Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Green Chemistry and Food Waste Valorization at Aarhus University, Denmark

The Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Denmark, invites applications for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor position within sustainable food chemistry, food waste valorization, and biobased materials. We are looking for a candidate with a strong research profile in green chemistry, biomass valorization, catalysis, and food material science, particularly within the transformation of food by-products and waste streams into functional food ingredients and high-value compounds and materials. The successful applicant will join a highly engaged and motivated team in an innovative and dynamic research environment. The position is available from September 1st 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Position

We are specifically interested in a candidate with expertise in the cross-field between sustainable chemical processing, food waste valorization, biopolymer development, and characterization, and complex heterogeneous reaction system. The research focus should cover the upcycling of food side streams into valuable chemicals and materials , extraction and functionalization of bioactive compounds, and characterization techniques such as  advanced spectroscopy and material analysis. The position will involve:

• Development of novel materials and green chemical processes for converting food waste into valuable food ingredients and additives.

• Investigation of biopolymer interactions and degradation pathways using advanced analytical tools such as FTIR, NMR, and HPLC-SEC.

• Utilization of food side streams for the production of functional packaging materials, bioactive compounds, and valuable platform chemicals.

• Understanding of optimization techniques, mathematical modelling, and green chemistry to improve sustainability of processes.

• Collaboration with industry partners to translate research into practical applications for food sustainability and waste reduction.

A special focus of the position is the development of sustainable processing methods to optimize the extraction, modification, and application of compounds derived from food waste streams. This research area is aligned with the Science Team of Food Technology, which focuses on food processing, bioactive compounds and packaging using advanced rheology, spectroscopy, and processing technologies.

Qualifications

We seek a candidate with expertise in at least three of the following areas:

• Hands-on experience with spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, NMR) and advanced techniques for biopolymer and material analysis (TGA, DSC, SEC, BET).

• Experience in food waste valorization and upcycling technologies.

• Knowledge of green chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis for the transformation of food by-products.

• Documented research in biopolymer interactions and degradation pathways.

• Expertise in macromolecule interactions and their role in material stability.

• Application of advanced rheology and material science techniques.

• Strong experience in mathematical and kinetic modeling of biomass valorization processes.

Additional Requirements

• PhD degree in food science, chemistry, chemical engineering or a related field, with a minimum of 2-3 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.

• A strong publication record in international peer-reviewed journals in the relevant field (minimum 15 publications).

• Teaching experience at the BSc and MSc levels.

• Experience in international research collaboration and networking.

• Demonstrated ability to attract or contribute to securing research funding.

• Fluent in written and spoken English.

Collaboration & Industry Engagement

The candidate is expected to collaborate with industry partners and government advisory services to drive innovation in food sustainability. Additionally, the position includes teaching and supervision responsibilities at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
This position provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to the advancement of sustainable food chemistry, aligning with Aarhus University’s commitment to innovation in food science and technology.

The Department of Food Science

The Department of Food Science is part of the Faculty of Technology, Aarhus University and includes research across the food value chain within the areas of Plant Production Systems, Biofunctional Food, Systems Biology, Food Chemistry and Technology, Food Quality, and Sensory and Consumer Science. The Department currently employs approx. 60 full time research staff and 80 PhD students and Postdocs, with an additional approx. 60 Master and Bachelor thesis-based students and visiting researchers, who together contribute to an international research environment where English is the preferred language in the laboratory, at meetings and at seminars.

We offer a challenging and independent job opportunity in an ambitious and inspiring research and education environment with an informal atmosphere. We are looking for a dynamic employee who is able to work independently and maintain an overview during periods of high workload. We expect that you are efficient at planning your time and organizing major tasks. You enjoy interaction with both scientific staff, students and technical-administrative staff and you have a flair for establishing collaborative relationships. The Department works in teams and therefore self-leadership, clear and open communication, success in mentoring, supervising and teaching are important qualities needed to be successful in the Department. In addition, the Department has a strong culture that is based on openness, equality, consultation and inclusion, and contributing to the Department strategy and working environment is viewed as important.

The Department is responsible for a Master’s programme in Molecular Nutrition and Food Technology, taught at AU, Denmark, and a Master’s programme in Food and Health at the Sino-Danish Center in Beijing, China. In addition, Department staff contribute to several other key interdisciplinary educations, including Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Agrobiology, and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in Food Technology, Aarhus University. Staff also teach on a number of other educations offered at other Universities in Denmark and China.

The Department also conducts research-based advice of the Danish Government in the areas of plant production and food quality.

Please refer to http://food.au.dk/ for further information about The Department of Food Science and to https://tech.au.dk/en/and http://www.au.dk/en/ for information on Faculty of Technical Sciences and Aarhus University, respectively.

Place of Work and area of Employment

The place of work is Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.

For further information contact Head of Department Anne Louise Dannesboe Nielsen, email:  aln@food.au.dk

Living in Aarhus / Denmark

Please visit the International Centre website (http://www.au.dk/en/internationalcentre/) for information about arriving, working and living in Denmark.

Technical Sciences Tenure Track

Aarhus University offers talented scientists from around the world attractive career perspectives via the Technical Sciences Tenure Track Programme. Highly qualified candidates are appointed as Assistant Professors for a period of six years with the prospect of performance- based advancement to a tenured Associate Professorship.

The aim of the Technical Sciences Tenure Track Programme is to:

• attract outstanding talented individuals that are competitive at an international level
• to promote the early development of independent research success early in the career of scientists
• to create transparency in the academic career path

As part of the tenure track position, the candidate is offered:

• access to research infrastructure
• capability development, including postgraduate teacher training
• a mentoring programme
• support to develop scientific networks and to secure interdisciplinary research at the highest level

As part of the Aarhus University Tenure Track Programme, the University carries out a mid-way evaluation to review the progress of the tenure track candidate after three years, according to the same criteria used in the final tenure review. The final tenure review is conducted after five and a half years. If the review is positive, the candidate will be offered a tenured position as Associate Professor at Aarhus University.

Please refer to the tenure track guidelines for the tenure review criteria and for the tenure review process.

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.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

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.
 


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/