Professor and Head of the National Centre for Register-based Research

The Department of Public Health at Faculty of Health – Aarhus University, invites applications for a position as Professor and Head of the National Centre for Register-based Research (NCRR). The position is full-time and tenured, with a starting date of 1 May 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

About the National Centre for Register-based Research

The National Centre for Register-based Research is an innovative and internationally recognized research section within the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University. The Centre is at the forefront of psychiatric epidemiology and register-based research, leveraging Denmark’s unique national population registers to generate pioneering insights into the causes and trajectories of psychiatric and other brain disorders. NCRR is a cornerstone of iPSYCH, one of the world’s leading initiatives in psychiatric genetics and life-course epidemiology, and also hosts the newly established SMARTbiomed Pioneer Centre, which develops cutting-edge methodologies in machine learning and causal inference applied to human health. Read more about NCRR here.

Your job responsibility

With a motivated, interdisciplinary team of approximately 70 researchers and support staff, the NCRR offers an inclusive, international environment that values collaboration, innovation, and scientific excellence. As Professor and Head of NCRR, you will be responsible for shaping the strategic vision and scientific direction of the Centre, enhancing its international leadership in register-based and psychiatric research and fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace. Key responsibilities are:

• Provide strategic leadership and articulate a clear, inspiring, and inclusive vision for the Centre’s future development.
• Oversee the daily management of NCRR, including recruitment, personnel development, and organizational operations.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations within the Centre and with national and international partners.
• Enhance relations with stakeholders and support researchers in securing significant external research funding.
• Supervise PhD students and contribute to the development and delivery of PhD education and training programs.
• Conduct and lead high-impact research, with a solid record of international publications.
• Promote the visibility and impact of NCRR’s research through active engagement in academic and public discourse.

Your competences

We are seeking a distinguished and visionary academic leader with an internationally recognized research profile in psychiatric epidemiology or a closely related field. Furthermore, you:

• Demonstrate a significant academic record at the professorial level, including an internationally competitive portfolio of research and teaching.
• Possess solid experience in strategic leadership and research management within academic environments.
• Have a documented ability to attract significant competitive external funding.
• Can document a broad international network and experience in building partnerships across academic, public, and private sectors.

Your responsibilities include being a motivating leader, who inspires a culture of trust, collaboration, and academic excellence. You can commit solidly to the strategic development of the Centre, as well as to the Department of Public Health more broadly. A key priority is to ensure a diverse, inclusive and stimulating work environment that attracts and retains highly qualified researchers and staff. You will be naturally inclined to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration across departmental, faculty, and university levels—nationally and internationally.

We expect you to be fluent in oral and written English. International applicants are expected to learn Danish, and Aarhus University arranges Danish teaching.

In order to be assessed as qualified for a Professor position, you must meet these academic criteria.
Shortlisting will be used.

Questions about the position

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Head of Department Michael Baggesen Klitgaard tel.: (+45) 4022 7649.

Your place of work will be the Department of Public Health, Bartholins Allé 2, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

We expect to conduct interviews Mid/End January 2026.

Department of Public Health

At the Department of Public Health, you will become part of an internationally oriented research environment. We strive for excellence in all aspects of our activities, and our research is translated into prevention, treatment, and alleviation of disease. We collaborate broadly in our efforts to share knowledge with both the scientific community and society at large. The department’s teaching activities include, among others, the degree programs in Public Health Science, Sports Science, Nursing, and Medicine. At the Department of Public Health, you will join approximately 250 colleagues – including around 100 academic staff members and a similar number of PhD students. Internally, we work closely across disciplines, maintain an informal tone in our interactions, and place a strong emphasis on fostering an inclusive and healthy work environment. You can read more about the department here and about the faculty here.

Terms of employment

• In making the appointment, emphasis will be placed on a high degree of original production at an internal level and experience from teaching at different levels as well as contributions to the development of teaching activities and teaching material, hereby documenting that the applicant has developed the academic discipline from a research and teaching perspective.
• Moreover, there will be an assessment of the applicant’s ability to perform research and teaching management tasks.
• Further information on the appointment procedure can be found in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
• The appointment is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• Remuneration is in accordance with the above, and the Salary agreement catalogue for staff at Health.
• The yearly base salary for a fulltime professor is DKK 797.476,39 (including a position related supplement, a pre-agreed professor supplement and pension (17.1%)). Additional supplement(s) can be negotiated dependent on experience, special qualifications and performance of special functions. Professors have the authority to negotiate pay on their own behalf.
• Researchers recruited from abroad are offered a special researcher tax scheme with a lower tax rate.
• Travel and moving expenses may be covered according to the employee in question and, to a limited extent, the accompanying family.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job description can be found in the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.

Application

Your application must include the following:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum Vitae
• Diploma
• Template for applicant - professor
• A list of publications
• A teaching portfolio. We refer to Guideline on the use of teaching portfolios
• The ten publications stated as the most important in the 'Template for applicant - professor' must be submitted
• Research plan, which is part of the 'Template to applicant - professor' can be uploaded separately (optional)
• Coauthor statement(s) can be uploaded (optional)
• References/recommendations can be uploaded separately in the e-recruitment system (optional)

We refer to the faculty’s Guidelines for applicants.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. 

International applicant?

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including assistance with relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about the International Staff Office and the range of services here.

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

Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/