Research Mission Leader and Associate Professor in Biosolutions for Agroindustrial Biotechnology, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering (BCE), Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University
fuldtid
Research Mission Leader and Associate Professor in Biosolutions for Agroindustrial Biotechnology, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering (BCE), Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University
The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University is expanding its activities in Biosolutions for Agroindustrial Biotechnology. To strengthen our research, education, and innovation capacity, we are seeking an Associate Professor who will serve as a scientific leader in biosolutions, education, and mission governance.
This role will play a central part in supporting the green transition of the food sector and reducing reliance on fossil resources. The position is available once the right candidate has been identified, with flexibility to agree on a suitable start date.
The position is permanent and is to be filled by 1 May 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Job description
The successful candidate will join the Section for Bioprocess Engineering. The position is also affiliated with the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center (CORC), where the successful candidate will manage and coordinate projects within the CO2-to-protein program, which is a part of the CO2 conversion mission stream.
The section focuses on fundamental studies of reactions, enzymes, and microbes, translating this knowledge into new bioprocesses for producing compounds and modifying molecules in engineered ecosystems. Research expertise spans enzyme engineering, biocatalysis, microbial engineering, microbiome research, food biotechnology, and process engineering, including pilot plant design and operation.
For this role, we seek candidates with strong expertise in biosolutions for large‑scale production of food and feed proteins and platform chemicals. Work will involve substrates such as CO₂, H₂, green ammonia, and sidestreams from sustainable agriculture (e.g., green biorefineries). Unlike conventional precision fermentation of high‑value compounds, this position focuses on scaling “low‑value” commodities to global production volumes. Biosolutions include, but is not limited to, biotechnology, chemical engineering and process engineering.
Key responsibilities:
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have expertise in one or more of the following areas:
Who we are
The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering works across water, energy, food, industrial biotechnology, agriculture, and health engineering sciences. We provide knowledge and education for the green transition of society, combining biotechnological and physicochemical solutions to address global water, energy, and climate challenges.
Research and innovation are conducted in close collaboration with the public sector and private companies. The department also works with Aarhus University’s interdisciplinary water science center, WATEC. Established in 2021, BCE is one of four engineering departments at the Faculty of Technical Sciences and currently employs around 275 staff and PhD students.
CORC is the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center, a mission driven center with headquarters at Aarhus University and satellites at the Technical University of Denmark (DK), University of Copenhagen (DK), University of Tübingen (D), Potsdam Institute for Climate Change (D), Stanford University (US), Caltech (US), Rice University (US), and, from 2026, also Politecnico di Milano (I), EPFL (CH) and Heriott-Watt University (UK). At Aarhus University, it unites CO2 research across the participating departments under the CORC umbrella as part of the mission portfolio, including the CO2 to protein/food program. CORC operates on a grant of approximately 100 MUSD and a grant period from 2022-2028.
What we offer
Place of work and area of employment
The position includes two permanent workplace addresses in Aarhus and Viborg respectively. The attendance at each workplace address is by agreement with your immediate supervisor. At the time of employment, the distribution between the workplace addresses is expected to be 2 days with place of employment in Aarhus and 3 days with place of employment in Viborg. In Aarhus the place of work is Gustav Wieds Vej 10D, 8000 Aarhus C. In Viborg the place of work is Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele. The area of employment is Aarhus University with affiliated institutions.
Contact information
For further information, please contact: Professor Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, Head of Department 📧 ldmo@bce.au.dk 📞 +45 51 37 16 71
Deadline
Applications must be received no later than 4 February 2026.
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
This role will play a central part in supporting the green transition of the food sector and reducing reliance on fossil resources. The position is available once the right candidate has been identified, with flexibility to agree on a suitable start date.
The position is permanent and is to be filled by 1 May 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Job description
The successful candidate will join the Section for Bioprocess Engineering. The position is also affiliated with the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center (CORC), where the successful candidate will manage and coordinate projects within the CO2-to-protein program, which is a part of the CO2 conversion mission stream.
The section focuses on fundamental studies of reactions, enzymes, and microbes, translating this knowledge into new bioprocesses for producing compounds and modifying molecules in engineered ecosystems. Research expertise spans enzyme engineering, biocatalysis, microbial engineering, microbiome research, food biotechnology, and process engineering, including pilot plant design and operation.
For this role, we seek candidates with strong expertise in biosolutions for large‑scale production of food and feed proteins and platform chemicals. Work will involve substrates such as CO₂, H₂, green ammonia, and sidestreams from sustainable agriculture (e.g., green biorefineries). Unlike conventional precision fermentation of high‑value compounds, this position focuses on scaling “low‑value” commodities to global production volumes. Biosolutions include, but is not limited to, biotechnology, chemical engineering and process engineering.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead the CORC/BCE research mission “CO₂ to Food”, including governance, strategic direction, and development of a mission‑specific governance model.
- Drive interdisciplinary research and collaboration across engineering and other university departments.
- Establish a regional stronghold in biosolutions in partnership with industry and organizations.
- Secure funding from Danish and EU R&D programs to expand BCE and CORC’s project portfolio.
- Strengthen international research relations through outreach and collaboration.
- Publish high‑quality research in peer‑reviewed journals.
- Support to educational activities in agroindustrial biotechnology.
- Supervise Bachelor, Master, and PhD students.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Microbial ecology and environmental engineering
- Biological macromolecule production and degradation
- Process engineering and design
- Pilot‑scale operations
- Laboratory setups for biotechnological solutions
- CO₂ capture and utilization
- Microbiology
- Research experience at a recognized institution
- Management of interdisciplinary, international research projects
- Strong publication record in peer‑reviewed journals
- Proven success in securing external funding
- Teaching and mentoring experience at undergraduate and graduate levels
- Industrial collaboration and management of large‑scale research or innovation projects
Who we are
The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering works across water, energy, food, industrial biotechnology, agriculture, and health engineering sciences. We provide knowledge and education for the green transition of society, combining biotechnological and physicochemical solutions to address global water, energy, and climate challenges.
Research and innovation are conducted in close collaboration with the public sector and private companies. The department also works with Aarhus University’s interdisciplinary water science center, WATEC. Established in 2021, BCE is one of four engineering departments at the Faculty of Technical Sciences and currently employs around 275 staff and PhD students.
CORC is the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center, a mission driven center with headquarters at Aarhus University and satellites at the Technical University of Denmark (DK), University of Copenhagen (DK), University of Tübingen (D), Potsdam Institute for Climate Change (D), Stanford University (US), Caltech (US), Rice University (US), and, from 2026, also Politecnico di Milano (I), EPFL (CH) and Heriott-Watt University (UK). At Aarhus University, it unites CO2 research across the participating departments under the CORC umbrella as part of the mission portfolio, including the CO2 to protein/food program. CORC operates on a grant of approximately 100 MUSD and a grant period from 2022-2028.
What we offer
- A developing research infrastructure with laboratories and shared equipment
- An interdisciplinary environment with national and international collaborators
- A research climate encouraging open and critical discussion across fields
- A professional, inclusive workplace with networking and social activities
- Strong support for researchers, including business relations, consortium building, technology transfer, and laboratory assistance
- A healthy work‑life balance and commitment to equality and diversity
Place of work and area of employment
The position includes two permanent workplace addresses in Aarhus and Viborg respectively. The attendance at each workplace address is by agreement with your immediate supervisor. At the time of employment, the distribution between the workplace addresses is expected to be 2 days with place of employment in Aarhus and 3 days with place of employment in Viborg. In Aarhus the place of work is Gustav Wieds Vej 10D, 8000 Aarhus C. In Viborg the place of work is Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele. The area of employment is Aarhus University with affiliated institutions.
Contact information
For further information, please contact: Professor Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, Head of Department 📧 ldmo@bce.au.dk 📞 +45 51 37 16 71
Deadline
Applications must be received no later than 4 February 2026.
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/