The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
is currently inviting applications for the position of a Full Professor of
Food Biotechnology
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) seeks to appoint a Full Professor of Food Biotechnology with 1st October 2025. The position is offered in accordance with §98 of the 2002 Universities Act in the form of an ongoing contract.
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, the "Alma Mater Viridis", is the University of Sustainability and Life Sciences. It is BOKU's task to make a key contribution to the conservation and protection of resources for future generations through its wide variety of expertise. Combining natural sciences, engineering plus social and economic sciences, its aim is to increase knowledge of the ecologically and economically sustainable use of natural resources. With 10,000 students and over 2,900 staff members, BOKU is one of Europe’s leading life science universities.
The central tasks of the Department of Food Science and Technology, which will be integrated into the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science starting from 1st January 2025, are research and research-guided teaching on the development, production, chemical and sensory analysis, as well as safety of food and food ingredients. The department is involved in teaching in the Bachelor's degree programmes Food Science and Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences, as well as in the Master's degree programmes Food Science and Technology, Safety in the Food Chain, Biotechnology and Green Chemistry.
Teaching and research at the Institute of Food Technology, where the professorship will be positioned, focuses in particular on plant-based food, process engineering and enzyme technology for the production and preservation of food and food ingredients, as well as on the development of biosensors for chemical and process analysis. The future research and teaching activities of the Professor of Food Biotechnology combine the fields of food technology and food science with biotechnology. As such, this professorship is a central link in the emerging Department of Biotechnology and Food Science.
The scientific area of Food Biotechnology is an area of significant current interest, contributing to food security, changing consumer behaviour and climate change-related adaptations in primary food production. As such, it will contribute to the BOKU fields of competence "Agricultural Production and Food" and "Biotechnology". The professorship represents the scientific area of Food Biotechnology in research, teaching and third mission. Because of its close interaction with the doctoral programme Biomolecular Technology of Proteins (BioToP), a focus area will be on proteins and enzymes. Relevant fields of research include:
Opportunities for cooperation within the Institute of Food Technology are foreseen in the areas of alternative protein sources as sustainable foods or the development of new process technologies for the production of innovative foods. The following topics are relevant within the future Department of Biotechnology and Food Science: food safety and hygiene, food quality as well as enzyme, cell and metabolic engineering using bioinformatic or molecular biology methods for the production of food ingredients, process development, the development of biosensors, and food-grade cell factories.
Contribution to compulsory and elective courses in the context of German or English spoken Bachelor's, Master's and PhD programs is expected in research-guided teaching, including the supervision of students’ theses, as well as the integration and cooperation in doctoral programmes, e.g. BioToP. In addition to teaching activities, participation in the future development of study programmes is expected. An important component of this professorship is a committed, collegial collaboration in academic self-governance.
Job specifications
For more information about this position, please contact the Deputy-Head of Department of Food Science and Technology, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Konrad Domig, phone: +43 1 47654 75453, e-mail: konrad.domig@boku.ac.at.
Please submit your application as single PDF file (LastName_FirstName.pdf) containing the information mentioned below in English via email to the Rectorate of the University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences Vienna (berufungen@boku.ac.at) no later than 31st July 2024.
Please include the following documents with your application:
By submitting the application, you also agree to the participation of an external recruitment consultant in the selection process.
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna is seeking to increase the number of its female faculty members and therefore, qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Women are given priority when qualifications are equal, except in cases where there are outweighing factors concerning another candidate.
People with disabilities and appropriate qualifications are specifically encouraged to apply.
The employment contract is classified as group A1 of the collective agreement for university employees. Minimum gross yearly salary: € 89,075; the actual annual gross salary is subject to negotiation.
More information on this position and about BOKU and this department can be found on the website: https://boku.ac.at/
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