Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology

The Department of forest genetics and plant physiology is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC, https://www.upsc.se) which is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology in Northern Sweden. Our mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment and society. We work across a wide range of disciplines in plant science reaching from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. Our common goal is to understand the plants’ ability to grow, adapt and acclimate to a changing world and how we can breed better plants.

About the position

The Tree-ring Genomics group at the Umea Plant Sciences Center is seeking two postdoctoral fellows to analyze our collection of increment cores of over 5,000 primarily Norway spruce (Picea abies) from across southern Europe. The aim of the project is to understand the genetics underlying adaptation to changing climate, with the overall applied goal of identifying adapted trees to use in forestry contexts.

Increment cores were collected from trees nested within a multi-scalar, complete (>5cm dbh) circular plot design so that microsite, regional and continental environmental signals can be extracted. The majority of these cores are measured but not fully cross-dated, and the fellow is expected to finalize the cross-dating to further the main aims of the project. The fellow is also expected to contribute to future field collections, which can be optimized to suit experimental goals, and support and train students and interns as needed.

While the fellow is expected to contribute to overall project, there is significant room to develop independent research interests (e.g., forest dynamic modeling, between species responses, etc). This can be accomplished using the existing dataset, but also in terms of influencing future field collections.

Your profile

The applicant should hold a PhD in ecology, biology or equivalent. We are looking for highly motivated and team-oriented candidates with a background in dendroecology, regression modeling and ecological fieldwork. Documented mastery of tree-ring analytical approaches, especially cross-dating, as well as general statistical and computational skills are prerequisites for the position. Computational skills are a plus. Very good skills in written and spoken English is obligatory. As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is three years old at most.

About us

UPSC belongs to two universities, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Umeå University. About 200 people from more than 40 different nationalities work here. We host some 30 principal investigators, and our researchers have access to state-of-the-art analytical platforms, unique tree germplasm resources and plant growth facilities. We strive for a collaborative work environment and support our scientists throughout all career stages by providing professional training opportunities and individual career mentoring.

Read more about our benefits and working at SLU by visiting: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Location:

Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU, Umeå.

Form of employment:

Temporary employment 24 months, with the possibility of extension.

Scope:

100%

Start date:

As agreed. 

Application:

Please submit your application before deadline 21 January 2026. You can submit your application by clicking the button below.

Union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.