Department Department of Botany and Zoology – Faculty of Science
Deadline 15 Jan 2022
Start date 1st March 2022
Job type part-time
Job field Science and research

Bursar of the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University announces an open competition for the position

Researcher in Plant Ecology,
Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Workplace: Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Type of Contract: temporary position with a contract until 31 December 2023, non-academic

Working Hours: 0.5 FTE (full-time employment of 20 hours per week)

Expected Start Date: 1 March 2022

Number of Open Positions: 1                                                            

Application Deadline: 15 January 2022                                                    

About the Workplace

Masaryk University is the second-largest university in the Czech Republic with nine faculties, more than 5000 staff, and more than 30 000 students. As a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing, our mission is to pursue top-quality research and education.

Faculty of Science MU, a proud holder of the HR Excellence in Research Award by the European Commission, is a research-oriented faculty, offering university education (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degree programs) closely linked to both primary and applied research and high school teaching of the following sciences: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth sciences. We are the most productive scientific unit of Masaryk University, generating around 40% of MU research results.

Department of Botany and Zoology is a modern centre of research and teaching in the fields of evolutionary biology, biosystematics and ecology. Its individual research groups study phylogenetic relationships and the classification of organisms, their diversity from the local to the continental level, and the ecological relationships of individual species, populations and communities in relation to both natural and human-induced changes in entire ecosystems.

Job Description

Key Duties

• Performing independent research in the field of trait-based ecology, macroecology and functional biogeography of vascular plants
• Writing scientific publications for international journals
• Active participation at scientific conferences and meetings (in-person or online)
• Preparation of grant applications

Skills and Qualifications

• PhD in Ecology, Botany, Biogeography or related fields
• Specialist in trait-based ecology, macroecology or functional biogeography of vascular plants
• International experience (completed studies or previous employment at a university or research institution outside the Czech or Slovak Republics)
• Publication experience (the first or corresponding author of at least ten articles in the above-mentioned fields published in journals indexed in the Web of Science database)
• Previous experience in securing research grants in competitive calls and leading grant projects and research groups, especially international teams (Principal Investigator of at least one project involving three or more team members)
• Fluency in spoken and written English demonstrated by previous international publications and conference presentations or internships
• Good communication skills, motivation for teamwork, ability to create and manage international research networks
• Flexible and independent way of organizing work with a clear focus on science

We Offer

• Flexible working hours and occasional home office to support personal needs in family and career compatibility
• Employee benefits such as six weeks of paid vacation per year, pension insurance contribution, contribution to lunches in canteens of MU or meal vouchers, discounted language courses, discount in the university cinema, exclusive mobile tariff offer by Vodafone
• Opportunity to work and live in a modern and dynamic city

(for more information on costs of living, you can refer to Numbeo)

• Support with your relocation to Brno by our International Staff Office

Application Process

The candidate submits the application online by 10 January 2022 via an e-application (please, use the link in the e-Application section below).

The candidate shall provide the following:

• CV including a list of publications (with a clear indication of the articles indexed in the Web of Science database) and a list of projects the candidate participated (with a clear indication in which projects the candidate was the Principal Investigator and which projects involved international teams of researchers)
• Motivation letter explaining candidate’s interest in the research of functional plant ecology, biogeography and macroecology and how the candidate fulfils the above-mentioned requirements (max. 2 pages)
• Names and contact details of at least two academic referees
• After submitting your application successfully, you will receive an automatic confirmation email from jobs.muni.cz.

Selection Process

Received applications will be considered carefully in line with principles of the EU Charter and Code for Researchers. Selection criteria: (i) meeting qualification requirements described above, (ii) all required documents provided.

The Faculty Recruitment Policy (OTM-R) can be seen here.

Faculty of Science, Masaryk University is an equal opportunity employer. We support diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!