Do you want to help strengthening the working environment research within musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), workplace measurements, exposure assessments and working environment risks? Can you further develop the professional profile and create a strong multidisciplinary research environment within the field in Denmark? If so, the National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA) offers you two exciting professorships.

We endeavour to ensure a healthy, dynamic labour market
At NFA, we conduct research in topics of importance to today’s – and tomorrow’s – working environment and work-related health and safety. As a government research institute under the Danish Ministry of Employment, it is our job to monitor and evaluate trends in our working environment and draw attention to new risks. We train new researchers and publish our research results in reputable journals. We convey research-based knowledge to workplaces, authorities, the two sides of industry and health and safety consultants. This is how we contribute to improving the working environment in Denmark.

For further information about us, visit www.arbejdsmiljoforskning.dk/en/ 

Work environment research at an international level
Based on existing knowledge and NFA’s skills in musculoskeletal disorders, the successful candidates will be responsible for developing and implementing the strategy within this field and for creating a strong cross-sectional research development. We address present working environment issues in collaboration with the Danish authorities and research groups in Denmark and abroad. The project group consists of approx. 25 researchers and students divided between the two professors.

You will be responsible for conducting research that contributes to

• reliable and precise knowledge of how physical work demands increase the risk of pain, sickness absence and early withdrawal from the labour market.
• increased knowledge about how to prevent and handle MSD at workplaces.
• strengthened knowledge about how work can help promoting a long and healthy worklife.
• develop, apply and disseminate new methods for measuring, analyzing and disseminating physical work demands.
• knowledge about risk factors in connection with physical work demands within different groups across age and work types.

Moreover, the successful candidates must ensure that the research is conducted in an efficient, productive and creative research group. Together with NFA’s other research professors and senior researchers, the successful candidates will also be responsible for supervision of PhD students and young researchers and will take active part in NFA’s teaching activities at the universities. Finally, the candidates will also be expected to offer consulting activities to government authorities and to help further development of the collaboration with the social partners and to contribute actively to the development of methods for measurements and surveillance of NFA’s social impact within its research fields.

We expect the successful candidates either to have been in charge of research or to be able to document research in several of the topics below:

• measurements of physical work demands among employees during ordinary work.
• development of interventions at workplaces with a successful documented MSD-effect.
• risk factors within the physical work environment of MSD and its consequences.

We expect the successful candidates to have a broad network and experience with participation in international fora.
Moreover, the successful candidates must have extensive research experience and hold an international leadership position within the physical work demands and MSD. The research should be documented by a scientific production at an international level corresponding to the requirements for professorships at universities. Moreover, the candidates should also have contributed actively to further development of the discipline, including innovation and fundraising.

We identify solutions together
As part of the Ministry of Employment, the National Research Centre for the Working Environment helps create a framework for people’s working lives. Consequently, we have a duty to find the best solutions. We identify these together. Our doors are always open and the hurdles low. We share our knowledge, and we encourage and challenge each other’s ideas so that they are fine-tuned before they become shared solutions.
You will be working with professionally skilful and dedicated colleagues in a fast-paced and challenging environment. New issues crop up every day, and you must be prepared to accept assignments on the fly and bring every aspect of your professional experience into play. In return, you will have an excellent opportunity to make a positive difference to people’s working lives.

Fixed-term contract: 5 years.

The candidates will be employed at NFA in full-time professorships with special responsibilities. Both positions are limited to a period of 5 years with an option to extend for further 3 years. We would like you to start on 1 March 2021.
You will be employed as a professor with special responsibilities according to the collective agreement for academic staff between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and according to the job specifications for scientific staff with special responsibilities employed at government research institutes.

The National Research Centre for the Working Environment

We identify solutions together
As part of the Ministry of Employment, the National Research Centre for the Working Environment helps create a framework for people’s working lives. Consequently, we have a duty to find the best solutions. We identify these together. Our doors are always open and the hurdles low. We share our knowledge, and we encourage and challenge each other’s ideas so that they are fine-tuned before they become shared solutions.

You will be working with professionally skilful and dedicated colleagues in a fast-paced and challenging environment. New issues crop up every day, and you must be prepared to accept assignments on the fly and bring every aspect of your professional experience into play. In return, you will have an excellent opportunity to make a positive difference to people’s working lives.