DTU Tenure Track Researcher in Space Physics
DTU Space offers an opportunity for a talented researcher to establish an independent research career in space science and contribute to advancing our understanding of the interaction between Earth's upper atmosphere and near-Earth space. The successful candidate will conduct research in ionospheric electrodynamics, with emphasis on processes governing magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling at high latitudes. The position is located at DTU Space in the Division of Geomagnetism and Geospace, an internationally recognized research environment with strong expertise in space physics, geomagnetism, and data analysis.
Responsibilities and qualifications
Your overall focus will be to strengthen the department's expertise in observation-based modelling of ionospheric electrodynamics. This will involve designing and developing methods that combine theoretical models with observations to map electromagnetic fields in the ionosphere, with particular emphasis on fields associated with high-latitude magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Measurements from ground magnetometers and from satellite missions like Swarm and EZIE will be particularly relevant. You will publish your research in peer-reviewed journals and present results at international conferences. You will collaborate closely with colleagues at DTU Space and with international research partners. Your primary responsibilities will be to conduct cutting-edge research, develop an independent research programme, and contribute to attracting external research funding. You will also teach and supervise or co-supervise student projects at the BSc, MSc, and PhD levels.
For this position the following skills are essential:
You must have expertise within solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and in particular high-latitude ionospheric physics.
You must have experience working with satellite and ground-based data, as well as modelling output relevant to high-latitude ionospheric electrodynamics.
You must have expert knowledge about state-of-the-art ionospheric data assimilation techniques for characterizing mesoscale ionospheric electrodynamics
You must have excellent programming skills in Python, including experience with collaborative software development and publishing scientific code
You must have presentation skills appropriate for communicating research findings at international conferences
You must contribute to the teaching of courses. DTU employs two working languages: Danish and English. You are expected to be fluent in at least one of these languages, and in time are expected to master both.
As formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent).
You will be assessed against the responsibilities and qualifications stated above and the following general criteria:
Research experience
Experience and quality of teaching
Research vision and potential
International impact and experience
Societal impact
Innovativeness, including commercialization and collaboration with industry
Leadership, collaboration, and interdisciplinary skills
Communication skills
Salary and terms of employment
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.
Starting date is 1 September 2026 (or according to mutual agreement).
The position is part of DTU’s Tenure Track program. Read more about the program and the recruitment process here.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Karl Laundal (kalau@space.dtu.dk), DTU Space, Division for Geomagnetism and Geospace
You can read more about the Division for Geomagnetism and Geospace at https://www.space.dtu.dk/english/research-divisions/geomagnetism-and-geospace
If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.
Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 17 May 2026 (23:59 Danish time).
Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:
Application (cover letter)
Vision for teaching and research for the tenure track period
CV including employment history, list of publications, H-index and ORCID (see http://orcid.org/)
Teaching portfolio including documentation of teaching experience
Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD)
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.
