank among the very highest in terms of overall satisfaction.

The research group in agricultural and economics has established itself as a strong international team with the vision of being a leading European environment for research and education in this field. The group is now seeking an senior lecturer/associate professor.

Subject area

The subject encompasses agricultural and food economics.

Duties

The candidate should within the subject area:

• Develop and lead teaching at first, second and third cycle level (bachelor, master and PhD levels)
• Develop and lead successful research in the subject area
• Contribute to the development of the Department’s PhD education program, and recruit and supervise doctoral students within the subject area
• Collaborate with other SLU research teams in order to strengthen interdisciplinary activities at the university
• Develop and maintain national and international networks with academia, relevant public authorities, industry, organisations and society at large
• Apply for external research funding
• Be able to communicate and teach in Swedish within four years.

Swedish and English are used in parallel at the department. The holder of the position should be able to perform the majority of their tasks in English. However, as a Swedish public authority, the university has Swedish as its main language in accordance with the Language Act and the holder of the position should be able to use Swedish at work within four years of beginning the position. The department will provide support with language learning.

 Eligibility

The applicant must meet the following qualification requirements:

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications
• Research expertise in the subject area
• Good knowledge of English
• Be pedagogically competent.

Assessment criteria

In the assessment criteria for employment, the primary consideration should be the level of skill required for eligibility for the position. Assessment of the eligible applicant’s suitability for the employment will primarily be based on:

• Completed and ongoing research in the subject area
• Ability to independently initiate and conduct successful/outstanding research
• Ability to obtain external research funding in competition
• Ability of planning, implementation, and examination, as well as evaluation of own teaching
• Experience in supervision and examination of doctoral students
• Ability to integrate research and a scientific approach in teaching.

Furthermore, the assessment will consider the applicant’s expertise in:

• Developing and leading activities and staff within academia
• Collaborating with relevant stakeholders and society
• Communicating research findings and development.

As much attention must be given to the assessment of teaching expertise as to the assessment of research expertise. The position will be offered to the eligible candidate who, following a qualitative comprehensive assessment is deemed to have the best qualifications set to conduct and develop the duties in question, and contribute to the positive development of the organisation.

In addition to the above listed qualification criteria, consideration the applicant’s social skills and competence will be included in the assessment.

Additional information

The Swedish “universitetslektor” is a tenured position approximately equivalent to senior lecturer (UK) or associate professor (US). The applicant who is offered this employment at SLU will be employed as senior lecturer.

An employment as senior lecturer/associate professor at the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences guarantees funding for own research equivalent to 35% of a standard salary for a senior lecturer/associate professor at SLU. In addition, the department guarantees an additional 15% salary support for research, teaching, or administrative work. The remaining 50% is expected to be financed through external research grants or additional teaching efforts by the senior lecturer/associate professor.

This position offers the vibrant research climate at SLU. The benefits of the position include Swedish family health care provisions,
parenting support including generous paid leave of absence policies that allow both parents to care for newborns and toddlers.
Additionally Sweden has a well-established pre-school structure as well as an educational system that provides no-cost education through
university studies. Find out more facts and stories about Sweden at www.sweden.se

Located in the greater Stockholm region, the city of Uppsala has a rich history and culture, and is a true academic and cultural hub. Find
out more about moving, living and working here at https://internationalhub.uppsala.se/

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 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 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.