At the Faculty of Engineering and Science, AAU Energy, a full-time position (part-time possible by agreement) as Associate Professor, is open for appointments from July 1st. 2026, or soon hereafter.
If you want to help shape the next generation of solutions for carbon capture in close collaboration with industry and students, this position may be the right opportunity for you. We are looking for an Associate Professor for the Section for Thermal Engineering who can strengthen and further develop our activities within carbon capture and related thermal energy systems. The position includes research, teaching, and collaboration with industrial and public partners, and you will play an active role in developing new project ideas and bringing research results into practice.
An important part of the job is also to contribute to outreach activities targeting upper secondary school students and other young audiences, where you use your expertise to communicate complex technology in an accessible and engaging way that inspires curiosity and interest in pursuing studies within the energy field.
When assessing applicants, we look at your overall research profile, your ability to collaborate, and your potential to develop the field together with us, rather than relying solely on quantitative publication metrics.
Your Responsibilities
As an Associate Professor in the Section for Thermal Engineering, you will join a strong academic environment where research, teaching, and collaboration with external partners are closely linked. The position is based at the Aalborg campus, and you will become part of an international department working within thermal energy systems, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, process design, and related areas.
You will have both independent responsibilities and opportunities for close collaboration with colleagues, companies, public partners, and students. Your efforts will have a direct impact on the development of both our research activities and our educational programmes.
Your primary research task will be to develop and lead new research activities within carbon capture - such as process integration, technology assessment, pilot-scale experimentation, electrification of process heat, or related areas. You will contribute actively to research projects in close cooperation with Danish companies and public partners, where you may be responsible for project management or work package leadership.
We are particularly focused on strengthening our long-term collaborations with local and regional companies, and we welcome applicants who are motivated to take a central role in developing new project ideas and preparing applications for external funding bodies such as EUDP or other programmes that emphasize university–industry collaboration. You are expected to publish in international journals and conferences, and your research profile will be evaluated based on relevance, quality, and development potential in relation to the section’s strategy.
In teaching, you will contribute to both bachelor’s and master’s level courses withinthermal energy systems, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, carbon capture, processdesign, or related subjects. You will develop teaching materials, modern learningactivities, and laboratory exercises that combine theory and practice in an engagingand application-oriented way. You will supervise project and master’s students, helping them link academic knowledge with independent project work, often closely connected to ongoing research and industrial activities. You will also take part in quality development of the study programmes through participation in course development, programme coordination, or similar tasks.
In addition, you will have opportunities to contribute to departmental and sectional service tasks. This may include collaboration with external companies and innovation clusters - often in Danish - as well as participation in study board work, semester coordination, or other key educational functions depending on your interests and experience. A central part of the role is also to engage in outreach activities for upper secondary school students and other young audiences, communicating technical knowledge in a way that is understandable, curiosity-driven, and motivating - through presentations, theme days, lab activities, or bridging programmes.
Your Qualifications
We expect that you have a strong academic background within energy, mechanical, process, or chemical engineering, or a closely related field, and that you hold a PhD degree enabling you to work independently with research and research-based teaching. You can document research experience within one or more of the following areas: carbon capture and process integration, electrification of industrial process heat, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, multiphase flows, or particle and transport modelling. We emphasize that your expertise can contribute to the development of the areas central to the section’s and the department’s future, and that your research can be linked to long-term collaborations and project opportunities, rather than meeting specific bibliometric targets.
Experience with application-oriented research and collaboration with industry is an advantage, particularly in contexts where research questions are linked to concrete technological and societal needs. It is beneficial if you have experience with research projects involving project management, work package leadership, or coordination, and if you have played a key role in developing and driving funding applications together with companies, for example to EUDP or similar programmes.
We value applicants who are motivated to help expand and shape our collaboration with local
and regional companies and who can identify new opportunities for joint research and development.
In teaching, you have experience with university-level instruction and/or course development and are committed to creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment. You have an interest in teaching innovation and hands-on laboratory activities, enabling students to engage experimentally and problem-based with the subject matter. At the associate professor level, you are expected to document teaching qualifications, for example through a teaching portfolio and relevant pedagogical training. You are comfortable supervising students at different levels, supporting their independent work while providing structure and academic challenge.
As a person, you have strong collaboration skills and an interest in interdisciplinary work, contributing actively to the shared academic environment. You communicate professionally in both Danish and English, orally and in writing, and you are able to adapt your communication to different audiences—whether companies, students, or upper secondary school pupils. You thrive in a role involving both research and teaching tasks, where new activities may arise that require you to prioritize and communicate clearly. You are motivated to engage in the development of the
department through activities such as study board participation, recruitment, outreach, or other collective initiatives.
Who We Are
You will join the Section for Thermal Engineering, which is part of AAU Energy at Aalborg University. The section works with thermal energy systems, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, carbon capture, and related fields, characterized by a close interaction between experimental activities, modelling, and applied research projects. We have strong collaborations with industrial and public partners, especially in the energy sector and the green transition, and many of our projects address specific industrial challenges and development needs. We are currently prioritizing the
expansion of collaboration with local and regional companies to ensure that research increasingly translates into new solutions and technologies in practice.
We offer a work environment where professionalism, collaboration, and well-being go hand in hand, and where an informal tone is combined with a strong focus on quality in both research and teaching. You will have colleagues who share knowledge openly and value teamwork in research projects, teaching, and development of new initiatives. As an Associate Professor, you will play a key role in shaping research activities within carbon capture and process integration, while
contributing to the education of future engineers in the energy field.
Your workplace will be at the Aalborg campus, in a vibrant academic environment with students, researchers, and administrative collaborators. Flexible working conditions, including reduced hours, can be arranged to ensure a good balance between work and personal commitments. You will also become part of a department that prioritizes ongoing professional development, opportunities for further training, and support for establishing and maintaining national and
international collaborations.
Qualification requirements
Appointment as an associate professor requires research and teaching qualifications at the level that can be achieved through the satisfactory completion of a period of employment as an assistant professor but may also be obtained in other ways.
It is a precondition that applicants have documented research at an international standard. In addition, applicants are assumed to have received supervision and pedagogical skills development and to have obtained a positive written assessment of their teaching qualifications.
How to apply
Your application must include the following:
- Application, stating reasons for applying, qualifications in relation to the position, and intentions and visions for the position
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Diplomas (master's degree diploma and PhD diploma)
- List of publications, with an indication of the attached publications that you wish to be taken into account in the assessment. You may attach a maximum of ten publications.
- Documentation of teaching qualifications.
Please see guidelines for teaching portfolio at The Faculty of Engineering and Science. If this is not enclosed, the applicant must enclose the reasons for this - Dissemination qualifications, including participation on committees or boards, participation in organisations etc.
- Additional qualifications in relation to the position
- References/recommendations
You can read more about the requirements for your application here.
The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website.
Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.
Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here
The appointment process at Aalborg University involves a shortlisting process. You can read more about the shortlisting and appointment process here.
The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.
Salary and terms of employment
The position includes a probationary period of 3 months, in accordance with Aalborg University guidelines. Probation is typically applied for external candidates and for significant internal position changes—such as transitions between academic (VIP) and technical-administrative (TAP) staff. The probation period is an initial phase during which collaboration, task alignment, and competence match are assessed.
During this period, the employment relationship may be terminated with a shortened notice period under the Danish Salaried Employees Act.
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).
Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).
Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.