Short Application Deadline: 5 October 2026 – 23:59 CEST
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 http://food.au.dk/en/foodresearch/science-teams/food-quality-perception-society/. 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.