Aarhus University is a modern, 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 42,500 students and 11,500 employees, and has an annual budget of EUR 840 million. Over the course of the past decade, the university has consolidated its position in the top 100 on the most influential rankings of universities world-wide. Learn more at www.au.dk/en.

Professors in Food Science / Leader of an Interdisciplinary Research Center in Natural & Convenience Foods 917850

The Department of Food Science, Aarhus University (AU), Denmark, seeks internationally competitive, innovative and successful research leaders who want to work with highly engaged and motivated staff in a positive and dynamic international working environment.

The positions
We are looking to appoint experienced research leaders who see significant potential in packaging, processing and / or waste stream solutions within food science to deliver natural, healthy and convenience-based foods to meet changing lifestyle needs for consumers. We seek competitive individuals who want to create successful, interdisciplinary teams together with external research collaborators and industrial partners to deliver both novel and innovative solutions and underpinning basic knowledge to the area.

In addition, we have the unique opportunity of being able to negotiate and offer a Center Leader position to one of the newly recruited Professors. This Center Leader role is for a recently established Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Thematic Center; Natural and Convenience Foods. The Center Leader will be a visionary and trustworthy research leader who is internationally recognized in one of the specified areas of expertise. The Natural & Convenience Foods Center has seed funding from the University, and the details of the center; vision, mission, expected impact, funding and key performance indicators, will be discussed with the short listed applicants.

We are specifically interested in individuals who can apply their expertise to both plant- and animal-based food products within one of the following areas of expertise:
1. food packaging solutions to increase convenience and sustainability of foods
2. food processing to deliver minimal processing formats of foods with high nutritional quality
3. food side streams to secure new high value food ingredients and food solutions

All new appointments include research, supervision and teaching at a Professor level. Professors are expected to have strong leadership qualities and to successfully lead and strengthen the research area through taking new strategic initiatives in collaboration with existing staff, and national and international networks.

Areas of expertise
1. Food packaging
It is expected that the successful candidate will have documented experience on the interaction of food in relation to packaging and how to implement novel sustainable solutions to optimize food quality and deliver food in innovative ways to meet consumer trends whilst minimising food waste. Knowledge on the influence of modified atmosphere, light and temperature exposure, use of edible films, biodegradable materials, smart packaging systems, sensors, but also food quality parameters including sensory, oxidation and other molecular changes as affected by packaging is important, within the context of healthy and convenient food solutions.
2. Food Processing
It is expected that the successful candidate will have documented experience in pilot plant processing techniques and unit operations within areas essential for food processing from a technological point of view, including heat treatments and heat transfer, pasteurization, spray drying, flow processes, and filtration processes for example membrane filtration or membrane technologies. Theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience and knowledge of pilot plants is desired.
3. Food side streams
It is expected that the successful candidate will have documented experience on utilization of food side streams, with knowledge on fractionation, refining, upscaling and functional properties linked to the food ingredients sector but also on exploitation of nutritional aspects and taste applications.

New research initiatives in processing and packaging should complement existing Department activities in food quality, food components, ingredients, shelf life, postharvest research, differentiated and biofunctional foods, with a specific focus on delivering new, healthy and convenient foods.

New research initiatives in food side streams research should complement existing Department activities in waste streams, utilization of raw material for consumption or further processing, food production, chemistry, technology, health research and sensory science.

Successful candidates
You are expected to:

• be responsible for the development of the research area and implementation of basic and applied research
• establish synergies between your own research and other related research activities to secure the needed interdisciplinary approaches
• maintain a strong national and international network of contacts with leading research groups, as well as pursuing industrial contacts within the food industry
• support the development of comprehensive research-based teaching activities and participate in assessments of students at Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD levels
• be responsible for effective knowledge exchange with society, industry and the Danish Government
• successfully attract external research grants from industry, national and international sources
• develop and contribute to relevant educational courses at the Bachelor’s and Master’s level
• participate in MSc, PhD and post-doctoral training and be responsible for the educational guidance of assistant professors/postdocs.

Qualifications
The following professional and personal qualifications are required:

• PhD degree or equivalent qualifications within food science, biochemistry, engineering or related research fields
• Documented experience as an international research leader in relation to food research
• Documented original research of a high international standard
• Documented research qualifications at professorship level in one of the above three specified areas of expertise
• Experience in communication of research in a wide context
• Ability to strengthen national and international cooperation within the research area
• Documented ability to attract research funding from both industrial and public sources
• Documented experience with supervision of postdocs, PhD and MSc students
• Documented teaching experience and a demonstrated ability to develop relevant educational material
• Documented leadership skills in relation to international collaboration and development of interdisciplinary research teams

The Department of Food Science
The Department of Food Science is part of the Faculty of Science and 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, Food Metabolomics and Sensory Science. The Department currently employs approx. 60 full time scientific staff and 50 PhD students and Postdocs, with approx. 30 visiting staff and students contributing to an international research environment where English is the preferred language in the laboratory, at meetings and at seminars.

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 Univeristy. Staff also teach on a number of other educations offered at other Universities in Denmark and China.

Please refer to http://food.au.dk/en/ for further information about The Department of Food Science and to http://scitech.au.dk/en/ and http://www.au.dk/en/ for information on Science and Technology and Aarhus University, respectively.

Place of Work and area of Employment / Conditions of Appointment
The place of work is Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.
The positions are initially located at the AU-Foulum campus. It is planned that the Department of Food Science will be relocated to Agro Food Park, Skejby, Aarhus in 2019.

Positions are open for appointment from 1st November, 2017. Individual negotiations will take place based on acknowledgement that senior research leaders may have existing commitments and need to relocate to Denmark.

Aarhus University offers competitive start-up packages.

For further information contact Head of Department Michelle Williams, phone: +45 25170049, e-mail: mw@food.au.dk.

Application procedure
Short-listing 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, including the main considerations emphasized during the selection process.

Formalities and salary range
Science and Technology 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 Finance 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 Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.

Aarhus University offers Relocation service to International researchers. You can read more about it here.

Deadline
All applications must be made online and received by:
10.09.2017

Please apply online here