The Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Denmark, invites applications for a fulltime 24-month Post doc position within Consumer Science for plant-based foods.

We are looking for a successful candidate with a strong research profile within Food Consumer Science, who would like to work with highly engaged and motivated staff in a dynamic working environment. The position is available from October 1st, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job description 

The position is funded through Aarhus University and is situated in the context of the green consumer transition as it relates to plant-based foods. It specifically aims to better understand what’s holding people back from reducing reliance on animal foods and transitioning to more sustainable plant-based diets.

We seek a candidate with knowledge of quantitative food-related consumer research methodologies, especially those suitable for online surveys. This should ideally be coupled with experience in implementing the different stages of survey research, from planning and ethics approval, through pilot work and data collection, to statistical data analysis and write-up. Qualitative research skills and experience are an advantage but not essential. Considering the wider field of research, a background in food-related consumer behaviour as well as good teamwork and networking skills would be central.

The Post doc position is part of the Science Team ‘Food Quality Perception and Society’ at the Department of Food Science. The candidate is expected to take part in teaching at BSc and MSc level, as well as participating in supervision of students. It is expected that the Post doc candidate participate in attracting funding for further research in the area.

​​Qualifications 

• Applicants must have a PhD degree or must document equivalent qualifications in a relevant field related to food, consumer science, marketing, psychology, or other citizen related sciences from a University or an academic institution.
• Experience with self-directed coordination of research.
• Applied experience, including planning, developing and execution of human studies as documented by a Dissertation, participation in research projects, or scientific publications.
• Experience in statistical analysis of data including univariate and multivariate methods.
• Science communication skills and a proven publication record in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience in supervising students and teaching at a high academic level.
• Fluency in written and spoken English. As the project will involve Danish, the ability to speak and write Danish will be an advantage.

The Department of Food Science 

The Department of Food Science is part of the Faculty of Technical Sciences, 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 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. 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.

Read more about the Department of Food Science at www.food.au.dk . 

Place of work 

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

Contact information 

For further information contact Sara Jaeger, phone: +45 9352 1466, E-mail: sara.jaeger@food.au.dk. 

Deadline 

All applications must be received no later than May 31st, 2024. 

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. 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.

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.

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.