Senior Scientific Manager within the food science area
Novo Nordisk Foundation, Denmark
Job Description
Senior Scientific Manager within the food science area
Would you like to be part of creating a more sustainable society by supporting the development of excellent and impactful food research?
The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Biotech programme area is looking for a Senior Scientific Manager with a background in food science or a related academic discipline specialized within one or more of the following: food microbiology and biomanufacturing, food processing technology and engineering, or adjacent food-related field. Experience from the industry within food production and involvement in establishing partnerships or collaborative consortia is an advantage.
Biotech is a strategic programme area in the Novo Nordisk Foundation with the aim of advancing research and technology within biotechnology, agriculture, and food sciences. Our aspiration is to promote the development of a more sustainable society by supporting advancements that benefits people and sustainability, including activities that enable sustainable foods for healthy diets.
The Biotech area currently consists of 16 creative, diverse, and passionate colleagues working in teams. The Senior Scientific Manager will become the fourth member of the Food team. As a team, we strive for the highest quality in our work and give each other feedback in a trust-based working environment. We value creativity, common inspiration, teamwork, and a relaxed collegial atmosphere.
The Job
As Senior Scientific Manager you will, together with colleagues in-house and key external partners at universities, research centres, and companies, lead the development of research projects and programmes to be granted by the Foundation and implemented in society. You will build and manage a portfolio of projects for which, you will be responsible, and you will support the grant holders during their project to ensure impact. In this role, you will contribute to setting the strategic direction of the Foundation’s portfolio of projects within the food research area.
Your tasks will include:
- Project management, including day-to-day operations and implementation of projects.
- Lead development of strategic research and innovation related to food biomanufacturing and/or processing of major food components e.g., lipids and proteins.
- Prepare and write internal documents to NNF Project Portfolio Board and Board of Directors.
- Manage internal as well as external stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and NGO’s.
- Establish partnerships and build communities within the Ag-Food research and innovation ecosystem.
- Support open competition programmes across the Foundation and of relevance to the food area.
Professional Qualifications
To be a good fit for this job, you must thrive working with project management activities across projects and organisations in collaboration with colleagues and external stakeholders.
We envisage that you hold a PhD degree in food science or related discipline specialized within microbiology and biomanufacturing, food processing technology and engineering, or adjacent food-related field. You have minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in academia and/or the industry, alternatively from a private or public institution, having focused on food production.
Preferably you have:
- Good project management skills and ability to manage several complex projects simultaneously.
- Experience in establishing larger consortia across sectors, disciplines, and societal actors.
- Experience from an international environment.
- Understanding of the Danish and international academic community including the research and innovation ecosystem.
- Fluent English language oral and written.
Personal Qualifications
We are looking for a Senior Scientific Manager with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build and maintain good relations and partnerships. The candidate should be a team-player, though be able to work independently and make decisions on issues related to administration of grants, projects, and communication. Beyond this, we are looking for a Senior Scientific Manager who is:
- Professional, quality-conscious, and impact-oriented
- Proactive with an innovative mindset
- Curiosity-driven and inventive
- Visionary and goal-oriented
Working at the Novo Nordisk Foundation
We offer a committed and professional workplace in which we emphasize ensuring that our colleagues thrive, are challenged and have opportunities to develop their potential. A career at the Novo Nordisk Foundation gives you the opportunity to work:
- on important projects that benefit society;
- with key actors within research and development in Denmark;
- and as part of