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 s