Fellow; Post Doc

About This Role

The postdoctoral candidate will lead fermentation and/or water management studies in food processing, advancing process‑level understanding and developing sustainable, industry‑aligned solutions for improving resource efficiency and ingredient performance.

The department of Grain and Food Science is committed to providing high-quality education, advancing innovation in grain and food science research, and building strong industry partnerships to meet the evolving needs of global food systems.

Our faculty includes several current and former Grain and Food Science members who are ranked among the world’s top 2% of researchers in a 2020 Stanford University study.

For more than 110 years, Kansas State University has been a global leader in flour milling and industry-focused education. Since 1951, it has remained one of the few institutions worldwide to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in Bakery Science and Management, Feed and Pet Food Science, Food Science, and Milling Science and Management.

Our internationally recognized graduate program also provides a wide range of opportunities for both applied and fundamental research, leading to master’s and doctoral degrees in grain science, food science, and related fields.

This position is On-site
.

All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho.

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a closely related field.
• The degree requirement is necessary to ensure candidates possess the specialized knowledge, skills and abilities that can only be attained through a formal educational program at this level.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with graduate students and the PI.
• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, troubleshoot technical issues, and develop and execute detailed technical protocols.
• Strong documentation and written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with submerged or solid-state fermentation, and/or experience with water management in food processing, including water use analysis, reuse, or process-level optimization.
• Familiarity with process evaluation approaches, such as techno-economic analysis (TEA), mass and energy balance, or life cycle assessment (LCA).
• Exposure to grant or industry proposal development is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to publish research in peer-reviewed journals.

Additional Role Information:

• The candidate must be able to work in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.

Applications close on: 7/31/2026

$47,476.00 - $60,000.00