Head of Department at the Department of FOOD Science (FOOD)

The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen is looking for a Head of Department with a background from universities or industry, who, together with employees and other partners, will further develop the department’s leading research and education within the food of the future for the benefit of the surrounding society.

FOOD has strong research environments that work in the intersection between basic research, application-oriented research and innovation. The department's research spans food microbiology, food chemistry, food analysis, gut microbiome, metabolomics of molecular and technological functionality, food process technology, explorative data analysis to gastronomy, sensory quality, consumer perception and sustainability. The study programmes are developed in close collaboration with other partners and our students, which equips the students to become future food researchers and employees in the food industry.

Responsibilities and profile of the Head of Department
As the Head of Department, you report to the Dean of SCIENCE and hold overall responsibility for the department's academic, financial, and personnel matters.

You will lead the research and educational strategic development of FOOD in close collaboration with the department’s Management Team and with the involvement of the department's Faculty Board and other employees, while also contributing to the implementation of UCPH’s policies and strategy.

As Head of Department, you must thrive at the intersection of research, education, innovation, communication, leadership, administration, and fundamentally understand the value of the academic breadth that the department covers.

The role as Head of Department also involves efforts to open doors, build and nurture networks, and represent the department and faculty in a wide range of contexts at the university as well as nationally and internationally among companies and other research and educational institutions.

To be considered for the position

• You should be motivated in the leadership role and have relevant experience as a research and personnel leader in a larger unit.
• You should be an experienced and internationally recognized researcher or research leader with qualifications at least at associate professor level within one of the department's fields, with knowledge of the complexity of food products and preferably experience as a lecturer and the development of university education.

Please read the full job and personal profile for the position here, where the organization, tasks, and desired qualifications and qualities are further described.

If you have any questions regarding the position, you are welcome to contact the deanvia email at dekan@science.ku.dk. The dean will then give you a call.

Terms and conditions of employment
Generally, the position of Head of Department will be on a fixed-term basis with a five-year period of employment and the possibility of an extension of up to three years. The appointment will be made in accordance with the collective agreement for academics employed by the state entered between the Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC), as well as in accordance with the protocol covered by the collective agreement for academics employed by the state relating to heads of department and deans at universities.

For external applicants, academic assessment may be required in line with the executive order on university appointments.

The scope of any research and teaching activities will be negotiated and agreed with the Dean.

Application
The application deadline is Monday, 27 January 2025. Applications must be received electronically via the UCPH job portal.

The application must include:

• your CV
• a presentation in English (max. three pages) of your vision for FOOD.

The position is advertised and commences on 1 May 2025.

The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is in the process of implementing a new joint administrative organisation, which comes into force on 1. March 2025. For more information, please contact the dean at dekan@science.ku.dk. You can also read more here.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen – or SCIENCE – is Denmark's largest science research and education institution with 4,000 employees and 9,700 Bachelor and Master's students in 12 departments. The Faculty has an annual budget of DKK 3 billion. Learn more about The Faculty of Science at https://science.ku.dk/english/.