Professor in Food Science and Food Technology

Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences

Department of Molecular Sciences

The Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences contributes through research, teaching and continuous environmental analysis with solutions to national and global societal challenges linked to the areal industries and sustainable use of natural resources. Food research considers the entire chain from farm to fork, including climate and environmental issues linked to food production. In line with this, the faculty is announcing a fully funded professorship in food science and food technology.

The position is placed at the Department of Molecular Sciences, which consists of approximately 90 employees and together with three other departments forms an inspiring research environment at the BioCentrum in Ultuna Campus, Uppsala. The department conducts basic and applied research and teaching in several subject areas including food science, microbiology, natural product chemistry, biotechnology, biochemistry, biophysics as well as inorganic, physical and organic chemistry. Research in the field of food science focuses on studies of the composition and structure of foods and their influence on quality properties such as taste and nutritional content of the ready products.

The department is responsible for, maintains and develops several advanced infrastructures for chemical analysis and materials studies, including NMR spectroscopy, advanced mass spectrometry, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction, gas and liquid chromatography equipment, etc. The BioCentrum also has a center for advanced confocal microscopy.

The department is responsible for several interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with other departments, other universities, industries and society at large.

Read more about our activities and infrastructure here . 

Read more about our benefits and what it's like to work at SLU here .

Subject area

The subject encompasses chemical and/or physical studies of the composition and properties of processed foods, with a focus on the treatment processes of the raw material.

Duties

The candidate should within the subject area:

• develop and lead internationally successful research with a focus on sustainable use of new and traditional food raw materials for the production of future high-quality food products
• develop, strategically lead and participate in teaching at first, second and third cycle level
• primarily teach in Food Science disciplines, but also in other areas at first, second and third cycle level where the subject is comprised
• supervise doctoral students
• collaborate with other SLU research teams to strengthen interdisciplinary activities at the university
• develop and maintain national and international networks with academia, relevant public authorities, industry, organisations and society at large
• apply for external research funding
• contribute to the strategic development of the department, faculty and SLU
• communicate research findings and other relevant information to society at large
• be able to teach in Swedish within four years.

The professor is expected to lead a research group, which may include administrative tasks such as budgeting and personnel management.

Swedish and English are used in parallel at the department. The professor should be able to perform most of their tasks in English. However, as a public authority, the university has Swedish as its main language according to the requirements of the Language Act and the professor must be able to use Swedish as their working language within four years of beginning the position. The department will provide support with language learning.

Eligibility

The applicant must meet the following qualification requirements: 

• PhD and the qualifications required for appointment as associate professor (docent) or equivalent
• research expertise in the subject area
• ability to lead and develop a successful research team
• ability to compete for external research funding
• teaching expertise and ability to integrate research and a scientific approach into teaching
• good knowledge of English.

Assessment criteria

In the assessment criteria for employment, the primary consideration should be the level of skill required for eligibility for the position. Assessment of the eligible applicant’s suitability for the employment will primarily be based on: 

• completed and ongoing research in the subject area
• ability to independently initiate and conduct outstanding research
• ability to obtain external research funding in competition
• ability of planning, implementation, and examination, as well as evaluation of own teaching
• supervision and examination of doctoral students
• pedagogic vision and reflection.

 Furthermore, the assessment will consider the applicant’s expertise in:

• developing and leading activities and staff within academia
• collaborating with relevant stakeholders and society
• communicating research findings and development.

As much attention must be given to the assessment of teaching expertise as to the assessment of research expertise. The position will be offered to the eligible candidate who, following a qualitative comprehensive assessment is deemed to have the best qualifications set to conduct and develop the duties in question, and contribute to the positive development of the organisation.

This position offers the vibrant research climate at SLU. The benefits of the position include Swedish family health care provisions, parenting support including generous paid leave of absence policies that allow both parents to care for newborns and toddlers. Additionally Sweden has a well-established pre-school structure as well as an educational system that provides no-cost education through university studies. Find out more facts and stories about Sweden at www.sweden.se

Located in the greater Stockholm region, the city of Uppsala has a rich history and culture, and is a true academic and cultural hub. Find out more about moving, living and working here at https://internationalhub.uppsala.se/

2025-04-30

Uppsala

100%

Permanent employment

By agreement.

For the guidance of your application, there is SLU's appointment procedure for teachers at SLU and General assessment criteria for the appointment of teachers, which you can read here .

Please apply by clicking the apply-button below.

https://internt.slu.se/min-anstallning/facket/kontaktpersoner/

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Contact person

URL to this pagehttps://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=12515&rmlang=UK