Laboratory technician for the Initiative for Biofertilizer Innovation and Science

We are looking for two proactive, reliable, and well-organized laboratory technicians with expertise in microbiology, automation, or fermentation to support our rapidly growing research activities within the Initiative for Biofertilizer Science and Innovation (IBIS) at DTU ).

IBIS is an international, multidisciplinary research program dedicated to developing the next generation of microbial biofertilizer solutions for a sustainable agriculture on a global scale. As part of our team, you will work closely with researchers, engineers, technicians, PhD students, postdocs, and students at all levels. You will play a key role in developing and implementing analytical methods for characterizing bacterial and fungal strains with biofertilizer potential, while contributing to an ambitious, collaborative, and supportive research environment.

The job

We are hiring two laboratory technicians, each with a distinct but complementary focus area:

Position 1: Microbiology and automation

You will primarily assist with high-throughput phenotypic and genotypic characterization of microbial strains using automated and semi-automated assays. This includes:

• Running robotics-assisted experiments developed within the IBIS program
• Performing phenotypic assays, genotyping assays (e.g., 16S/ITS sequencing), and metabolomics profiling for characterization of diverse microbial strains
• Supporting the development of additional microbiological assays, including in vitro assays for plant–microbe interactions
• Maintaining, optimizing, and troubleshooting assay protocols and high-throughput workflows

Qualifications for position 1

• Background in microbiology or molecular microbiology
• Experience with both bacteria and fungi is an advantage
• Experience with assays for microbial characterization in high-throughput formats
• Experience with liquid handling robots is highly beneficial (but not required)
• Ability to work systematically, maintain high data quality, and troubleshoot experimental workflows

Position 2: Fermentation and strain onboarding

You will primarily support fermentation-based characterization of microbial strains and manage the acquisition, initial profiling, and secure archiving of strains in our strain bank. This includes:

• Running fermentations from microliter scale (Hamilton, BioLector) to 1–5 L bioreactors
• Supporting strain production for downstream analyses and greenhouse testing
• Ensuring capacity for complementary work with national and international partners
• Working with both model organisms (e.g., E. coli, yeast) and non-model organisms, including diverse soil bacteria and filamentous fungi

Qualifications for position 2

• Experience with fermentation of bacterial and/or fungal strains in controlled bioreactor systems (1–5 L)
• Hands-on experience with model organisms; experience with challenging non-model microbes is a strong advantage
• Ability to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot fermentation equipment

You will further join the team of technicians in the section for synthetic biology and contribute to the daily operations of the shared laboratory space. In addition, you support IBIS's teaching activities which includes a three-weeks laboratory course that runs once a year. 

Our expectations of you

You have an education as a Laboratory Technician (Laborantuddannelse), Biomedical Laboratory Technician (Bioanalytiker), Automation Technologist (Automationsteknolog), or Automation and Operation Technician (AU i automation og drift), combined with relevant work experience.

In addition to the qualifications described for the two positions, we are looking for someone who:

• Is skilled at multitasking and able to engage in multiple projects and tasks
• Is proactive and has a goal-oriented mindset
• Has good interpersonal skills and enjoys working in an international, multidisciplinary team
• Can systematically troubleshoot problems and help identify solutions
• Is fluent in English, both spoken and written
• Has good communication skills
• Brings a positive attitude—good humor is appreciated

What we offer in return

We offer an interesting and challenging job in an international atmosphere with the focus on research, teaching, innovation and scientific advice for the benefit of the surrounding community. We place emphasis on a high level of professionalism among our staff, so skills development is an integral part of our organization. We offer a great flexibility in the position. In the area of technical and natural sciences, DTU is one of the leading research and education institutions in Europe.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC), or accordance with the Danish OAO-S Joint Agreement and the organization agreement for Office Clerks, Laboratory Technicians and IT staff (HK/stat). The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

The offered job is a permanent 37 hours per week (full time) on-site (Kgs. Lyngby campus) position.

Application and contact

Please submit your online application no later than 21 December :59 Danish time). Open the "Apply now" link, fill out the form and attach:

• Cover letter (your motivation for applying) including info about whether you apply only one or both positions. 
• CV, and if applying for the robotics positions incl. info on which robotics you have worked with. 
• Exam certificates.
• Provide minimum one reference that DTU may contact. 

If you would like additional information about the position, please contact Professor Rasmus J.N. Frandsen via email , or Yumiko Sakuragi via mail  

You can read more about the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine at  

Applications may be reviewed continuously as they are received. 

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 Biotechnology and Biomedicine (DTU Bioengineering) is an international leader in the areas of biotechnology and biomedicine. Our engineering approach to all aspects of biotechnology and biomedicine positions us as a valuable player with unique competences in a growing bio-based economy and with health systems transforming towards personalized medicine. We have a clear focus on the needs in the life science- and biotech industries and point towards innovation, new businesses, and scientific services for the benefit of society. The department has extensive collaborations with national and international research units and industry. DTU Bioengineering has approx. 400 employees, of which 2/3 are scientific staff. The department is located at DTU Lyngby Campus.

IBIS is a bold open-science initiative with the ambition to revolutionize whole-cell biosolutions in agriculture. Our goal is to advance the fundamental understanding of what makes an effective microbial biofertilizer and to develop the enabling technologies and translational framework needed to bring robust and affordable 

microbial solutions to farmers across the globe. IBIS is led by DTU, and brings together leading partners from across Europe, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The IBIS initiative funded the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. You can read more about IBIS here:  

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.