Tenure-Track Assistant Professor for Conservation Biology (80-100%)

The Department of Biology at the University of Bern announces a vacancy for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor to lead the Division of Conservation Biology within the Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE) . Applications are sought from individuals with an outstanding research record in Conservation Biology. We are searching for candidates whose research contributes to managing, preserving, and restoring biodiversity. Candidates with a strong conceptual and empirical research program at the interface of applied and basic research are particularly encouraged to apply.

The candidate should have a PhD degree in a relevant field, postdoctoral and teaching experience, and a keen interest in establishing an active, proliferative research group, in teaching and mentoring, in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, and in collaborating with other researchers of our institute and beyond. The new faculty member will have the responsibility to develop and teach courses related to their field at the undergraduate and graduate levels. All graduate teaching and advanced undergraduate teaching is in English.

The advertised position includes the entire professor's salary at 80-100% employment level, a starting package, and continual core funding for personnel and consumables. The University of Bern has a clear set of guidelines for promotion to tenure after four to six years in the position.

Hosting a vibrant and interdisciplinary research community, the IEE is one of three institutes of the Department of Biology at the University of Bern and is primarily involved in three MSc Programs (Ecology and Evolution, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and Climate Science). The research and teaching strategy of the Department of Biology is to contribute to the understanding of mechanisms, processes, and patterns at all levels of biological organization, from genes to ecosystems, and to provide evidence-based guidance for the conservation of biodiversity. The IEE currently has seven divisions, each led by a professor, and it hosts several tenured and non-tenured group leaders and a large international community of post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. With the retirement of two Division Heads, the institute intends to hire two new Tenure-Track Assistant Professors, one being in the area of Conservation Biology.

The University of Bern is an equal opportunity employer and offers possibilities for job sharing (see Job Sharing Guidelines ) and reduced work hours for individuals with care responsibilities (see, e.g., Care Grants ). The IEE supports the Better Science Initiative and is committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) among students, staff, and faculty (see also the IEE's DEI page ). Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from persons from the global south, members of visible minorities (racialized persons), members of the LGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, women, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse and inclusive communities. Candidates who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups are encouraged to self-identify in the motivation letter.

Applications must include: i) a 1-2 page letter of motivation; ii) a CV including funding history, a list of previous teaching and mentoring experience, and a list of publications highlighting the three most important publications; iii) a 2-3 page research plan for the next 5 years, including a paragraph outlining the candidate's longer-term research vision, and iv) a 1-page statement outlining the candidate's personal perspective on fostering DEI in academia and on supporting students and researchers from underrepresented groups.

Applications must be submitted by 1 March 2025 in a dual way:
i) as a single PDF file to E-Mail schreiben (Faculty of Science, University of Bern, Prof. Jean-Louis Reymond, Dean, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland);
ii) by completing a web form: https://www.iee.unibe.ch/about_us/jobs .

The starting date for the position is anticipated to be 1 February 2027. For further information, please contact the Executive Director of the IEE, Prof. Claudia Bank (E-Mail schreiben).