Associate Professor or DTU Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Biological and Biotech Wastewater Treatment - DTU Sustain

The Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark invites applications for a faculty position focused on biological processes in wastewater treatment and resource recovery. We are looking for a dedicated and forward-thinking researcher to join our interdisciplinary team and help shape the future of sustainable water technologies and processes.

Responsibilities and qualifications 
As Associate Professor or Tenure Track Assistant Professor, you will contribute to developing technologies that support carbon neutrality, resource efficiency, and the circular economy. This role offers a unique opportunity to work across disciplines and sectors, collaborating with leading researchers, industry partners, and public stakeholders. 

You will be part of a vibrant research environment with strong expertise in water and wastewater treatment, environmental microbiology, and process engineering. You will play a key role in shaping the next generation of environmental engineers through teaching, supervision, and mentoring. You will also be encouraged to build strong research collaborations within DTU and beyond.

Your primary tasks will be to:

• Develop novel treatment technologies and strategies for wastewater treatment and resource recovery (e.g., phosphorus removal and recovery, fermentation processes, membrane bioreactors).
• Establish collaborations within the section with groups working on water treatment (e.g., organic micropollutant removal, nitrogen cycling, bio-electrochemistry, drinking water biofiltration, membrane technology) and other sections (e.g., sediment remediation, greenhouse gas abatement from waste and water treatment facilities.
• Drive technologies toward higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) in partnership with relevant stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

• To drive innovative research and contribute to the university's mission in sustainable water management and circular economy.
• To supervise and mentor graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
• To collaborate with industry partners to apply research findings in practical settings.

We are looking for candidates who: 

• Possess deep knowledge of process engineering and wastewater treatment, with extensive knowledge of experimental methods in both microbiology (e.g., bioinformatics) and wastewater biotechnology. 
• Are skilled in the development and optimization of biological processes in diverse wastewater systems, considering their role within the water cycle as well as interactions with waste, energy and food systems.
• Can contribute to the design and implementation of new processes and technologies enabling carbon neutrality and circular solutions in the waste and wastewater sector.
• Can contribute to our teaching in environmental biotechnology.

Qualifications:

• A proven track record in applied research and technology development in wastewater engineering and environmental biotechnology.
• A commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and teaching.

You must be responsible for the teaching of courses in biological water treatment, environmental microbiology, and biotechnology.

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 a formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent), preferably in Environmental Engineering, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Applied Microbiology or a related field with a strong emphasis on wastewater microbiology and biotechnology. If you are applying for the associate professor position you should also have academic qualifications equivalent to those obtained by holding an assistant professorship and documented didactic/pedagogic training.

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 February 2026 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position.

The assistant professor 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 Head of Section Professor Wenjing (Angela) Zhang, (wenz@dtu.dk), Professor Yifeng Zhang (yifz@dtu.dk), and Associate Professor Borja Valverde Pérez (bvape@dtu.dk).

The department is located in Lyngby.

You can read more about DTU Sustain at: https://sustain.dtu.dk/en/ 

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
Please submit your online application no later than 15 October 2025 (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 
• CV including employment history, list of publications (applicants applying for the position as associate professor should indicate scientific highlights), H-index and ORCID (see http://orcid.org/)
• Teaching portfolio including documentation of teaching experience
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD)
• 1-2 reference letters or contact information for references 

You can learn more about the recruitment process here.

Please indicate whether you are applying for the position as Associate or Assistant Professor.

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 Sustain - Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering - is one of the largest university departments specializing in environmental and resource engineering in Europe. The department conducts research, development & scientific advice and provides educational programs and service to society.  We are working to develop new environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies, methods and solutions, and to disseminate this knowledge to society and future generations of engineers. The Department has approximately 300 staff from more than 30 nationalities.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.