Professor in Pharmaceutical Engineering

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world-class, open, pluralistic and socially engaged university. Our credo is Durf Denken: we are a haven for courageous thinkers. 

With one of the most progressive career models for academics in the world, Ghent University evaluates its scholars not only by the length of their publication list but also by the impact they pursue, what they achieve and how they collaborate.

Are you a good ‘fit’ with our university? Discover here our vision on education and research.

ASSIGNMENT

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The appointment concerns a position as Assistant (-TT) or Associate Professor in the field of Pharmaceutical Engineering. In this role, you will make an active contribution to the further development of education, research, and academic service within this domain.

You will take on a coordinating and content-driven role in the development of teaching and research related to pharmaceutical production technologies, with particular attention to the integration of process engineering, modelling, and innovative manufacturing concepts. You will collaborate with academic and industrial partners to strengthen the knowledge and application of model-based approaches in the pharmaceutical sector.

In addition, you will contribute to the strategic positioning of the Pharmaceutical Engineering programme by actively participating in curriculum development, the supervision of PhD research, and the facilitation of collaborative initiatives with industry and research institutions.

Academic education

You lecture various course units in the discipline of pharmaceutical engineering (e.g., Pharmaceutical Process and Equipment Design, Advanced Modelling and Simulation of Pharmaceutical Systems). You will also play a key role in the further development, coordination, and modernisation of this Master’s programme.

The specific teaching assignments may evolve over time depending on the needs of the faculty.

Academic research

You conduct innovative and internationally recognized research in the field of Pharmaceutical engineering, with a focus on the model-based development and optimisation of pharmaceutical production technologies for innovative (bio)pharmaceutical products.

Institutional and societal engagement

Based on your expertise and experience, you will contribute to the department’s, the faculty’s and the university's operations and/or take on external assignments.

PROFILE

• You have a strong academic CV with international visibility in the requested field:

• You have already conducted high-quality scientific research in the field of pharmaceutical, chemical, or bioscience engineering, as evidenced by publications in reputable peer-reviewed journals and books, and international dissemination;
• You are capable to initiate and supervise educational and research projects and to acquire the necessary funding from competitive research funding channels for this;
• You are didactically skilled to teach university students to develop academic competences;
• You have experience in supervising and mentoring PhD students;
• You have experience with advanced modelling techniques;
• Mobility is recommended (e.g. education, research, economic, or societal). 

• You work in a collaborative way and integrate smoothly into the department/faculty. You look for opportunities inside and outside the university and actively use your network to do so.

• You show leadership potential/have leadership experience. More information about leadership at Ghent University.

• If you don't know Dutch, you are willing to learn it. This will be assessed during the selection interview. When taking up a teaching assignment, you must master the language of instruction of the course. More information about the language requirements and appropriate language guidance at Ghent University.

SKILLS / ATTITUDES

• Taking initiative
• Commitment to academic excellence
• Scientific integrity
• Didactically skilled
• Quality-oriented
• Leadership and social skills. Part of the selection procedure will assess these skills through a scientifically validated assessment
• Team-oriented work
• A mindset focused on contributing to the collective advancement of the team, the department, and the faculty

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Taking into account the assessment of academic potential and merits of the selected candidate, the academic rank of assistant professor (tenure track) or associate professor is granted.

assistant professor:

• We offer you a temporary appointment in a tenure track system for a term of five years. If positively evaluated by the University Board, the term of office will be transferred into a permanent appointment as an associate professor.
• Should you already be a member of the professorial staff or hold an equal post at a university or research institution, you can immediately be appointed as an assistant professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment.

associate professor:

• We offer you a permanent appointment in the starting grade of associate professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment.

The recruitment is from 1 september 2026.

OUR OFFER

Ghent University has developed a new inspiring career model for professors. Academic freedom and academics' responsibility, talents and ambitions act as a natural drive to advance their careers, as part of teamwork.

Ghent University is specifically committed to guiding international professors in the process of coming to Ghent. At Ghent University, our view is as broad as possible, because internationalisation creates synergies within and outside the institution.

We offer you a wide range of employee benefits. The basic teacher training and courses in 'Dutch' and 'English' for foreign-speaking lecturers are just a few of our wide range of courses and training.

Candidates who are newly appointed at Ghent University with an appointment of at least 50% receive a Starting Grant of € 240,000 to contribute towards the personnel, operating and/or equipment costs. Furthermore, professors who meet the conditions may be eligible for Basic Research Funding.

DIVERSITY

Ghent University pursues an equal opportunities policy and values everyone's talent, regardless of gender, age, philosophy of life, skin color, sexual orientation, migration background or disability. We encourage everyone to apply.

Interruptions in research careers and/or atypical career paths (e.g. relevant experience outside the academic sector) will be taken into account when assessing the application.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection committee will carry out an initial, substantive screening of the admissible applications on the file. This assessment takes into consideration both the candidate's merits and potential.

Ghent University emphasizes the qualitative assessment of academic performance. Therefore, candidates are asked in the application form to mention their most important academic or non-academic achievements with the most impact.

For shortlisted candidates, the following steps in the selection procedure shall consist of at least:

- a selection interview in which the vision and planning regarding education, research, and institutional and societal engagement as well as the embedding in the bigger picture are discussed

- a trial lesson on a subject in the relevant field

- a screening of leadership and interpersonal skills

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate in Pharmaceutical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Bioscience Engineering or a diploma or certificate that is recognized as equivalent.

• You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on 1 september 2026. This term of two years is determined by the date mentioned on the required diploma.

• Your application meets the formal requirements (submitted on time, complete: with a completed application form and a copy of the diploma, delivered via e-recruitment).

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late or incomplete applications, or applications that are not sent through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘Application form’: the completed application form together with a motivation letter (maximum 1 page), and a mandatory attachment in which you outline your long-term vision for research in the above-mentioned discipline(s), to be carried out within the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. This should include the complementarity with the objectives and existing research of this faculty (maximum 2 pages; information about the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences can be obtained from the contact person listed below). Additionally, include a vision statement on academic teaching (maximum 1.5 pages). All documents must be combined into a single PDF file.
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in you possession). For diplomas awarded in the UK before January 31st of 2020, a certificate of equivalence is not required.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information regarding this vacancy, please contact Professor Thomas De Beer (Thomas.DeBeer@UGent.be, +32 (0)9 264 80 94) at the faculty Pharmaceutical Sciences, department Pharmaceutical Analysis.

Vragen over online solliciteren? Lees de FAQ of contacteer ons via selecties@ugent.be.