New Director for LINXS

A message from the Management

We are looking for a dynamic scientist (at professor-level) with significant experience in the use of large-scale research infrastructures such as synchrotrons, neutron facilities and/or complementary methods. If your mission in life is to bring research communities together and open doors to new knowledge, this job is for you. This is an opportunity to shape LINXS at an early phase and to have a significant impact on the communities linked to these infrastructures as well as society at large. In the interest of recruiting fresh talent, we are looking for candidates externally and internationally.

Background

LINXS is an advanced study institute whose mission is to promote science and education focusing on the use of neutrons and X-rays, to attract world-leading scientists for short- and long-term focused research visits, and to create international networks. LINXS’ working principles can be described as a combination of those of the Kavlí Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) and the Pufendorf Institute. LINXS focuses on science related to its long-term priority areas of Soft Matter, Hard Matter and Life Science. Under these areas, several short-term activities are organised under time-limited programs called Themes. Themes and the scientific content of these are suggested by the community that contributes to LINXS’ funding and vetted by an international Scientific Advisory Board.

More details about LINXS can be browsed in the “About“ section on this website, the LINXS brochure, and its latest Annual Report.

Eligibility and qualifications

The Director should be a senior researcher who is engaged in the Mission and Vision of LINXS and has an independent research programme. This should be successful enough that she/he feels the programme can be maintained while performing in a role as Director 50% of the time. The appointment of LINXS Director is made on a 5-yearly basis (renewable) at 50% FTE, for the remaining 50% candidates can choose between a full professorship at Lund university (permanent), or a guest professorship if they prefer to stay linked to their original institution (see section “Appointment and procedures“ below).

Required:

• International track record of successful use of relevant large-scale research facilities.

• Well-developed international network and a track record of involvement in communities related to synchrotron and neutron sources.

• Demonstrated ability to secure external funding.

• Demonstrated ability to create an internationally leading research programme or activity

Of merit:

• Recorded experience of leadership, e.g. via position(s) in (a) prior organisation(s), or at the head of scientific consortia.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an integrative approach and experience in speaking for the many.

• Broad scientific outlook and understanding of the use of methods related to synchrotron- and neutron-based facilities.

• Demonstrated ability to interact with political decision-makers and external funding organisations.

• Demonstrated ability to interact with diverse scientific communities.

• Demonstrated ability to develop strategy and visions for multidisciplinary environments.

Gender and equality

We consider diversity and gender equality a strength and an asset. We strive to have gender balance in all review panels for this position, and the recruitment process is performed in dialogue with experts in equality and gender balance at Lund University.

How to apply

The application should consist of a cover letter and academic CV sent to the contact specified below. The Search committee will start to evaluate candidates starting from 2019-12-02. The cover letter should present a motivation for the position, and which appoiontment route is preferred (A or B, see “Appointment and procedure“ below). The academic CV should contain and/or list: contact information, research objectives / personal profile, education, professional and honorary appointments, 10 selected Publications and h-index, awards and honours, grants and fellowships obtained, teaching experience, research experience, additional activities and languages & skills.

It is important to consider the “required” eligibility criteria and any relating to those “of merit” in both CV and cover letter, and that the CV also include items that are important in view of a Directorship position, since this is the first thing that will be evaluated. The applicants should be prepared to provide additional evidence of professional experience for the professorship position at the faculty level, including their research and education merits.

Contact

Any enquiries and/or applications should be addressed to:

Martin Stankovski
E-mail: martin.stankovski@linxs.lu.se
phone: +46 729 120 750
Coordinator of the LINXS Search Committee.

Note that the current Director, Stephen Hall, stepped in on an interim basis, and is intentionally stepping down as planned. Please don’t hesitate to contact him if there are any questions about the particulars of the job.

Stephen Hall
E-mail: stephen.hall@linxs.lu.se
phone: +46 46 222 45 89
LINXS Director (interim)

Enquiries and applications will be kept confidential.

Appointment and procedures

The appointment of LINXS Director is made on a 5-yearly basis (renewable) at 50% FTE. For the remaining 50% FTE there are two possibilities:

A.     The Director is simultaneously appointed full professor (permanent) at one of the Faculties of Science, Engineering or Medicine at Lund University. The appointment offer will be negotiated with the relevant faculty.

B.     The Director is considered to be ”on loan” for a period of 5 years from a home institution (e.g. in a similar manner to some former incumbents of the directorship at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble) and will then concurrently to their directorship hold a guest professorship at Lund University.

Suggested candidates will be evaluated on their merits as director first by a diverse and international panel of experts, and subsequently on their scientific merit (for the professorship) by a faculty-specific review panel. If route A. above is chosen, this will be a direct appointment for professor - as opposed to an open call for professor - due to the fact that we cannot a priori know which faculty affiliation would be preferred by any candidates.

It is therefore the intention of the LINXS search committee to spread the news of this available position as widely as possible, and we encourage anyone to forward this advertisement to interested parties. The process will take place as follows:

1. An initial list of external candidates based on initial applications is drawn up by the Selection Committee considering only eligibility criteria

2. The list is vetted, ranked and shortlisted by the Directorship Evaluation Panel

3. The relevant faculty panels review the candidates based on their professional merits

4. Discussion is initiated with the top 3 candidates on this shortlist to sound out which appointment arrangement and faculty offer would suit the situation, and the offer goes to the candidates in order.

The new director should be in place sometime during 2020

The Search Committee

The task of the Search Committee is to organise the recruitment, spread the word as widely as possible and to draw up an initial list of candidates based purely on eligibility criteria.The previous director is an adjunct to the search committee in a purely advisory capacity, and the Search Committee makes no final evaluations.

The Search Committee consists of:

Stacey Sörensen (Chair), Pro Vice-Chancellor for Infrastructure at Lund University, email: stacey.sorensen@rektor.lu.se
Erik Swietlicki, Deputy Dean for Research at the Faculty of Engineering, Lund Unviersity, email: erik.swietlicki@nuclear.lu.se
Oxana Klementieva, Associate senior lecturer at Medical Microspectroscopy, Lund Unviersity, email: oxana.klementieva@med.lu.se
Marianne Sommarin, Senior Professor at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Universitet, email: marianne.sommarin@umu.se
Peter Schurtenberger (advisory), Professor at Physical Chemistry, Lund University, email: peter.schurtenberger@fkem1.lu.se
Martin Stankovski (coordinating), Development strategist at LINXS & Project Manager at Lund University, (contact details above)

The Directorship Evaluation panel consists of the LINXS Scientific Advisory Board, Stacey Sörensen, Marianne Sommarin and Oxana Klementieva (representing the Faculty of Medicine) from the list above, and in addition Prof. Heiner Linke (representing the Faculty of Engineering) and Prof. Joachim Schnadt (representing the Faculty of Science)