Head of Department at the Institute of Forensic Medicine

The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health Sciences (SUND) at the University of Copenhagen (KU) is looking for a head of department for the Institute of Forensic Medicine (RI). The institute is one of a total of 13 institutes at SUND and is particularly distinguished by, in addition to carrying out research and education, providing advice and forensic examinations for the Danish judiciary and a number of public authorities. KU-SUND is one of Europe's largest health science faculties. This gives the faculty a strong starting point in the increasing competition for the greatest research talents and for national and international research grants. It is research that creates the prerequisites for education and ensures that future graduates have the best professional skills. Our aim is to create new and ground-breaking knowledge, skilled and innovative candidates and contribute to increased growth and employment in society. We will achieve this through a significant investment in a good working environment, attraction and development of talent, infrastructure as well as strategic cooperation and partnerships, both nationally and internationally. We regard good management as a prerequisite for realizing the goals. The institute RI has approx. 240 employees, of which almost 85 percent are TAP employees. The institute is a large operating organization that carries out forensic examinations in forensic chemistry, forensic genetics and forensic pathology at the highest international scientific level for the police, judiciary and other public authorities in Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The institute conducts research and teaches within each of the three areas of forensic medicine. The forensic services make a significant contribution to legal security in Denmark. In order to document the high quality of the services, the institute is certified and accredited according to international quality standards. The task As head of department, you will be responsible for the department's professional, financial and personnel management, as well as setting the direction for the professional profile and the strategic development and effort areas. You will also be given financial responsibility for the institute's activities. You must represent the institute internally and externally and must therefore be able to create good working relationships with internal as well as external parties, including the police, the judiciary, other authorities and foundations, and in general contribute to developing and creating societal impact that can drive the profession forward and make it beneficial for everyone. The head of the institute must ensure the continued development of the forensic disciplines through research and method development as well as the right building and laboratory infrastructure, so that the institute remains the preferred partner of the police, the judiciary and other authorities. The head of department, together with the dean, the vice-deans and the faculty's other heads of department, constitutes the faculty management, which is responsible for the strategic management of the faculty. The head of department reports to the dean. An important task for the new head of department will be to ensure strategic development of the department - based on SUND's and KU's strategic framework. KU has just adopted a new strategy that runs until 2030. The strategy highlights three ambitions for the coming years, where KU particularly needs to develop: KU will be the best place for the best ideas, be solution-oriented and innovative, and be a lifelong learning partner. See more about SUND's strategic goals here. The tasks and areas of responsibility for the head of department also include: Maintaining and continuing to develop an attractive, innovative professional environment, including a research and education environment at a high level, where there is pride in providing the authorities with unbiased and correct investigation results of the highest quality, and where research results and research dissemination are created in an environment with good and relevant cooperation with colleagues and other organisations. To ensure good personnel management at the institute, which can retain and develop talent within all staff categories and which at the same time has the ability to attract and create development for new generations with an eye on the institute's future. This involves, among other things, laying down a strategy for recruitment, with a focus on professional and research-related diversity and broad diversity. To create the best framework for the institute's work, which includes ensuring a good working environment and good well-being, cohesion, inclusion and involvement of everyone. To be able to support and inspire method development, u
development and implementation of new technology and data, and at the same time ensure safe operation in the department's activities and workflows, and contribute to the faculty's joint development and task performance. To be responsible for creating clarity around the institute's direction and profile both internally and externally. It is assumed that the employees are involved in the development of the strategic direction and engaged in its implementation, in accordance with KU's Basic Principles for personnel policy, which are described here Taking care of the overall financial responsibility, and in close interaction with the management group and the cooperation committee ensures the preparation of target plans for the department. This takes place within the framework of the faculty's strategic focus areas, where special attention is paid to the quality of the research and the research-based teaching, as well as to external funding of research projects and interaction with the outside world. Being able to navigate a sensitive subject area that sometimes attracts a lot of attention and interest from the surrounding community. Qualifications and competences We emphasize that you are an internationally recognized researcher, preferably with research experience within one or more of the institute's subject areas that you have an interest in and experience with financial management and planning that you have an interest in and are capable of personnel management in relation to all the institute's staff groups that you are a visionary and experienced leader with the desire and ability to develop the institute and its employees with respect for the institute's various disciplines that you have an open, listening and dialogue-oriented approach to others people, with a flair for communication and collaboration, and with insight into the interaction of a university with the surrounding society that you have significant international insight and through dynamic management attract, motivate, develop and retain the best talents Salary and terms of employment The employment is basically a fixed-term appointment with an employment period of five years with the possibility of a three-year administrative extension. Joining by further agreement. The head of department is employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC, protocol on the employment of deans and heads of department, in which it is stipulated that the salary is based on a basic salary, term allowance, pension contribution and any qualification allowance. You can express a desire to maintain an academic activity to a limited extent. Scope and terms are negotiated and agreed with the dean. Read more about the rules for remuneration of department heads here. Application and presentation Your application must contain a maximum 3-page statement of your thoughts and ideas about the institute's development in the coming years and an adequate CV. The dean has set up a recommendation committee, which must participate in the selection of applicants for interviews, participate in interviews and advise the dean on the appointment. The nomination committee consists of representatives of the scientific and technical administrative staff, the students and members appointed by the dean. The application deadline is 14 April 2025. First interviews will be held on 1 May and for candidates who progress in the process, there will be second interviews on 9 May. Further information KU, SUND and RI have very informative websites: [link removed] [link removed] and [link removed] Here you can e.g. see information about the university, the faculty and the department. We expect that you, as a candidate, have familiarized yourself with the websites. The application must contain: The application itself CV An explanation (max. 3 pages) of your vision for RI's development Your application is of course completely confidential. If you have any questions regarding the position, you are welcome to contact dean Bente Merete Stallknecht on tel. [phone removed]. Your inquiry will be treated confidentially. We want to reflect the surrounding society and encourage everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. The University of Copenhagen gives its almost 10,000 employees opportunities to make full use of their talent in an ambitious, informal environment. We ensure traditional and modern frameworks for education and free research at a high international level. We seek answers and solutions to common problems and make new knowledge accessible and useful to others.