Postdoc in sustainable and functional food packaging - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Around one third of the world’s food is lost or wasted every year. Food loss and waste has indeed become an issue of great public concern. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflects the increased global awareness of the problem. Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for a 50 % reduction per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030, as well as reducing food losses along the production and supply chains. To fight the issue, SISTERS, an EU funded Horizon 2020 project, aims to reduce food loss and food waste in the main different stages of the Food Value Chain in Europe through innovations targeted to each link of the value chain: new tools to primary producers for promoting direct and Short Chain sales; new technological innovations in packaging for processes and retailers; and awareness campaigns for retailers and consumers on food loss and food waste.

Job description

As postdoctoral researcher you will participate in the bioprocess design and development for the extraction of valuable compounds from food lost as additives in food packaging applications. The functionalities of the target compounds should increase the shelf life of the food to reduce food waste at the end of the value chain (e.g. antioxidant, antimicrobial or mechanical improvement of the packaging formulations). You will investigate the extraction and downstream processes for the obtention of bio-additive and the verification of its properties towards the specific applications. The approach will include the use of green extraction processes, analytical characterization of active compounds and characterization of the material properties for food packaging.

What we offer

• A position at a leading technical university that generates knowledge and skills for a sustainable future.
• Engaged and ambitious colleagues along with a creative, international and dynamic working environment.
• You will be part of a multidisciplinary environment with competences on molecular biology, biochemistry and materials sciences towards the use of natural resources for high value applications.
• Work in Stockholm, in close proximity to nature
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH

Read more about what it is like to work at KTH

Qualifications

Requirements

• You must have practical research competence documented by scientific publications in several of the following areas: (i) design and development of bioprocess for biomass valorization, (ii) biochemical and microbiological characterization of natural compounds, (iii) research experience in the domain of food, preferably related to the technological aspects of packaging (machines, materials) and/or the impact of packaging on the quality of food.
• You should have excellent communication skills in scientific English, both orally and written.
• As a person, You should show independence to plan and perform your research experiments after discussion with the team, and excellent cooperation abilities with the researchers in the SISTERS project and within the research group at KTH.
• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Collaborative abilities
• Independence

Preferred qualifications

• Competence on the use of bioprocesses for the generation/modification of biomass compounds.
• Proof of (co)-supervision of doctoral, master and bachelor degree students is desirable.
• Awareness of diversity and equal opportunity issues, with specific focus on gender equality
• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline

Great emphasis will be placed on personal competency

Trade union representatives

You will find contact information to trade union representatives at KTH's webbpage.

Application

Log into KTH's recruitment system in order to apply to this position. You are the main responsible to ensure that your application is complete according to the ad.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
• Brief account of why you want to conduct research aligned to the SISTERS vision, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Max 2 pages.
• Brief description of which approaches, methods and techniques would you use to extract and characterize functional compounds from food lost for packaging applications. Max 1 page.

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.