DTU Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Biocircularity - DTU Food

Are you interested in how food waste could be reduced? DTU National Food Institute is seeking a DTU Tenure Track Assistant Professor who will work on an ambitious research project to achieve improved biocircularity. The work will contain collection of data in the field and at abattoirs and use of data from registers and literature. System thinking approaches including burden of animal disease estimation and social economic analysis might be applied. Candidates will also be expected to contribute to department work together with a team of colleagues across research groups including teaching.

Responsibilities and qualifications
We are seeking a Tenure Track Assistant Professor with a background in engineering within food science or with a veterinary education. It’s important that you enjoy working with data and has an interest in and courage to contribute in the development of integrated strategies for food safety, animal health and welfare policies, with the focus of adopting risk based surveillance of animal diseases and zoonoses and assessing and documenting risks, barriers and advantages for higher biocirularity in food and feed production. This will consider relevant criteria such as the epidemiological situation, costs and benefits, and disease control options, to support decision making by national and international risk managers. The projects include cooperation with European partners, and case projects related to animal health and welfare. You might also take part in the National and European reporting of zoonoses.

You will plan studies together with team colleagues, also across DTU institutes. Moreover, you will conduct analyses and disseminate the results to various stakeholders. You should ideally enjoy a balance of practical work in the field, data analysis and writing up the results. You are highly motivated, solution-oriented, and unafraid to ask questions. Previous work experience with National food surveillance data and insight and interest in the European food and feed legislation is an advantage. It is a requirement to speak and write English fluently.  It is an advantage to speak and write Danish fluently since contact with the industry and other Danish stakeholders in projects often is necessary. 

You will engage in:

• Planning and conductance of studies of the advantages/possibilities, barriers and risks in a modernized meat inspection, also using sensor technologies
• Contribute to the planning and conduct validation studies of implementation of AI models in monitoring and controls of food and feed
• Dissemination of your research through publications in national and international scientific journals and attendance at conferences in co-operation with your colleagues in the group and in the other project institutions
• Supervision and teaching activities within epidemiological modelling of data and BSc and MSc student projects and taking part of the research group activities and tasks
• Taking part in the academic work related to the reporting of National and European surveillance data on Zoonoses
• Especially from the time approved as senior researcher, to provide support across research groups/institutes on methodology for integrated strategies for assessment of food and feed safety/security, novel food

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.

As formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent) within the relevant field such as food engineering, food science, veterinarian science, epidemiology, biotechnology, biology, or similar.

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

Salary and terms of employment  
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. 

Starting date is 1 October 2026 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position.

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

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Senior Researcher and Head of Research Group, Marianne Sandberg on marsan@food.dtu.dk 

You can read more about DTU National Food Institute at www.food.dtu.dk/english 

We can offer an inspiring workplace in the Research Group for Foodborne Pathogens and Epidemiology, and an active and welcoming student environment at DTU National Food Institute.

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 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 1 June 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 teaching and research for the tenure track period 
• CV including employment history, list of publications, H-index and ORCID (see http://orcid.org/)
• Teaching portfolio including documentation of teaching experience 
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD)

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.

DTU National Food Institute
DTU National Food Institute conducts research into and disseminates - through advice, innovation and teaching - sustainable and value-creating solutions in the area of food and health for the benefit of society. The vision is to make a difference by generating future prosperity through research into food and health. The institute works to prevent disease and promote health, develop new and better food products for a growing population and create sustainable technological solutions, including biosolutions. The institute’s tasks are carried out in interdisciplinary collaboration within e.g. nutrition, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, epidemiology, modelling, and technology. This is achieved through a strong academic environment of international top class with correspondingly skilled researchers and employees. The Institute employs approximately 380 staff members.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829 
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.