Selection Procedures
Institute of Archeology of the CAS, Brno announces an open competition in accordance with the Act No. 283/1992 Coll. on the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the Statutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences for a position Use-wear specialist.
The Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, public research institution, announces on 9. 11. 2026, pursuant to Act No. 283/1992 Coll., on the Czech Academy of Sciences, as amended by Act No. 420/2005 Coll., the Statutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences and its own internal regulations, a public selection procedure for the following position:
Use-wear specialist
The qualification grade under the Career Development Rules for CAS Employees with a University Degree will be determined on the recommendation of the selection committee, taking into account the successful candidate’s academic qualifications, research achievements and experience.
Job description:
We are seeking a use-wear specialist focused on stone artefact analysis for a newly established position. Primary responsibilities include macroscopic and microscopic analysis of manufacturing traces and use-wear on knapped, ground, and other stone artifacts to reconstruct how prehistoric tools were made and used. The role will include documenting and evaluating identified traces, distinguishing traces of manufacture and use from post-depositional alterations and contributing to the interpretation of archaeological assemblages within broader technological and socioeconomic contexts. The successful candidate will also contribute to designing and conducting experiments, developing a reference collection, and preparing scientific publications. Experience in use-wear analysis of other materials, particularly metal, bone, and antler, would be an advantage, as would broader specialist and methodological skills applicable to interdisciplinary research into prehistoric technologies.
Requirements:
- A completed PhD in archaeology or a related discipline.
- At least three years’ experience in the use-wear analysis of stone artefacts or other relevant materials.
- A research track record relevant to the position, demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications and commensurate in scope and quality with the applicant’s career stage.
- Access to a personal comparative collection would be an advantage.
- Familiarity with basic laboratory working practices and procedures.
- Advanced experience in operating microscopes and using documentation techniques.
- Ability to independently design use-wear research, formulate research questions and develop proposals for national and international research funding calls.
- Proficiency in spoken and written English at CEFR level B2 or above, essential for conducting international interdisciplinary research.
- The ability to work independently, responsibly and systematically.
- A collaborative approach and willingness to contribute to a research team and work with specialists from different disciplines and institutions.
- Experience in operating a range of analytical instruments and a category B driving licence would be advantageous.
Place of work:
Laboratory at the Institute’s headquarters (ARÚB), Čechyňská 363/19, Brno, Czech Republic.
We offer:
- Full-time employment (1.0 FTE).
- An initial two-year fixed-term employment contract, with the prospect of extension and long-term employment at the Institute.
- Start date: 1 January 2027.
- Employee benefits: flexible working hours, 25 days of annual leave, five sick days, a meal allowance, contributions towards supplementary pension insurance and other retirement savings products, subsidised language courses organised by the Czech Academy of Sciences, and a MultiSport card.
- Varied work at an established and prestigious research institution, with a friendly working environment.
- Support for professional development, including involvement in basic research, opportunities to attend training courses and scientific conferences, participation in establishing the laboratory, and scope to develop your own methodological expertise.
Please send your application (structured CV, cover letter, list of publications, and a brief description of your research specialisation and proposed research) electronically to zakovsky@arub.cz or by post to Mgr. Petr Žákovský, Ph.D., Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, public research institution, Čechyňská 363/19, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic. After the selection procedure has been completed, candidates will be informed by email or telephone.
Closing date for applications: 30. 11. 2026
Application deadline: 11/30/2026