Professor

Are you looking to fulfill your dreams and ambitions for excellent research, while being embedded in a collaborative and social environment? Then this position is right for you! 

The Department of Wind and Energy Systems at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) invites applications for a position as Professor in the area of global value chains for green technologies.

In the department, we conduct mission-oriented research and education with the aim to enable the transition to a fully sustainable energy system. We offer a multidisciplinary, international, and friendly atmosphere, encouraging creativity, diversity, and teamwork. You will have a great opportunity to build strong networks with internationally known researchers at DTU and other universities as well as industrial partners.

We aim to strengthen capabilities in research on global value chains for renewable energy and other green technologies to drive our existing work in the field significantly forward. The position will contribute to expanding our research at the intersection of several fields of research focusing on downgrading/upgrading in global value chains, green industrial policies, latecomer catch-up, sustainability transitions, strategic coupling in global production networks, labour regimes, regional development, and spillover from foreign direct investments. The position will be a strategic part of the department’s efforts to support healthy and robust developments across the supply chain to solidify European technology leadership in wind and other green energy technologies. 

Responsibilities and qualifications
We expect you to possess an outstanding track record and demonstrable competences in the following areas: excellent research contributions, strong research leadership, high-quality teaching and education, motivated scientific advice and industry collaboration, as well as strong interpersonal and collaborative skills

Research excellence

We seek candidates who are internationally leading scholars in their field, with extensive past contributions and a strong future vision to research on global value chains and related fields. This includes an outstanding track record of original scientific output in leading international journals. The research approach should span diverse empirical contexts across both developed and developing countries, encompassing established as well as newly emerging technologies (e.g. solar PV, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen), and at multiple levels of analysis (firm, sector, country), including global competitiveness considerations. Competencies must be demonstrated by substantial empirical fieldwork, including—but not limited to—work conducted in the Global South. 

The professor may draw on a broad range of scientific disciplines, including Economic Geography, Development Studies, Innovation Studies, Labour Studies, Regional Studies, and Political Science. You are expected to make significant contributions that advance the scientific frontier on global value chains within the relevant fields of research. Candidates who have worked in cross-disciplinary research environments that span both natural sciences and social sciences will be considered an advantage. The research may draw on qualitative methods, such as ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and case studies, as well as quantitative methods, including econometric analysis and survey-based approaches. 

We expect the successful candidate to have demonstrated the ability to navigate multiple research fields, as evidenced by publications across diverse scientific outlets and collaborative engagements.

Research leadership

The professor is expected to bring substantial experience from leading large international research projects. Experience with projects that include the Global South is beneficial. Candidates should be able to demonstrate excellent project management skills, preferably through formal training in project management.

The professor will develop a team of leading international researchers at various levels and contribute to further expanding the department’s international network within the field of global value chains for green technologies. 

The professor will be expected to supervise a number of PhD students at any given time, for which funding must be secured. Experience with the implementation of career development programs targeting early-career talent, such as tenure track programs, and with supporting the career development of junior researchers, including postdoctoral researchers, will be considered positively.

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to secure external funding for their research from public and private sources. 

Teaching and supervision 

Besides research, you are also expected to take a leading role in teaching at the BSc, MSc and PhD levels. You will develop teaching activities to support DTU’s ambition about educating Europe’s most competent engineers, and to position DTU at the forefront of education in global value chain research. Our specific vision is that the professor will integrate global value chains into our MSc education on Sustainable Energy and on Wind Energy, as well as PhD summer schools and continued education activities, through the development of new dedicated courses, adding modules into existing courses, and conduct special courses and thesis supervision that also involve field study offers.

It is a requirement that candidates have completed a university teaching qualification program. Moreover, we expect candidates to have developed substantial experience with teaching, including supervision of MSc and PhD students. 

Candidates with experience in developing new courses and teaching activities are preferred.  

Scientific advice and industry collaboration

We are seeking candidates with proven track record of direct societal impact of their research and applicability of research findings in the green transition. 

The professor is expected to actively engage in the dissemination of research findings to public and private decision makers, as well as contributing to shaping the public debate.

Candidates with experience in providing research‑based advice to public and private sector actors will therefore be prioritised. In particular, candidates that have provided research-based advice to public agencies in the energy sector are preferred.

Successful collaboration with industry, especially with companies and business associations in the energy sector, is a crucial part of the professorship, especially in regard to the expected contribution to the department’s overall strategic priorities. 

Interpersonal and collaborative skills

We seek candidates who are able to establish good working collaborations across disciplines and diverse groups, who are team players and support others. The professor must possess strong work ethic and integrity, take on responsibility in the organisation, and adapt behavior to context, including the DTU organisational values and culture. Candidates with potential to becoming a role model for good professional conduct and leadership will be preferred.

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.

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

• Documented experience and quality of teaching and curriculum development
• Research impact and experience, funding track record and research vision
• International impact and experience 
• Societal impact 
• Innovativeness, including commercialization and collaboration with industry 
• Leadership, collaboration, and interdisciplinary skills 
• Communication skills 

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

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Professor Lena Kitzing, Head of Division Wind Energy Systems, lkit@dtu.dk, tel.: +45 24659064 or the Head of Department, Morten Jeppesen.

You can read more about DTU Wind and Energy Systems at www.wind.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
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 1 December 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 single PDF file. The file must include:

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

Merge all this into one single file, no matter what the system setup may suggest

You can learn more about the recruitment process here.

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.

DTU Wind and Energy Systems, which used to be a division of Risø National Laboratory (until 2012), has undertaken basic research, teaching and commercial activities in all aspects of wind energy since the mid-1970’s. DTU Wind and Energy Systems is now a department under the Danish Technical University, and the world’s largest public research institute for wind energy and energy systems, with 450 staff members with a strong portfolio of national and international research projects. The department is internationally recognised as being in the forefront of wind energy technology and smart energy systems research. DTU Wind and Energy Systems has coordinated many of the very large wind-energy related research initiatives at EU level such as European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) Joint Programme Wind.

DTU Wind and Energy Systems currently has 4 divisions, namely: i) Materials and Components for Wind Energy, ii) Wind Turbine Technology, iii) Wind Energy Systems, and iv) Electric Power and Energy. Each division has approximately 100 employees. At DTU Wind and Energy Systems, we educate and train the next generation of engineers for a sustainable energy future. We collaborate with global leaders in industry and public authorities around the world to research and develop new technologies and services to power the green transition.

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.