Associate Professor at SDU Robotics

To support our advancements in vision-based robotic assembly for industrial manufacturing, SDU Robotics invites applications for one or more associate professor position(s). We aim for the starting date June 15, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The workplace is at SDU's main campus in Odense, Denmark, and the work is expected to be primarily onsite.

What we offer

• An exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of robotics for real-world applications.
• A collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages innovation and creativity.
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership.
• Access to state-of-the-art technology and resources.

Job description
The candidates will participate in activities of the unit, including current and future research projects and teaching. This involves, for example to:

• Be able to collaborate with our experts and colleagues from SDU Robotics in the further development of our core technologies. 
• Be deeply involved in our regular coordination and joint evolvement of research and project activities. 
• Raise funding and manage research projects. 
• Design and conduct lab experiments. 
• Participate in the practicalities of actual industrial applications. 
• Organize, plan and conduct excellent teaching for undergraduate and graduate courses. 
• Independently supervise project courses, and BSc, MSc and PhD thesis projects. 

The position as an associate professor involves primary responsibilities related to research (including the obligation to publish and disseminate scientific knowledge) and research-based teaching (including examination duties) – research and teaching obligations equally. Additionally, the role may encompass knowledge exchange with society, including participation in public debates. Furthermore, it may entail responsibilities such as research management, curriculum development, guidance, supervision, and scholarly assessment. The university determines the specific allocation of tasks, and the emphasis on these tasks may vary over time.

Profile and requirements
The candidates will participate in SDU Robotics’ comprehensive research, and the position requires research experience within computer vision for industrial assembly. This includes documented knowledge within some of the following technologies/areas: 

• Deep learning for point clouds
• 6D object pose estimation, particularly of known industrial objects
• Methods for ensuring high precision and robustness in estimation, e.g. uncertainty estimation and use of constraints 
• Integration of vision systems with robotics for industrial assembly, with focus on reliable execution

The candidates must hold a relevant PhD (or hold a PhD within robotics) and are expected to have most of the following qualifications: 

• Research demonstrated by publications in relevant scientific journals and conferences.
• Experience in acquiring and coordinating publicly and/or privately funded projects.
• Strong track record of directly engaging with industrial partners in application-oriented projects and/or a relevant international network for research and collaboration activities.
• Experience with teaching and independently supervising project courses, and BSc and MSc thesis projects.

Preferably, the candidates have experience with: 

• Basic robotics, e.g. force-torque sensors, path planning, grasping 
• Experimental design and data analysis
• Automated data acquisition, e.g. self-supervised learning

Furthermore, the successful candidate is expected to:

• Be able to work well and communicate expert knowledge in an interdisciplinary team. 
• Have the ability of working independently.
• Have high self-motivation to learn. 
• Have a strong sense of responsibility.
• Have excellent communication skills in English speaking and writing. 

In the assessment of candidates, consideration will be given to: 

• Research demonstrated by publications in relevant scientific journals and conferences.
• Experience in interdisciplinary research collaboration.
• Teaching experience.
• A relevant international network for research and collaboration activities, research experience abroad.
• Experience in attracting funding for research projects and demonstrated experience in research leadership.

Research environment 
SDU Robotics is involved in a variety of national and European projects and features a strong network of academic and industrial partners. We are a team of currently appr. 60 researchers and engineers specialized in research and development of robot solutions and advanced robot systems within the medical, welfare and industrial domain. 

SDU Robotics is part of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), and located at the main Campus in Odense, at the core of the Odense Robotics Cluster involving 120+ startups and established companies in robotics. 

The aim of the group is to solve challenging research problems derived from real-life challenges by implementing novel robot solutions. We participate in implementing the achieved results in real solutions with end users like Universal Robots, LEGO, national hospitals and Novo Nordisk.

We value teamwork, professional diligence, enthusiasm for robotics and the drive to adopt new skills and extended responsibilities. We offer an open, international team with flexible work organization and support for individual development.

We look forward to receiving your application and to supporting your growth as a researcher in SDU Robotics. 

Further information
Further information about this position is available via email from Associate Professor Thorbjørn Mosekjær Iversen thmi@mmmi.sdu.dk. 

Please visit us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sdu-robotics. 

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk.
 

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information. 

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.

Application procedure

Applicants are advised to read the SDU information on how to apply.

The application deadline is March 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM / 23:59 (CET/CEST). 

Assessment of the candidates is based on the application material, and an application must include: 

• A motivation letter that clearly explains the applicant's interest, qualifications and motivation for the position (max. 2 pages).
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae including personal contact information.
• Research statement with ideas for research and development activities (max. 4 pages).
• Complete list of publications.
• Publications most relevant for the position (maximum 3). Please attach as pdf-files.
• Master’s and PhD degree certificates/diplomas (copy of original and in official English translation).
• Information on previous teaching and supervision experience. Please see Faculty information on a Teaching Portfolio.

The application may also include:

• References (names and emails) and/or reference letters.
• Documentation of other qualifications with relevance for the position. 

All files must be in English and PDF format. CPR number (civil registration no.) must be crossed out. All PDF-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected. 

UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application shall be uploaded under ‘Cover letter’ (max. 5 MB), Curriculum Vitae shall be uploaded under ‘Resume’ (max. 5 MB). All other documents shall be uploaded under ‘Miscellaneous documents’ (max. 10 files of max. 50 MB per file). 

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

Assessment and selection process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU.  Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation. Read about the Assessment and selection process.  

Conditions of employment 
Appointment as an associate professor requires academic qualifications at PhD level as well as scientific and teaching qualifications commensurate with the position as an associate professor. Employment as an associate professor is a permanent position. 

We aim for the starting date of June 15, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter, and the starting date will be agreed with the successful candidate. The workplace is at SDU's main campus in Odense, Denmark, and the work is expected to be primarily onsite.

Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the protocol for the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for associate professor as described herein. Further information on salary and taxation.  

People employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a self-organiser.

SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, are subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position.