Are you interested in functional microbes and can you contribute to the development of novel biosolutions from agricultural and food waste streams? Then the Department of Biological Chemical Engineering invites you to apply for a one year postdoc position.
Expected start date and duration of employment
This is a one year position from 1 February 2027 or as soon possible thereafter.
Job description
- You will be contributing to ongoing projects that investigate the used of microbial consortia in the upcycling of agricultural and food waste streams.
- You will be working primarily with bioprocess development, downstream processing and application challenge trials.
- These activities will be in close collaboration with local and international partners
Your profile
Applicants should hold a PhD in microbiology or food biotechnology or similar.
The position asks for:
- Experience in the use of food-related microbes
- Experience in working in different cultivation set-ups including bioreactors
- Experience in cultivation, molecular biology and analytical chemistry
- Supervision experience especially of Master and Bachelor students
- Publication and presentation experience
- Collaboration and/or management skills
Who we are
Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering (BCE) was established on January 1, 2021 in connection with Aarhus University’s reorganization of the engineering area. The department employs around 260 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.
BCE has strong research sections in Chemical Process Engineering and Bioprocess Engineering, among others. The successful candidate will be working within the Microbial Conversion Technologies and the Sustainable Process Systems Engineering groups.
What we offer
The department offers:
- a well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment
- an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators
- a research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
- a work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities
- a workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.
Place of work and area of employment
The place of work is at Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.
Contact information
For further information, please contact: Prof. Clarissa Schwab; schwab@bce.au.dk.
Deadline
Applications must be received no later than 4 December 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 appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified 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 each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self.
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 and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions at basic salary steps 4-8.
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.
Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it 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.
About 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 for its 37,500 students, including PhD students, and has 9,000 employees (full-time equivalents) and an annual revenue of EUR 1.2 billion. Learn more at international.au.dk
