Do you want to develop methods for monitoring antibiotic resistance in wastewater? Are you skilled in microbiology, qPCR and laboratory testing? And would you like to help prepare Denmark for EU requirements in an area of high public relevance?

The job
The revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD 2024/3019) introduces new requirements for monitoring relevant public health parameters, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in wastewater.

At SSI, you will play a central role in translating international developments into practical laboratory and implementation readiness in a Danish context. You will develop, test and document methods so that Denmark can be prepared for a new surveillance task at the intersection of microbiology, research and public-sector advisory work.

The position combines hands-on laboratory work with scientific method development, quality assurance, data interpretation and technical dialogue with colleagues as well as relevant national and international partners.

Your primary tasks:
• Monitor EU clarifications and translate them into Danish surveillance and laboratory models.

• Establish and test culture-based methods for resistant bacteria in wastewater.

• Establish and validate qPCR-based methods for selected resistance genes.

• Conduct pilot experiments on sample handling, robustness and reproducibility.

• Prepare SOPs, quality assurance and documentation, and contribute to data interpretation and dissemination.

Your background/About you
We expect you to have a Master’s degree or PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, environmental microbiology, biomedicine or a related field. You do not need to meet every criterion, but we particularly value your ability to work independently and systematically with laboratory method development.

• Practical experience with microbiological laboratory work, preferably selective culture and colony counts.

• Experience with resistant bacteria and/or diagnostic or surveillance-related methods.

• Experience with PCR/qPCR, preferably including assay design, optimisation or validation.

• Experience with method development, troubleshooting, documentation and quality-conscious work.

• You collaborate well, build bridges across disciplines and communicate confidently in English.

Your future team
You will join a strong professional environment at SSI with laboratories, surveillance expertise and national and international collaboration interfaces. The position is placed at the National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (NRL-AMR), which is part of the Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi. The section monitors bacterial infections in humans and antimicrobial resistance.

As part of NRL-AMR, you will join an interdisciplinary team that includes bioinformaticians, data scientists, medical doctors, veterinarians, microbiologists, molecular biologists and laboratory technicians. The section has approximately 30 employees working at the intersection of microbiology, method development, research and public-sector advisory tasks.

You will work closely with committed colleagues who value technical discussion, quality and an open approach to collaboration. The task will also involve contact with relevant stakeholders outside SSI as the area matures nationally and internationally.

What we offer
You will have a position in a growing area of high current and societal relevance: AMR, One Health and wastewater-based surveillance. You will have the opportunity to help shape how Denmark establishes a new surveillance area, from method selection to practical implementation.

Your skills and commitment contribute to solving our shared core mission.

SSI is a workplace that is internationally recognised for solving national and global health tasks. You will become part of an organisation with 900 employees who carry out meaningful tasks that strengthen the health of humans and animals through research and preparedness.

Our day-to-day work is characterised by many varied tasks, open doors and broad collaboration with committed and skilled colleagues. You will have the opportunity for a flexible working life with a good work-life balance, as SSI is a workplace with a 37-hour working week including lunch break, a flexitime agreement and the possibility of working from home depending on the tasks. Laboratory work requires physical presence, but there will also be writing and coordination tasks.

At SSI, we have an active staff and sports association (IK-SERA) with group training and fitness facilities, a Friday bar and various social events - and our campus even has tennis courts and its own childcare facility. SSI is centrally located in Copenhagen with green areas and good public transport options (bus and metro), and there is free parking on site.

Does this sound like you?
Send us your CV and application, even if you do not meet all of our expectations regarding criteria or experience. Please do not include a photo in your CV, as we strive for a more inclusive recruitment process with equal opportunities for all applicants.

For the purpose of assessing the research qualifications, a list of publications and 2–4 scientific works must be submitted. The research qualifications will be assessed by an expert committee appointed in accordance with the applicable job structure for scientific staff with research duties at sector research institutions.

We expect to hold interviews from week 26.

If you have any questions about the position or the recruitment process, please contact Henrik Hasman, henh@ssi.dk, +45 3268 8664. You can read more about how to apply and the recruitment process on Jobs at SSI.

Terms of employment
You will be employed as a scientific assistant or researcher depending on your experience and qualifications. The position is initially fixed-term for 1.5 years and linked to the work of preparing Denmark to meet the UWWTD requirements for AMR surveillance in urban wastewater.

You will be employed in accordance with the current collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations, and in accordance with the applicable job structure for scientific staff with research duties at sector research institutions.

We look forward to hearing from you.