Research engineer in sequence-based biodiversity development

Welcome to Linnaeus University
Where knowledge grows.
We are an international university in Småland, Sweden. Together we set knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development.

The Department of Biology and Environmental Science is part of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. The research activities within this multidisciplinary department include the areas of aquatic ecology, cell and organism biology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, environmental science and environmental engineering as well as disease ecology.

The Marine microbiology research group in Kalmar seeks a Research engineer for work with development of tools for biodiversity research.

Terms of Employment
Employment and scope: Short-term employment for 4 months, with possibility for extension. Full time (100%).
Duties to begin: Starting date scheduled for 1 September 2020.
Placement city: Kalmar

Project description
Field of subject for the appointment: Ecology, with specialization in Marine Microbial Ecology.

With the aim of improving the available infrastructure for research in biodiversity in Sweden, Linnaeus University (LNU) participates in the Biodiversity Atlas Sweden (BAS) project together with several Swedish universities and institutes. The project is led by the Swedish Natural History Museum. LNU’s responsibilities lies in integrating microbial genetic data in the BAS infrastructure. Primary tasks for the candidate will be to prepare genetic data for integration into BAS. Work includes designing, developing and documenting workflows as well as extracting, summarizing and presenting data. Development will use the workflow tool Nextflow and various softwares for analysis of sequence-based biodiversity data and will take place in Linux computers, both the high performance cluster UPPMAX and standalone systems.

Entry requirements
A person fulfils the general entry requirements if he/she has:


• a minimum of an advanced level undergraduate degree (240hp/240ECTS) degree in biology, ecology or microbial ecology
• high proficiency in written and spoken English.

Other assessment grounds:


• documented expertise in the use of computational tools for analysis of sequence-based prokaryotic and viral biodiversity data
• experience in running command line computational tools at high performance computer centers
• ability to work independently to solve problems
• programming experience e.g. in Linux scripting or the R statistical programming language
• capacity to interact well in a research group (i.e. team work).

The application
The application (in English) should contain a CV (with telephone and e-mail), documentation of exams and grades, an application letter describing personal motivation and experiences relevant to the research project, and any other documentation that the applicant would like to present. The candidates should also provide contact details (including telephone number and e-mail address) of two reference persons. Applications should arrive no later than 22 June, 2020. Mark your application with reference number 2020/399-2.2.1.

For more information, please contact:
Professor Jarone Pinhassi, jarone.pinhassi@lnu.se;
Head of Department Per-Eric Betzholtz, per-eric.betzholtz@lnu.se;
Human resources consultant Stiina Salmgren, stiina.salmgren@lnu.se, +46 (0)480-44 64 06. 

Union representatives can be contacted via the university switchboard at +46‑772‑288000.


Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the "Apply" button at the bottom of the ad. The credentials you invoke must be verified with certification and they must be attached digitally in your application. The application and other documents to be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 24.00 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.