Protein Production Specialist - DTU Bioengineering

At DTU Bioengineering, we develop and apply advanced biotechnology to address challenges in health, industry and sustainability. Our research combines biologics engineering, synthetic biology, data science and automation, and we collaborate closely with both academic and industrial partners.

To strengthen our shared experimental infrastructure, we are establishing a central Protein Production Core facility that will support research across the department. We are therefore seeking an experienced scientist to lead and develop this new core facility and to provide high-quality protein expression and purification services for a broad range of research activities.

The Protein Production Core will serve multiple research groups and centres at DTU Bioengineering and will operate in close integration with the DTU Center for Translational Protein Design (CTPD) and DTU’s Life Science Automation (DALSA) facilities. The core will support projects ranging from early-stage method development to industry-facing translational programmes.

Our goal is to ensure reproducible, scalable and efficient protein production workflows that enable downstream structural, biophysical and functional studies, and that support both fundamental research and applied biotechnology.

The job
As Protein Production Specialist, you will be responsible for establishing, operating and continuously improving protein production pipelines that serve the entire department.

Your main tasks will include:

• Developing and optimising expression and purification workflows in microbial and mammalian, and other systems
• Advising researchers on construct design, expression strategies and purification approaches
• Establishing standard operating procedures, documentation and quality control practices
• Coordinating protein production across multiple concurrent projects and user groups
• Maintaining and developing core facility equipment and workflows
• Training students and staff in best laboratory practices
• Contributing to planning of future infrastructure and capacity needs
• Developing automated workflows

You will combine hands-on experimental work with coordination and development of the core facility as a shared departmental resource.

Our expectations of you
We expect you to have strong technical expertise in recombinant protein production and experience working in collaborative research environments.

We are looking for someone who has:

• A PhD in biotechnology, biochemistry, protein science or a related field, or equivalent documented expertise
• Extensive hands-on experience with recombinant protein expression and purification
• Experience with microbial expression systems and chromatographic purification workflows
• Solid understanding of protein biochemistry, stability and quality assessment
• Experience developing and standardising laboratory protocols

It is an advantage if you also have:

• Experience with different expression systems
• Experience working in or contributing to shared facilities or service units
• Familiarity with automation or high-throughput experimental workflows
• Experience supporting projects across multiple research groups

We value a collaborative and service-oriented mindset and strong communication and organisational skills.

What we offer in return
We offer a central and visible role in shaping protein production infrastructure at one of Europe’s leading technical universities. You will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment together with experimental biologists, computational scientists and automation specialists.

You will have:

• Significant influence on how protein production is organised across the department
• Opportunities to contribute to large collaborative research projects and industry partnerships
• Access to state-of-the-art laboratory and automation facilities
• An international and inclusive working environment with strong professional development opportunities

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

The position is full-time and is expected to be permanent, subject to agreement with HR.

Application and contact
Please submit your online application no later than Tuesday 17 March 2026. Open the “Apply now” link, fill out the form and attach your motivated application, CV and exam certificates. 

If you would like additional information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Timothy P. Jenkins (tpaje@dtu.dk). More information about the department can be found at DTU Bioengineering.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

The Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (DTU Bioengineering) is an international leader in the areas of biotechnology and biomedicine. Our engineering approach to all aspects of biotechnology and biomedicine positions us as a valuable player with unique competences in a growing bio-based economy and with health systems transforming towards personalized medicine. We have a clear focus on the needs in the life science- and biotech industries and point towards innovation, new businesses, and scientific services for the benefit of society. The department has extensive collaborations with national and international research units and industry. DTU Bioengineering has approx. 400 employees, of which 2/3 are scientific staff. The department is located at DTU Lyngby Campus.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.