Postdoctoral Research Fellow within microbiology and molecular biology

The position

An exciting Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, within the Host-Microbe Interaction (HMI) research group

General information about the position:

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

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

Unless special circumstances indicate otherwise, postdoctoral projects shall be planned with stays abroad. The duration should be at least 6 months.

The project

You will join a vibrant and multidisciplinary research environment, working closely with faculty, researchers, and students to advance our understanding of microbiology and molecular biology. The project investigates how antibiotic resistance (AMR) enzymes shape the evolution, selection, and spread of resistance within biofilm communities.

The aim is to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning biofilm evolution and to clarify the role of AMR enzymes in this process. The research will be tailored to the candidate’s expertise and interests, with emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and openness to learning new methodologies.

The overarching goal is to provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of how biofilm formation and AMR co-evolve. The candidate will have access to laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and will be integrated into an international network of collaborators in Spain, Canada, and The Netherlands, creating strong opportunities for cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional exchange.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will report to Dr. Christopher Frøhlich and is expected to actively contribute to advancing the field while developing expertise at the interface of molecular biology and evolutionary microbiology.

Duties of the position

You will be working on the following tasks:

• Manage your research project
• Experimental design and execution
• Perform experimental evolution and selection
• Enzyme production and purification
• Biochemical enzyme characterization 
• Write scientific papers 
• Presenting your work in national and international arenas

Want to know more about the position?

For further information about the position, please contact Dr. Christopher Frøhlich: 

• phone: +47 46968778
• email: christopher.frohlich@uit.no 

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• A doctoral degree in molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or a related field. Candidates who have not yet defended their PhD thesis must provide documentation from their supervisor confirming that the defense will be completed before the start of the position.
• Experience within the following areas: 
  • experimental evolution 
  • genetic manipulation of bacteria 
  • protein expression and purification 
  • biochemical characterization of enzymes 
•  Documented oral and written fluency in English. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in the field of AMR and AMR mechanisms
• Hands-on experience in next generation sequencing and data analysis
• Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language
• Experience in writing publications
• Experience in a biosafety level-2 lab environment

During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Are motivated, creative and ambitious 
• Have a strong ability to work problem-solution orientated both in teams and independently
• Are genuinely interested in the field of molecular evolution and AMR as well as scientific dissemination

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project proposal for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.

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).

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project and a research group dedicated to improving human health
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues 
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 

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.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility 

Inclusion and diversity  

UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.  

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics. 

Application

Your application must include:

• Application letter
• CV
• Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Contact information to 2-3 references
• A list of your academic production
• Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important
• The academic works (published or not) you wish us to take into consideration in the assessment

In order to achieve a targeted use of the postdoctoral position, and to strengthen the employee’s career development, a development plan must be available no later than three months after the appointment contract is signed. The development plan must be approved by the immediate leader with personnel responsibility.

If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. (If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position). We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.

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. 

The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

UiT wishes to promote gender equality. If two or more applicants are found to be equally qualified, the university will rank applicants from the underrepresented gender ahead of others.

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.