Part-time Academic Assistant with Advanced Programming Skills - DTU Biosustain

Do you want to support sustainable production worldwide?

If you are motivated to guide innovation by developing computational infrastructure to quantify sustainability performance and you are looking for an opportunity, by doing so to contribute to a sustainable transition, you have it right here.

As an internationally reputed elite university, DTU is at the forefront of innovation related to “the sustainable transition.” At the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain), we are specifically looking for new ways to support the sustainable production of bio-chemicals, and that is why we need you and all your good programming skills. 

The project aims to channel data from fundamental research to an interactive interface for researchers to vary their process parameters and visualize the corresponding sustainability performance.

Guide innovation by integrating economic and environmental impact workflows
Your job is to build a computational infrastructure to automate data gathering from standalone Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessment simulators. You will do so by harnessing existing interfaces to store the data in databases. Eventually, the stored data would be displayed in an interactive and customized dashboard interface. Specifically, you will be responsible for setting up an easy-to-maintain workflow while automating the entire process with minimal manual intervention. 

Your primary tasks will be to:

• Work with scientists and engineers to gather economic and environmental impact data.
• Create scripts to harness data from standalone Techno-Economic Simulators and Life Cycle Assessment Tools.
• Recommend automating the workflow using existing Interfaces and creating novel Python-based implementations.
• Being the key person, you will contribute (in collaboration with other experts at the center) to designing workflows that minimize computational time.
• Implement tools to fetch information from the database and assist in developing and automating dashboards to showcase the economic and environmental impacts interactively.
• Integrate your scripts, database, and dashboards with existing systems, while making sure of your software project’s security, stability, and robustness 
• Store the generated data in a database, as well as maintain it, and, with help from on-site professionals, integrate it into DTU Biosustain systems.

Your ideas and inputs, e.g., new methods, tools, and analysis are highly welcomed. 

Education in Computer Sciences with a sound understanding of Databases
We are looking for a part time employee - for instance a student at the end of their education, or recently graduated, with the motivation and drive needed to make a difference that matters. As you join a multidisciplinary team, you must bring a flexible and adaptable mindset. Additionally, you must like to create results via collaboration with people from different professional and cultural backgrounds. To succeed, you must also thrive on making decisions based on limited information. Additionally, your CV comprises of:

• Education within computer science or similar 
• Hands-on experience (at least 1 year) with git or other version-control systems
• Hands-on experience (at least 1 year) with relational databases and SQL queries
• Hands-on experience (at least 1 year) with Python in back-end and front-end implementation (e.g., Django, Flask, or Dash)
• Ability to code in multiple programming languages, such as Python, VBA, etc., based on the need of the project
• Ability to use libraries such as Matplotlib or Plotly to create graphs based on the fetched data
• Experience with or willingness to learn how to ensure the security and stability of software systems and deployment experience involving professionals in Biotechnology R&D workflows.

Please feel free to share your work (website, automated workflow, etc..) by appending the information along with the CV explaining the tools/projects developed in the past. If you have one, a link to your GitHub account will be most welcome.

Your New Team - Sustainable Innovation Office
At DTU Biosustain, you will work in the Sustainable Innovation Office. Our focus is to guide innovation at an early stage by assessing the benefits (economic and environmental) of developed bio-based technologies. We aim to build a computational toolbox that provides insights to guide the research community in DTU and beyond to assess the sustainability of bio-based products. Our work environment is informal and characterised by knowledge sharing, respect, trust, and room for having a good time together – naturally balanced with creating tangible results. Now we are just looking forward to welcoming you to the team.

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

Working hours are on average 20 hours per week and can be organized flexibly in relation to holidays, exams, etc. Starting date is 1st August y 2025 (or according to mutual agreement). 

The workplace is DTU Lyngby Campus (or one of the other locations).

Application and contact
Please submit your online application no later than Friday, 4 July 2025 (23:59).  Open the “Apply now” link, fill out the form and attach your motivated application, CV and documentation for study activity. In the application, we would like to hear a little about you, your competencies and why you are applying for the position.

If you would like additional information about the position, please contact Senior Researcher and Group Leader, Sumesh Sukumara, via email susu@biosustain.dtu.dk. Read more about the Sustainable Innovation Office at DTU Biosustain here: https://www.biosustain.dtu.dk/innovation/sustainable-innovation-office 

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 Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain)
Recent progress in our ability to read and write genomic code, combined with advances in automation, analytics and data science, has fundamentally changed the scope and ambition of harnessing the potential of biological systems. Big data approaches and analysis of biological systems are key research instruments at the Center. DTU Biosustain utilizes these advances for microbial cell factory design to foster sustainable lifestyles in relation to three application areas: Sustainable Chemicals, Natural Products, and Microbial Foods. Learn more at biosustain.dtu.dk

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.