Postdoc in Ontology-Driven Data Integration for Chemical Engineering Digitalization - DTU Chemical Engineering

Are you passionate about ontologies, data integration, or semantic technologies—and ready to apply them in a real-world engineering context? Would you like to help shape the future of digital chemical production? Then join DTU Chemical Engineering’s digitalization initiative and be part of building the next generation of smart, semantically linked research infrastructure.

The job
Over the past years, DTU Chemical Engineering has made significant investments in digitalizing our experimental infrastructure, including a large-scale pilot plant and the Coatings Science and Technology Center (CoaST). These facilities are now equipped with modern graphical user interfaces, unified communication protocols, and structured data pipelines that collect and store experimental data in dedicated SQL databases and file repositories.

We are now taking the next strategic step: developing ontologies and a dynamic knowledge graph to semantically link our internal data systems - and connect them to relevant external sources. By enabling data interoperability across facilities and process units, this infrastructure will allow real-time coordination, intelligent scheduling, resource sharing, and improved decision-making in chemical engineering research and teaching.

To support this effort, we invite applications for one postdoctoral researcher (2 years). You will become part of a small, cross-disciplinary team working at the interface between chemical engineering, data science, and semantic web technologies. The work will be tightly integrated with other digitalization activities at DTU KT.

Responsibilities and qualification
You will be part of a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative research team working at the intersection of chemical engineering, data infrastructure, and semantic technologies. Your overall focus will be to help develop a semantically integrated data ecosystem that links experimental data across our pilot plant and coatings science center using ontologies and knowledge graphs. This will require both technical insight into data modeling and a solid understanding of how real-world engineering data is generated, structured, and used.

For the postdoc position, we are looking for a candidate with a strong background in semantic data modeling and knowledge representation, ideally in engineering or scientific domains. You will take the lead in designing, extending, and implementing ontologies and knowledge graphs that represent the data structures and processes across our facilities. A key part of your role will be to ensure alignment with best practices and existing community standards, and to provide the semantic backbone for the overall infrastructure. You will also contribute to scientific publications and present your work at international conferences.

Responsibilities
As part of the project team, your responsibilities will include:

• Developing, extending, and maintaining ontologies that describe experimental data, facility metadata, and process relationships
• Mapping existing data structures (SQL databases, file-based records) onto a semantic knowledge graph using RDF, OWL, and related technologies
• Designing and implementing workflows for data ingestion, integration, and querying across multiple systems
• Driving use-case studies that demonstrate the benefits of semantic integration, e.g. in scheduling, resource sharing, or formulation optimization
• Collaborating with chemical engineers, software developers, and data scientists to ensure practical applicability of the developed infrastructure
• Supervision of BSc and MSc student projects
• Disseminating your work through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences
• Qualifications
• Candidates should meet the following criteria:
• Strong interest in digital infrastructure, semantic technologies, and applied research
• Solid programming experience, preferably in Python
• Familiarity with structured data handling (e.g., SQL) and scientific workflows
• Documented experience with ontology development, knowledge graphs, and technologies such as OWL, RDF, SPARQL, or Protégé
• Background or familiarity with chemical engineering or related areas, such as chemical and biochemical unit operations, upstream/downstream processing, or organic coatings (including formulation and characterization), is an advantage
• Good communication skills in English and a collaborative mindset
• Interest in publishing research results and engaging with the wider scientific community

Formal qualifications
You must hold a PhD degree in chemical engineering, computer science, software engineering, data science, or a related discipline.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

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

The period of employment is 2 years.

Further information
If you would like additional information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Jochen Dreyer (jodre@kt.dtu.dk).

You can read more about DTU Chemical Engineering and CoaST at www.kt.dtu.dk/english and www.kt.dtu.dk/research/coast, respectively. To take a virtual tour of the CoaST labs, visit https://virtual.kt.dtu.dk/CoaST-labs/.

Application
Please submit your online application no later than Friday, 26 September 2025 (23:59 Danish time). Open the “Apply now” link, fill out the form and attach your motivated application, CV and exam certificates. 

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.

The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at DTU is a leader in innovative teaching and research, built on core technical subjects and engineering scientific disciplines. The teaching and research cover separation processes, reaction engineering, dynamics and process regulation, process and facility planning, unit operations, heat transmission, fluid mechanics and applied thermodynamics. The Department enjoys very close relations with international partners, and especially a wide range of industrial companies. 

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.