Tenure-Track Professorship in Reef microbiome research Universität Wien

Job description:

The University of Vienna is internationally renowned for its excellence in teaching and research, and counts more than 7,500 academics from all disciplines. This breadth of expertise offers unique opportunities to address the complex challenges of modern society, to develop comprehensive new approaches, and educate the problem-solvers of tomorrow from a multidisciplinary perspective.

The Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna invites applications for a

The position

Reef ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots in the ocean and are increasingly threatened by climate change. The health and functioning of reef-building animals, including corals and sponges, are tightly linked to their interactions with diverse microbial communities. However, the mechanisms by which microbes influence fundamental aspects of animal biology remain poorly understood. The purpose of this position is to advance a mechanistic understanding of the functional roles of microbial symbionts and their contribution to the health and functioning of reef organisms.

We seek applicants with an outstanding track record and international recognition in reef microbiome research, with a particular focus on symbiotic interactions between microbes and dominant reef animals, including corals and sponges. Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the function of animal-associated microbial communities in reef ecosystems, the spatial organization and activity of microbial symbionts in reef animals, and the mechanisms by which microbial symbionts interact with their animal hosts. Applicants should demonstrate expertise in advanced fluorescence imaging (e.g. fluorescence in situ hybridisation), chemical imaging (e.g. stable isotope tracing coupled with NanoSIMS), and meta-omic analyses, as well as extensive experience with experimental research on reef invertebrates in aquaria and field-based research. Preference will be given to applicants with at least two years post-doctoral experience with a demonstrated track record of securing competitive external research funding, including at least one major research grant as principal investigator.

The Tenure Track position will be based in the Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME; https://dome.univie.ac.at) within the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, which is part of the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS), established in 2019. With 25 research groups and approximately 300 researchers from 28 countries, CeMESS is an internationally leading centre for environmental and human microbiome research and is coordinating the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Cluster of Excellence Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health since 2023. The Centre fosters interdisciplinary collaboration through a philosophy of radical sharing, providing shared laboratory, technology and administrative services. The position is located in the University of Vienna Biology Building, opened in 2021 as part of the Vienna BioCenter Campus, offering state-of-the-art laboratories and research infrastructure. DOME brings together microbiologists and molecular biologists to investigate the evolution, ecophysiology, interactions and functions of microbial communities using cutting-edge omics, imaging, single-cell and computational approaches.

https://cemess.univie.ac.at/

Your academic profile:

• Doctoral degree/PhD
• Two years of international research experience during or after doctoral studies
• Outstanding research achievements, excellent publication and funding record, international reputation
• Gender and diversity competence
• Experience in designing of and participating in research projects, ability to lead research groups and acquire third-party funding
• Enthusiasm for excellent teaching and supervision at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level

We expect the successful candidate to acquire, within three years, proficiency in German sufficient for teaching in bachelor's programmes and for participation in university committees.

We offer:

• the opportunity to obtain a permanent position and eventual promotion to full professor; the initial contract as Assistant Professor is limited to six years, after positive evaluation of a qualification agreement the contract becomes permanent as Associate Professor; Associate Professors can be promoted to Full Professor through an internal competitive procedure.
• a dynamic research environment
• a wide range of research and teaching support services
• attractive working conditions in a city with a high quality of life
• an attractive salary according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for University Staff (level A2) and an organisational retirement plan

Application documents (in English):

1. Letter of motivation
2. Academic curriculum vitae
   
   • education and training (PhD Certificate, PDF)
   • positions held to date
   • career breaks (e.g. relevant parental, family or other care periods)
   • awards and honors
   • commissions of trust
   • previous and current cooperation partners
   • complete list of acquired third-party funding and, if applicable, of inventions/patents
   • list of most important scientific talks (max. 10)
   • teaching and mentoring
   • supervision experience (Master and PhD), if applicable
3. List of publications
   
   • link to your own publicly accessible ORCID record, with a complete and current publication list
   • three key publications as electronic full text version (PDF, max 30 MB)
4. Research statement
   
   • most important research achievements (max. 2 pages) and planned future research activities (max. 4 pages)
   • synopsis of three key publications with relevance to the position advertised
   • publication strategy
5. Teaching and supervision statement
   
   • teaching and supervision concept, including a description of the previous and planned priorities in academic teaching and supervision (max. 2 pages)
   • teaching evaluations (if available, PDF)

If you have any questions, please contact:

berufungsservice@univie.ac.at
Only applications submitted through the link "Apply now" below will be considered.

The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

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​Application deadline: 09/15/2026
Reference no.: 6012

Apply now