Associate Professor or DTU Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Solid-State Fermentation for Microbial Food Production

DTU Chemical and Biochemical Engineering invites applications for a faculty position at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor. We seek an ambitious and talented candidate to strengthen our research and teaching within biomanufacturing and sustainable process technologies. The position is linked to the BRIGHT initiative but anchored into DTU Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

About BRIGHT – The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition (BRIGHT) is a major initiative based at DTU that aims to accelerate the development of biosolutions and strengthen the bio-based economy. BRIGHT serves as a hub for academic and industrial partners working together to unlock the potential of bioproduction.

BRIGHT focuses on three main areas:

• Sustainable materials: Developing bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived materials.
• Microbial foods: Innovating food production through microbial technologies.
• Microorganisms for net-zero agriculture: Creating solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

The goal is to develop and scale innovative biosolutions within these areas, ultimately creating sustainable and competitive alternatives to fossil-based products and processes that can make significant contributions to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers across DTU collaborate with colleagues from other universities in Denmark and internationally, as well as with industry. A unique feature of BRIGHT is the introduction of a mission enabler, aimed at promoting promising projects and testing their scalability. This is achieved by integrating technologies and infrastructure in areas such as data science, informatics, cell factories, and fermentation.

Responsibilities and qualifications 
The successful candidate will contribute to research, teaching, and innovation in solid-state fermentation for microbial food production. The aim is to advance understanding of solid-state fermentation processes through experimental characterization, design of production units, and development of predictive process models. These models will integrate sustainability assessments and genomic data, and explore links to sensory attributes such as taste and texture.

It is expected that you gradually develop a teaching portfolio consisting partly of already existing courses, and partly of new courses related to the topic of the position.

You must be responsible for the teaching of courses. DTU employs two working languages: Danish and English. You are expected to be fluent in at least one of these languages, and in time are expected to master both.

Candidate Profile

• A PhD in chemical/biochemical engineering, biotechnology, or a related field.
• A strong research track record and potential for independent research.
• Experience in experimental and/or modeling approaches relevant to the position.
• Commitment to high-quality teaching and supervision at BSc, MSc, and PhD levels. At the assistant professor level, the DTU teaching course UDTU will be offered to the candidate.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and with industry partners.

As a formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent). If you are applying for the associate professor position you should also have academic qualifications equivalent to those obtained by holding an assistant professorship and documented didactic/pedagogic training.

You will be assessed against the responsibilities and qualifications stated above and the following general criteria:

• Experience and quality of teaching 
• Research experience 
• Research vision and potential
• International impact and experience 
• Societal impact
• Innovativeness, including commercialization and collaboration with industry
• Leadership, collaboration, and interdisciplinary skills
• Communication skills

Tenure Track at DTU
Assistant Professor positions are offered as part of DTU’s Tenure Track program, which provides:

• A six-year period with a clear path to permanent employment as Associate Professor.
• Annual performance reviews and mentoring to support career development.
• Access to leadership training and research funding opportunities.

We offer

• A dynamic, international research environment at one of Europe’s leading technical universities.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and strong industry collaboration.
• Career development opportunities and support for building research teams.

Salary and terms of employment 
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. In addition, supplements can be negotiated in accordance with DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures 

The assistant professor position is part of DTU’s Tenure Track program. Read more about the program and the recruitment process here.

The position is a full-time position.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 
For further information, please contact Professor Anne Ladegaard Skov, email: al@kt.dtu.dk 

Read more about DTU Chemical Engineering at www.kt.dtu.dk 

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure
Please submit your online application no later than 20 September 2026 (23:59 Danish time). 

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply now”, fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• Vision for the position, teaching and research 
• CV including employment history, list of publications (applicants applying for the position as associate professor should indicate scientific highlights), H-index and ORCID (see http://orcid.org/)
• Teaching portfolio including documentation of teaching experience
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD)
• Research and teaching statement

You can learn more about the recruitment process here.

Please indicate whether you are applying for the position as Associate or Assistant Professor.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.