Tenure-Track Professorship in Reef microbiome research

About the opportunity

The Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna invites applications for a Tenure-Track Professorship in Reef microbiome research. The position aims to advance the mechanistic understanding of the functional roles of microbial symbionts and their contribution to the health and functioning of reef organisms, such as corals and sponges, particularly in the context of climate change. The successful candidate will be based in the Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME) and will utilize state-of-the-art laboratories and research infrastructure at the Vienna BioCenter Campus.

Salary and benefits

• Opportunity to obtain a permanent position and eventual promotion to full professor.
• Initial contract as Assistant Professor for six years, with the possibility of becoming an Associate Professor after a positive evaluation of a qualification agreement.
• Attractive salary according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for University Staff (level A2).
• Organisational retirement plan.
• Dynamic research environment with a wide range of research and teaching support services.
• Working conditions in Vienna, a city with a high quality of life.

Who can apply?

• Doctoral degree/PhD.
• Two years of international research experience during or after doctoral studies.
• Outstanding research achievements, excellent publication and funding record, and international reputation.
• Gender and diversity competence.
• Experience in designing and participating in research projects, and the 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.
• Expertise in advanced fluorescence imaging (e.g., FISH), chemical imaging (e.g., stable isotope tracing with NanoSIMS), and meta-omic analyses.
• Extensive experience with experimental research on reef invertebrates in aquaria and field-based research.
• Preference given to applicants with at least two years post-doctoral experience and a track record of securing competitive external research funding, including at least one major research grant as principal investigator.
• Requirement to acquire proficiency in German sufficient for teaching in bachelor's programmes and participating in university committees within three years.

Required documents

• Letter of motivation.
• Academic curriculum vitae including: education and training (PhD Certificate), positions held, career breaks, awards and honors, commissions of trust, cooperation partners, list of acquired third-party funding/inventions/patents, list of most important scientific talks (max 10), teaching and mentoring, and supervision experience.
• List of publications.
• Link to a publicly accessible ORCID record with a complete and current publication list.
• Three key publications as electronic full text (PDF, max 30 MB).
• Research statement including: most important research achievements (max 2 pages), planned future research activities (max 4 pages), synopsis of three key publications relevant to the position, and publication strategy.
• Teaching and supervision statement including: teaching and supervision concept (max 2 pages) and teaching evaluations (if available).

When to apply

• Application deadline: 2026-09-15

How to apply

• Submit the application exclusively through the "Apply now" link on the official job portal.