Tenure Track Assistant Professor /Associate Professor in Food Process Engineering / Fermentation

The Biological and Chemical Engineering Department (BCE) at Aarhus University invites applications for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Food Process Engineering / Fermentation. Aarhus University seeks an exceptionally innovative and visionary engineer to complement and develop the research activities of the Industrial Biotechnology section of BCE. 
 

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a permanent position starting on 1 May 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
 

Job description

We seek to appoint an expert in the research area of Food Process Engineering / Fermentation who will oversee the development of research activities centered around the pilot plant facilities at Campus Viborg in close collaboration with the colleagues in Aarhus.

The candidate is expected to develop internationally competitive research activities, and/or contribute to strengthening the current research activities of the section. Focus areas include but are not limited to:

• Fermentation and process integration for agricultural and food waste and side streams, with a special focus on green biorefinery systems.
• Microbial protein production such as CO2 to protein
• The application of microbes and enzymes to develop sustainable bioprocesses for biosolutions.

The candidates are expected to work closely with other researchers/groups of BCE, relevant departments at AU as well as with external stakeholders. The ability to work internationally and in interdisciplinary teams is essential.
The candidate is expected to strengthen the educational activities broadly related to food technology at BCE. Teaching responsibilities include the supervision of graduate students and mentoring of postdoctoral fellows, leading courses of the university’s bachelor and master programs, and the laboratory training of bachelor and master students. The candidate is expected to contribute to departmental committee activities.
 

Your profile

The successful applicant will be an internationally outstanding scientist with PhD degree and experience in research leadership in fermentation, food technology/food process engineering or related field. International research experience and commitment to do interdisciplinary research will be considered an advantage. Relevant industrial R&D experience, or documented collaboration with industrial partners, is considered positive. Candidates must, relative to their career stage, have a record of research accomplishment and originality, and documented ability to acquire external funding. The number and type of publications will be evaluated critically; an outstandingly high number of publications will not necessarily be considered in favor of the candidate.

The candidate has proven ability in the design and delivery of up-to-date teaching curriculum on food process engineering / food technology. Commitment to excellence in teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including the teaching of existing courses and development of new courses in related fields, is expected.

The candidate has excellent communication, engagement, project management, and leadership skills as well as comprehensive theoretical knowledge and practical experience at the relevant career level.
 

Who we are

Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering was established on 1 January 2021 in connection with Aarhus University’s reorganization of the engineering area. The department employs around 175 people and is responsible for research and education within the department’s scientific areas. We educate both Bachelors and Masters of Science in Engineering and around 825 students are enrolled in our study programs. Furthermore, we also offer an ambitious PhD program. Our PhD students have high academic ambitions and deliver high-quality results for both the private and the public sectors.
At the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, focus is on living systems, the biology of organisms, efficient production, and transformation of chemicals, materials and energy. We translate knowledge within biotechnology, food technology, environmental technology, chemical engineering, industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology and electrochemical engineering, and more into new technologies and value-creating solutions that can also be used in the business community.

Many of our research and development activities are based on companies' specific innovation needs or specialist application areas. Close collaboration with the public sector and private businesses ensures that the knowledge and technology generated in the department's research environments has a clear anchoring in reality and benefits the surrounding society. We also provide research-based public sector consultancy and advice on technology in agriculture and food.    
The aim of the Industrial Biotechnology section is to provide bio-based, sustainable solutions for industrial, food and health related applications. The section is located at AU and at Campus Viborg and combines expertise in Microbial and Food Biotechnology, Microbial Systems Engineering, Natural Products and Enzyme Technology. The section has state of the art facilities for microbial cultivation at aerobic and anaerobic conditions, molecular biology work, a well-established analytical platform and processing plant at different scales from lab size to pilots. There is a strong interest in developing biosolutions for the food and feed industry based on captured CO2 and on agro-industrial side streams from e.g. green biorefinery, where AU has an outstanding international position (https://cbio.au.dk/)
 

What we offer

Based on the best international standards and transparent performance criteria, Aarhus University offers a merit-based academic career path for tenure track faculty from Assistant Professor through a permanent position as Associate Professor, and on to Full Professor.
AU provides excellent working conditions in a lively scientific community, embedded in the vibrant research environment at the main campus in Aarhus. The AU environment is international. The AU Relocation Services provide tailored relocation and integration support of new professors, their partners and accompanying family members, and offers career consulting to the partners of newly appointed professors.
 

Place of work and area of employment

Place of employment is Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, and place of work will be distributed between Campus Aarhus, Gustav Wied Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, and Campus Viborg, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, according to agreement.
 

Contact information

For more information, please contact Head of the Industrial Biotechnology Section, Clarissa Schwab, schwab@bce.au.dk, or the Head of the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Lars DM Ottosen, ldmo@bce.au.dk
 

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 19 December 2024.
 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee and will receive his/her assessment. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.