At the Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Department of Sustainability and Planning, a position as Assistant Professor in Satellite Gravity Recovery and Earth System Data Assimilation is open for appointment from December 1st, 2026 or soon hereafter. The position is for 3 years and will be based in either Aalborg or Copenhagen campus of Aalborg University. The field of the Department of Sustainability and Planning includes development and planning in a broad sense, and thereby it ranges from technical subjects such as geodesy, surveying and geoinformatics, to the social science aspects of development like environmental management, physical planning, sector planning, and land management.

At the department, we have about 250 employees situated at the Aalborg and Copenhagen campus. The department provides excellent research and teaching in the field of planning, technology and society to create a more sustainable future. We are interdisciplinary in the technical, natural and social science disciplines and present a unique combination of social and technological understanding where digital and technological solutions merge with the needs of society. Our research creates the foundation for educating the young people of tomorrow, and as part of Aalborg University, the department rests on a socially engaging and problem-oriented approach. It is also at Department of Planning that the UNESCO Centre for Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is at home. We create educations that are aimed at the job market and a society with increasing focus on technology, digitization, sustainability and partnerships for a sustainable transition.

Job description
The position is allocated in the Geodesy research group, which covers a broad range of geodetic topics like satellite geodetic and Earth Observation (EO) data assimilation, precise GNSS positioning, surveying technology. The primary research profile of this position is around satellite gravity recovery using the measurements of the past and current gravity missions such as GRACE and GRACE-FO, future gravity missions, as well as ideas of alternative satellite constellations. Research experiences related to the Earth system modelling to study the high frequency mass changes in atmosphere and oceans, as well as water redistribution within Earth system are essential for this position. The candidate must provide strong evidence of research leadership in the field of satellite-based EO Data Assimilation (DA). Experiences in software development for geospatial applications and proficiency in programming languages (e.g., Python and C++) are highly valued. 

The teaching activities as Assistant Professor will include lecturing of surveying engineering topics, practical exercises (e.g., teaching the use of total station, levelling instruments, surveying GNSS, and remote sensing in mapping projects), BSc and MSc project supervision, coordination, and planning of courses and semesters at bachelor and master level primarily within surveying. All teaching activities are done in the format of PBL. 

You may obtain further professional information from Professor Ehsan Forootan, e-mail: efo@plan.aau.dk, phone: +4561967182 or general information from head of section, Associate professor Janni Sørensen, e-mail: jannis@plan.aau.dk, phone: +4599403676.
For more information about Geodesy and the department

Qualification requirements 
Appointment as assistant professor requires academic qualifications at PhD level. The research potential of each applicant will be emphasized in the overall assessment. 

Appointment as an Assistant Professor cannot exceed a period of four years in total in a temporary position (appointment at Assistant Professor level cannot exceed a period of eight years in total in Denmark).
How to apply  
Your application must include the following: 

• Application, stating reasons for applying, qualifications in relation to the position, and intentions and visions for the position 
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) 
• Diplomas (master's degree diploma and PhD diploma) 
• List of publications, with an indication of the attached publications that you wish to be taken into account in the assessment. You may attach a maximum of five publications. 
• Documentation of teaching qualifications. Please see guidelines for teaching portfolio at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design. 
• Dissemination qualifications, including participation on committees or boards, participation in organisations etc. 
• Additional qualifications in relation to the position 
• References/recommendations 

You can read more about the requirements for your application here.    

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

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position. 

Do you have any questions? 
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.     

Further information 
Read more about our recruitment process here   

The appointment process at Aalborg University involves a shortlisting process. You can read more about the shortlisting and appointment process here.  

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace. 

Salary and terms of employment  
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (only in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (only in Danish). 

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Contacts

• Professor Ehsan Forootan: +4599408285, efo@plan.aau.dk
• HR-support : 99403031, Aau-hrsupport@adm.aau.dk

Ansættelsestype

Full time

Ref. nummer

2026/800

Ansøgningsfrist

02.08.2026