GSMI - Professor in Paleontology

About Mohammed VI polytechnic University (UM6P)

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is an internationally oriented institution of higher learning, that is committed to an educational system based on the highest standards of teaching and research in fields related to the sustainable economic development of Morocco and Africa. UM6P is an institution oriented towards applied research and innovation. On a specific focus on Africa, UM6P aims to position these fields as the forefront and become a university of international standing.

More than just a traditional academic institution, UM6P is a platform for experimentation and a pool of opportunities, for students, professors and staff. It offers a high-quality living and study environment thanks to its state-of-the-art infrastructure. With an innovative approach, UM6P places research and innovation at the heart of its educational project as a driving force of a business model.

In its research approach, the UM6P promotes transdisciplinary, entrepreneurship spirit and collaboration with external institutions for developing up to date science and at continent level in order to address real challenges.

All our programs run as start-ups and can be self-organized when they reach a critical mass. Thus, academic liberty is promoted as far as funding is developed by research teams.

The research programs are integrated from long-term research to short-term applications in linkage with incubation and start-up ecosystems.

About GSMI:

Geology and Sustainable Mining Institute (GSMI) is based on a new strategic vision of research and training, based on the integration of the different components of the mining life cycle (geology, extraction, mineral processing, sustainable mining, mining environment and CSR). In addition to conventional mineral resources (phosphates, metals, etc.), the institute will also develop new topics such as mining economics, water management in the mine, decarbonization of the mining cycle, CSR, palleontology, etc.

Job Description

The Geology and Sustainable Mining Institute (GSMI) of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) invites applications for the position of professor in Paleontology.

The phosphate deposits that are essential to the national economy are also an inexhaustible source of fossil vertebrates. These fossils document the history of the biosphere over almost 25 million years, from the end of the Mesozoic (Maastrichtian) to the beginning of the Cenozoic (Ypresian), documenting two biotic crises that marked the history of life. No other site in the world offers such a rich and precise source of information for this time span.

Beyond the phosphate fossils, Morocco's geological history, its geographical position over geological time, the vastness of its sedimentary outcrops and their wealth of fossils make Morocco a unique field of investigation in the world for studying the major events that have marked the history of life (from its unicellular beginnings in the Precambrian to the fossils, closer to home, of the Man of Jbel Irhoud). This scientific and natural heritage, whose importance extends beyond our borders, deserves to be inventoried, studied, preserved and shared.

UM6P is keen to excel in scientific research that meets the country's needs and makes the best possible use of its natural resources within a framework of sustainable development. In keeping with its ambition to rank among the world's leading universities in fields such as social responsibility and sustainable development, the university has decided to set up a research centre to promote the development of Morocco’s fossils, an essential component of its natural resources.

Job Requirements:

1. Research Skills:

• Conduct innovative, multidisciplinary research programs on the evolutionary history of organisms and ancient environments.
• Solid background in vertebrate palaeontology, preferably in actinopterygian “fishes” (the least studied fossils of phosphates).
• Proficiency in techniques for the preparation, study, and conservation of fossils.
• Ability to organize palaeontological prospecting and excavation work.
• Lead major field expeditions for discovering new fossils and prospecting for new deposits.
• Mastery of palaeontological and palaeo-environmental concepts to integrate with other research teams.

1. Collections Management:

• Build, manage, and enrich palaeontological collections.
• Experience in conservation and scientific enhancement of collections.
• Conduct detailed inventory of phosphate fossils and build a digitized database.
• Establish a fossil collection and acquisition policy to become a world reference.
• Create storage and conservation areas meeting international standards.

1. Teaching and Dissemination:

• Teach palaeontology at UMP6 doctoral schools, bachelor's, and master's courses.
• Develop innovative modules based on collections and multidisciplinary research.
• Supervise Masters and doctoral students to create a pool of high-level palaeontologists.
• Support UMP6 projects for site museums and exhibitions on the evolution of life or geological history of phosphates.
• Serve as the point of contact for amateur palaeontologists, museums, and commercial companies for expert appraisals of fossil specimens.

Required documents include:
•    Application letter,
•    Curriculum Vitae,

•    Digital copy and summary of the PhD thesis,
•    Statement of research interests and plans,
•    Statement of teaching interests and experience,
•    Description of the most significant scientific achievements,
•    List of publications,
•    5 reference letters,

All documents above should be zipped in a single file.