Tenure-track Assistant and Associate Professorships in Algorithms at SDU Vejle

We seek candidates to join the Algorithms Section at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and contribute to the development of the new SDU Centre for Computer Science and AI in Vejle.
The starting time is negotiable with a preference for Summer 2027. 

The academic environment
Hired candidates will join the Algorithms Section, which spans SDU’s campuses in Odense and Vejle, and become part of the new SDU Centre for Computer Science and AI. Based at the new campus in Vejle, in the heart of Denmark’s Triangle Region and its strong and developing IT ecosystem, the centre offers an inclusive, international and collaborative environment for research and education in Computer Science and AI. It connects research, teaching and innovation through collaboration across research groups and with companies, public organizations and international partners.
The Centre for Computer Science and AI at SDU Vejle connects fundamental computer science with AI, data and advanced digital systems. Its shared focus is how architectures, AI, data and advanced algorithms can transform the specification, design, development, validation, deployment and operation of digital systems. The research environment is also home to SustainAI, an international research group advancing the design, development, evolution, testing and operation of sustainable, high-quality and AI-enabled software systems.
We encourage applications from researchers who can complement or strengthen the Algorithms Section while building links to the centre’s wider scientific environment in areas such as data analytics, data science and machine learning; optimization and computational efficiency; programming languages; software engineering and DevOps; AI-driven development and software evolution; and software architectures, cloud-edge computing, and autonomous and agentic systems.

At SDU Vejle, the department is responsible for international BSc and MSc programmes in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. The programmes provide a strong setting for research-based teaching, supervision, and student collaboration with researchers and external partners.

Research profile
We seek candidates with a strong research record in efficient algorithms, broadly understood as spanning algorithm design, analysis and implementation as well as complexity theory. Relevant areas include, but are not limited to, approximation algorithms, combinatorial optimization, cryptology, data structures, fine-grained complexity, experimental algorithmics, and algorithmic research bridging to machine learning and AI.
Scientific excellence is the primary requirement. We particularly welcome candidates in algorithms engineering, optimization, or computational efficiency, whose work combines strong algorithmic foundations with the design, implementation and rigorous evaluation of algorithms for real-world problems.
Each appointment should help create a clear and distinctive identity for the Vejle environment by building critical mass, adding a missing capability, or creating a strong bridge between research areas. Candidates must strengthen at least one core area and connect meaningfully with other parts of the centre through research, education or external collaboration.

Industrial collaboration
Industrial collaboration is a defining theme of the centre. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate an interest in engaging with companies and public organizations and the potential to contribute to the digital transformation of industry at local, national and international levels. Relevant activities may include collaborative research, industrial PhDs, student collaborations, and experimentation with industrial data and systems.

Qualifications
Successful candidates for a tenure-track assistant professorship must demonstrate a promising research record within the area of the call and some experience with teaching and supervision at BSc or MSc level. They are expected to contribute to research-based teaching, student projects and thesis supervision, including activities that connect students, researchers and external partners.
The Danish tenure-track system provides a focused pathway toward a permanent academic position. Before the end of the sixth year of employment, and contingent upon a positive academic assessment, the Assistant Professor will transition to a tenured Associate Professor position. Read more about SDU’s tenure-track program here.

The evaluation is based on an overall assessment of the candidate's academic achievements and potential. Emphasis will be placed on the ability to develop an independent and internationally recognized research profile, deliver high-quality teaching and supervision, contribute actively to the academic community, and demonstrate the potential to secure competitive external research funding and build an ambitious research programme. 
As part of the tenure-track programme, the Assistant Professor is expected to complete SDU's Lecturer Training Programme before the tenure evaluation, unless an equivalent university-level programme has already been completed at another institution. 
The evaluation will also consider the candidate's contributions to the strategic and organizational development of the department, including a willingness to engage in academic leadership and administrative responsibilities. 
Successful candidates for an associate professorship must have an international profile, a distinguished research record within the area of the call, and a proven ability to attract third-party funding. Demonstrated success in building and leading research teams, and a strong record of developing and leading research, innovation or industry-engaged activities, will be an advantage. Extensive teaching and supervision experience across BSc and MSc levels is expected.

Application
In addition to the documentation required under SDU’s appointment procedures, applicants should describe:

• Possible existing collaboration with industry or public organizations and plans for developing future external partnerships.

• How they would collaborate with existing groups in Vejle, supported by concrete examples of potential research, educational or practical collaboration.

Conditions of employment
Appointment as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor is temporary and for an initial up to 6 years period. 
During employment, the assistant professor will complete the Lecturer Training Programme. 

The Danish tenure track employment
The Danish tenure-track employment is a focused assistant professorship with a guaranteed assessment for a permanent position as an associate professor within the tenure-track assistant professor’s field of study.
The head of department will host annual performance- and development reviews, to ensure the progress of the assistant professor’s development towards meeting the qualifications of an associate professorship. A formal midterm evaluation will be conducted by a committee, consisting of the head of the department and two external researchers with relevant qualifications, with the purpose of ensuring the focus of the assistant professor’s activities, as well as to create the basis for the planning of the remaining period.

To qualify for the position as Tenure Track Assistant Professor you must have obtained a PhD degree by the employment date.

The transition from assistant professor to associate professor
Within the last year of employment, the tenure-track assistant professor is expected to transition into a position as an associate professor position, based on a positive assessment conducted by a formally approved assessment committee, consisting of a chairman appointed by SDU and minimum one external committee member approved by the dean and the academic council.

Successful applicants to tenure-track assistant professor positions must be scholars with an internationally competitive research profile, whose potential is at the forefront of their discipline. The applicants for tenure-track assistant professorships are assessed based on the criteria of the applicant’s potential to reach an international level of scholarly excellence during the tenure-track period. The candidate will only be promoted to associate professor when the assessment committee confirms that the candidate has scholarly merits at a level of international excellence beyond what can normally be expected for associate professors, with reference to the qualification policy of the research group in which the position is announced.
Indicators of relevant scholarly merits could be documented through scholarly output independent of the PhD supervisor, ground-breaking publications, achievement of excellence grants, and international research network.

Application deadline: 31. December 2026 at 23:59 hours local Danish time
Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk