Job Description

The Department of Energy Conversion and Storage (DTU Energy) at DTU invites applications for two tenure-track assistant professorships – one theoretical, one experimental – in the design and fabrication of freestanding oxide membranes for energy applications. Both positions are backed by an ERC Advanced Grant and a Villum Foundation grant, and the experimental position has access to a newly installed Quantum Twisting Microscope.

DTU Energy has an outstanding track record in the discovery, design, and development of new and improved materials and devices for sustainable energy conversion and storage, more specifically for applications in the areas of batteries, electrolysis and Power2X, fuel cells, thermal energy storage, heat pumps, and solar cells.

The Department has recently opened new lines of research on materials that pave the way for energy technologies based on physical and chemical principles radically different from those the scientific community has considered so far.

The Department seeks applicants for two tenure track assistant professor positions focused on freestanding oxide membranes, i.e., ultrathin oxide films released from their growth substrate, which can be stacked and twisted to create innovative interfaces acting as ionic and/or electronic (super)conductors. The positions will be hosted jointly by the Section for Atomic Scale Materials Modelling (ASM) and the Section for Functional Oxides (FOX): one position is devoted to the theoretical and computational design of these materials (based in ASM), and the other to their fabrication and characterization of these oxide membranes (based in FOX).

Responsibilities and qualifications

The successful candidates will play a key role in the NEXUS (supported by the ERC Advanced grant) and EUREKA (supported by Villum Fonden) projects, which serve as the initial funding source for the positions; the candidates are therefore expected to focus their efforts primarily on these projects during the early stages of their appointment. Both projects are dedicated to the design and fabrication of oxide freestanding membranes by creating innovative interfaces between two ultrathin oxide materials. These groundbreaking structures hold the potential to revolutionize membrane technology for batteries and fuel cells, while also paving the way for advancements in the emerging fields of ionotronics and twistronics. The candidate in the theoretical position will advance algorithms and computer simulations within the Section for Atomic Scale Materials Modelling, while the candidate in the experimental position will develop the fabrication and characterization of oxide membranes mainly for the application of the Quantum Twisting Microscope (QTM) newly installed in the Section for Functional Oxides.

The concrete tasks to be carried out during the tenure track period are the following:

For the theoretical position (Section for Atomic Scale Materials Modelling, ASM):

• To develop and analyze model Hamiltonians, parameterized from density functional theory calculations, to predict the emergence of flat bands arising from Moiré patterns in twisted oxide bilayers.
• To extend mesoscale continuum and phase-field models of ferroic and multiferroic order beyond traditional Landau-Ginzburg paradigms, to include strain and strain-gradient coupling, bending and curvature, and surface and interface effects to capture the novel physics and map phase diagrams of oxide freestanding membranes.
• To couple insights from density functional theory, mesoscale and machine learning simulations to predict the conditions under which emergent magnetism, ferroelectricity, charge order and superconductivity can arise in twisted bilayer oxide membranes.

For the experimental position (Section for Functional Oxides, FOX):

• To release and transfer epitaxial oxide thin films as freestanding membranes by developing sacrificial-layer and related lift-off approaches, ensure surface cleanliness, homogenous and contamination-free.
• To develop transfer, stacking, and twisting protocols to create artificial interfaces between freestanding oxide membranes, combine with other two-dimensional materials, with controlled twist angles, integrate with microfabricated structures and Quantum Twisting Microscope (QTM) – compatible device.
• To pattern devices and electrical contacts using clean-room facilities, including, but not limited to, UV and state-of-the-art e-beam lithography, selective dry/wet etching, metal deposition and other thin-film processing.
• To characterize the structural, electronic, and ionic transport properties of the membranes and their interfaces, including low-temperature transport measurements.
• To perform local spectroscopic measurements of twisted membrane interfaces using the newly lab-built Quantum Twisting Microscope.
• To analyze the resulting data, including signal treatment, noise reduction, and extraction of physical parameters, in close feedback with the theoretical modelling efforts.

As a candidate, you must have demonstrated top-level and original scientific research within the development and application of computational methods for atomic-scale and mesoscale materials design, discovery, and characterization (theoretical position), or within the fabrication and characterisation of functional oxide thin films and freestanding membranes (experimental position) — including clean-room lithography, membrane release, transfer and stacking, low-temperature transport and scanning-probe measurements, and data analysis and signal treatment, preferably within the Department’s research areas.'

You must be responsible for the teaching of courses. DTU employs two working languages: Danish and English. You are expected to be fluent in at least one of these languages, and in time are expected to master both.

As formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent).

Assessment

You will be assessed against the responsibilities and qualifications stated above and the following general criteria:

• Experience and quality of teaching
• Research experience
• Research vision and potential
• International impact and experience
• Societal impact
• Innovativeness, including commercialization and collaboration with industry
• Leadership, collaboration, and interdisciplinary skills
• Communication skills

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation, and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and terms of employment

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. In addition, supplements can be negotiated in accordance with DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures

Starting date is 1 January 2027, or as soon as possible after that. The positions are full-time positions.

The positions are part of DTU’s Tenure Track program. Read more about the program and the recruitment process here.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Head of Department, Professor Søren Linderoth, sqli@dtu.dk, Professor Juan Maria Garcia-Lastra, jmgla@dtu.dk or Head of Section, Professor Nini Pryds, nipr@dtu.dk

You can read more about DTU Energy on www.energy.dtu.dk.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure

Please submit your online application no later than 31 October 2026 (23:59 Danish Time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• Vision for teaching and research for the tenure track period
• CV including employment history, list of publications, H-index and ORCID (see http://orcid.org/)
• Teaching portfolio including documentation of teaching experience
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD)

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 Energy Conversion and Storage (DTU Energy) focuses on research and development of functional materials, components, and systems for sustainable energy technologies. The technologies include fuel cells, electrolysis, power-to-x, batteries, and carbon capture. The research is based on strong competences on electrochemistry, atomic scale and multi-physics modelling, autonomous materials discovery, materials processing, and structural analyses. We also focus on educating engineering students at all levels, ranging from BSc, MSc, PhD to lifelong learning students. We have about 300 dedicated employees. Read more about us at www.energy.dtu.dk.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829

DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.