Knowledge Engineer - BRIGHT

Standards and ontologies for data-driven biomanufacturing at the BRIGHT Biofoundry

Are you passionate about turning complex scientific information into well-structured, reusable knowledge? Do you want to help shape the data standards that will power the next generation of automated biomanufacturing? We are looking for a motivated Knowledge Engineer to join the Standards Office in BRIGHT’s Informatics Platform, where you will work at the intersection of biotechnology, data science and semantic technologies.

At BRIGHT, our Informatics Platform builds the data and software infrastructure that connects the BRIGHT Biofoundry, our Mission projects and our international partners. The Standards Office ensures that the data we generate is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) – from the first project requirements to machine-actionable data that can feed automated workflows and AI models. You will become part of a multidisciplinary and international team that works closely with researchers, engineers and data scientists, and you will have the opportunity to grow your expertise in ontology engineering and data standards in a fast-moving and ambitious research environment.

The job
As Knowledge Engineer, you will be the link between the data needs of our scientists and the community standards that make data interoperable. You will work closely with your colleagues in the Standards Office, as well as with the Research Software Engineering and Data Science teams in the Informatics Platform, to make sure that standards are implemented in practice – in our data models, pipelines, tools and laboratory systems.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Translate standards and data requirements from BRIGHT Mission projects and global partnerships into existing community standards, vocabularies, terminologies and ontologies
• Identify gaps where existing standards do not cover our needs, and propose and implement extensions together with the relevant communities
• Act as a link between the Standards Office and the Research Software Engineering and Data Science teams, helping translate semantic models into data schemas, metadata templates and software implementations
• Continue the development and maintenance of the PREFER ontology (PREcision FERmentation) in collaboration with national and international partners, including releases, documentation and alignment with other community ontologies
• Engage with the biomanufacturing community through workshops, working groups and open-source contributions to develop, adapt and adopt standards within the field
• Contribute to documentation, training material and guidelines that help researchers apply standards in their daily work

Our expectations of you
You are curious, structured and eager to learn, and you enjoy bringing order to complex information. We expect you to have:

• An MSc degree in bioinformatics, computer science, information science, biotechnology, life sciences or a related field
• Knowledge of, or experience with, ontologies and semantic web technologies (e.g. OWL, RDF, SPARQL) and familiarity with community resources such as the OBO Foundry and the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO)
• Programming skills, preferably in Python, and experience with version control (Git/GitHub)
• An understanding of the FAIR principles and an interest in data standards and metadata
• Interest in biotechnology, bioprocesses or biomanufacturing

It will be considered an advantage if you have experience with ontology development tools (e.g. Protégé, ROBOT or the Ontology Development Kit), data modelling frameworks (e.g. LinkML), or have contributed to open-source or community standardisation projects.

As a person, you are a team player with good communication skills who enjoys collaborating with people from different scientific backgrounds. You are able to explain technical concepts to non-specialists, you take ownership of your tasks, and you communicate fluently in English, both orally and in writing.

What we offer in return
We offer an interesting and challenging job in an international atmosphere with a focus on research, innovation and collaboration with academic and industrial partners for the benefit of the surrounding community. You will be part of a newly established and ambitious research institute where you can make a real impact on how biomanufacturing data is described and shared globally.

We place emphasis on a high level of professionalism among our staff, so skills development is an integral part of our organisation. You will receive support and mentoring from experienced colleagues, and you will have the opportunity to participate in community meetings, workshops and conferences. We offer 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). You are employed as an Academic Officer. In addition, supplements can be negotiated in accordance with DTU’s salary structure for academic staff employed in technical-administrative positions at DTU (AC TAP): https://www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures. 

The position is a full-time position. Starting date is 01.01.2027 (or according to mutual agreement). The workplace is DTU Lyngby Campus.

Application and contact
Please submit your online application no later than Sunday, 15 November 2026. Open the “Apply now” link, fill out the form and attach your motivated application, CV and exam certificates. 

You can read more about BRIGHT at bright.dtu.dk.

If you would like additional information about the position, please contact Alberto Santos Delgado, albsad@dtu.dk 

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.

About BRIGHT – The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition (BRIGHT) is a major initiative based at DTU that aims to accelerate the development of biosolutions and strengthen the bio-based economy. BRIGHT serves as a hub for academic and industrial partners working together to unlock the potential of bioproduction. BRIGHT focuses on three main areas: Sustainable materials (Developing bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived materials), Microbial foods (Innovating food production through microbial technologies), and Microorganisms for net-zero agriculture (Creating solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture). The goal is to develop and scale innovative biosolutions within these areas, ultimately creating sustainable and competitive alternatives to fossil-based products and processes that can make significant contributions to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

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.