Associate Professor in ‘Sensory and Consumer Innovation’ Full-time

Associate Professor in 'Sensory and Consumer Innovation'

The Department of Food Science, Aarhus University invites applications for an Associate Professor position in Sensory and Consumer Science to begin by December 1st 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

This Associate Professor position will establish and strengthen a strategic research profile in Sensory and Consumer Innovation at the Department of Food Science. The position will build on the Department's internationally recognised expertise in sensory and consumer science while extending its application towards food innovation, product development, consumer-driven design and value creation.

With a particular focus on the development of future foods, products and experiences, the position will investigate how human sensory perception, consumer behaviour and preferences can be translated into innovative solutions for high-quality, healthy and sustainable food and beverage applications, with potential for value creation and market uptake.

The position will contribute to the development of new approaches that connect sensory and consumer insights with food innovation, product development and commercialisation. A key ambition is to strengthen the translation of sensory and consumer capabilities into innovation opportunities in collaboration with industry and other stakeholders, including the development and evaluation of new food products, concepts, experiences and consumer-oriented solutions.

The position will also further develop the Department's capacity to combine sensory science, consumer science, food quality, innovation and market-oriented research. The successful candidate will contribute to interdisciplinary research across food science, nutrition, health, sustainability and innovation, and strengthen collaboration with industry and other relevant stakeholders.

The position is aligned with the Science Team 'Food Quality Perception and Society' (FQS) at the Department of Food Science. The Science Team provides access to state-of-the-art sensory and analytical facilities, including a professional trained and tested sensory panel and an ISO-approved sensory laboratory. The team combines human sensory and consumer measurements with advanced instrumental techniques and in-house analytical infrastructure, including e.g. GC-MS, LC-MS and NMR.

A central ambition of the position is to develop sensory and consumer science as an innovation capability, creating new methods, services and approaches that can be applied in collaboration with food companies, technology providers, public organisations and other stakeholders. This includes identifying consumer needs and opportunities, supporting concept and product development, evaluating prototypes and new food experiences, and developing approaches for translating consumer insight into successful innovation and market applications.

The successful candidate is expected to develop an internationally recognised research profile while contributing to teaching, supervision, external funding and strategic collaborations. Particular emphasis will be placed on building partnerships with industry and other stakeholders and translating sensory and consumer knowledge into new products, services and commercial opportunities, thereby strengthening the role of sensory and consumer science as a driver of food innovation, helping to position the Department as a leading partner for consumer-driven food innovation.

The successful candidate must have a strong and internationally recognised research profile in sensory and consumer science, with expertise in applying sensory and consumer insights to food quality, innovation and the development of new food products, concepts and experiences. The candidate should demonstrate the ability to connect fundamental sensory and consumer research with consumer-driven food innovation, product development and value creation, particularly in the context of healthier, more sustainable and high-quality foods.

The candidate must demonstrate outstanding potential for independent research, dissemination and successful acquisition of competitive external funding. The candidate should demonstrate a clear ability to develop novel and independent research initiatives and to establish an internationally visible research programme. Experience with international research collaboration and a strong record of international peer-reviewed publications will be expected.

• deliver innovative research of the highest international standard in sensory and consumer innovation; • establish and develop a research area within the existing FQS Science Team; • develop new approaches for translating sensory and consumer knowledge into food innovation, product development and value creation; • publish research outcomes through a significant number of high-quality international peer-reviewed publications; • develop and strengthen collaborations with industry and other relevant stakeholders; • contribute to the development of new sensory and consumer methods, capabilities and applications with potential for innovation and market uptake; • contribute to teaching at the Department, including graduate-level teaching in English; • supervise Master's and PhD students; • complete postgraduate teacher training for Assistant Professors at Aarhus University; • attract competitive research funding from national and international external funding bodies; and • communicate fluently in English, both orally and in writing.

• a relevant PhD and a minimum of 2–3 years of postdoctoral research experience in Food Science, Sensory Science, Consumer Science, Food Innovation or an equivalent field; • strong competencies in sensory and consumer analysis, including the application of sensory and consumer methods to food quality, product development and innovation; • experience in consumer-driven food innovation, including understanding consumer needs, preferences and behaviour and translating consumer insights into new food products, concepts or experiences; • experience with univariate and multivariate statistical analysis of sensory and consumer data, including the ability to integrate sensory and consumer data with instrumental and other multidisciplinary datasets; • experience in developing or applying innovative sensory and consumer methodologies will be an advantage; • experience of working with industry and other external stakeholders, particularly in relation to food innovation, product development, knowledge exchange or value creation, will be an advantage; • experience with cross-cultural consumer research and/or different food cultures and contexts will be an advantage; • a proven publication record in international peer-reviewed journals, with a significant number of high-quality publications appropriate to career stage; • experience in teaching and supervision at MSc and PhD level; and • demonstrated potential to develop an independent research programme and attract competitive external research funding. • experience in international research collaboration and networking