Assistant Professor in Resilient Manufacturing Systems

Fixed-term, full-time position (3 years), starting 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. Modern manufacturing is increasingly dependent on robust, adaptable, and data-driven production systems that can cope with uncertainty while supporting sustainable value creation. If you want to contribute to the next generation of resilient, service-oriented, and digitally enabled manufacturing systems in close collaboration with industry, you may be the new colleague we are looking for at the Department of Materials and Production at Aalborg University. Your work tasks As Assistant Professor in Resilient Manufacturing Systems, you will be part of the Sustainable Manufacturing Systems research group in the Section of Production at the Department of Materials and Production on the Aalborg campus. The group focuses on developing methods, models, and digital solutions that enable companies to design, plan, and operate robust, reconfigurable, and sustainable manufacturing and value chain systems. Your primary responsibility will be to carry out high-quality research within data-driven and model-based manufacturing systems engineering. You will work on developing innovative concepts and methods for resilient production, with particular attention to services, distributed value networks, and advanced decision support. A central focus of the position is to integrate artificial intelligence, systems modelling, and digital architectures in ways that support operations management and strategic decision-making in manufacturing companies. You will be expected to build and maintain an independent research profile in areas such as Manufacturing-as-a-Service, orchestration of integrated value networks and manufacturing systems, and joint modelling of products, platforms, and production systems. This includes identifying and pursuing external research funding through national and international programmes as well as industrial collaborations. Producing visible research output in leading international journals and conferences is a key part of the position, and you will be encouraged to take an active role in international research networks, workshops, and consortia. Collaboration with industry is an integral part of the role. You will contribute to applied research and innovation projects that support digital transformation, data-driven production management, and sustainable manufacturing solutions in close dialogue with industrial partners. This involves both long-term strategic collaborations and shorter, focused projects where you help companies explore and implement new production concepts. Teaching is an important part of the position. You will contribute to bachelor and master programmes within, for example, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Global Business Engineering and the Master’s programmes in Management Engineering. Your teaching will typically cover topics related to manufacturing systems, operations management, production planning, and digitalisation of industry. You will be responsible for planning, delivering, and continuously updating course activities, and you will supervise project work and theses at both bachelor’s and master’s level in line with Aalborg University’s problem-based learning model, where students work in project groups with real-world problems in close contact with companies and society. In addition, you will take part in the department’s academic service and administration. This includes contributing to curriculum development, quality assurance of programmes, participation in committees and working groups, and engagement in strategic initiatives across the department. You will collaborate with colleagues across research groups and sections to ensure coherent teaching programmes and strong links between research and education. Your competencies You hold a PhD in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Management Engineering, or a closely related field, and you have a clear research potential within resilient and data-driven manufacturing systems. You have carried out postdoctoral research or equivalent research activities after your PhD, which means that you can document a growing scientific profile through publications in recognised international journals and conferences. Scientifically, you have experience in one or more of the following areas: design and planning of resilient manufacturing and value chain systems, including robustness, adaptability, and uncertainty management; orchestration of integrated value networks and manufacturing systems across distributed or platform-based production environments; service-based production concepts such as Manufacturing-as-a-Service and platform-enabled production ecosystems; modular product and platform design that supports scalability, customisation, and integration between product and production system design; reconfigurable manufacturing systems including design, planning, and adaptation strategies; integrated modelling of products, product architectures, and production systems; and sustainable manufacturing systems that address environmental and resource-related challenges alongside operational performance. You are comfortable working with data-driven and model-based approaches to manufacturing systems engineering. This may include optimisation and simulation models, digital twins, operations research methods, or artificial intelligence and analytics for production planning and control. You can bridge conceptual and methodological work with practical applications in industrial settings, and you are motivated by translating research results into solutions that create value for companies and society. You communicate clearly in English, both orally and in writing, and you enjoy presenting your work to academic as well as industrial audiences. You have teaching experience at university level and are ready to further develop your teaching portfolio within problem-based learning in engineering education. You can design and run courses, supervise student projects, and give constructive feedback that supports the development of students’ analytical and collaborative skills. Collaboration is central in this role. You are curious, open, and constructive in your interaction with colleagues and external partners, and you value a collegial environment where knowledge is shared and discussed. You are able to work independently and take responsibility for your own projects, but you also see yourself as part of a research group where results are created together. Experience with industry collaboration, external funding applications, and participation in research consortia is an advantage. If you do not already speak Danish, you are willing to engage with the local context and, over time, to acquire a basic understanding of the language to better integrate with colleagues, students, and partners. Appointment as Assistant Professor requires scientific qualifications at PhD level or equivalent, and in the overall assessment, emphasis will be placed on your documented research potential, your ability to contribute to the research group’s profile, and your teaching experience and motivation for working with problem-based learning. Who we are The Department of Materials and Production at the Faculty of Engineering and Science is a broad research and educational environment that addresses the entire value chain from fundamental material understanding to industrial production and management. The department brings together strong international research groups within materials, mechanics, physics, production technologies, robotics, industrial management, and innovation. A common feature across these environments is a close connection between research, education, and collaboration with industry. The Sustainable Manufacturing Systems research group, in which this position is placed, focuses on future manufacturing systems that are resilient, flexible, and sustainable. The group works with