Professor in Co-innovating for Circular Solutions

Aalto University is an interdisciplinary community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. Aalto’s core strategy follows three cross-cutting themes: sustainable solutions, entrepreneurial mindset and radical creativity. Aalto University has six schools with nearly 12 000 students and more than 400 professors. Our campuses are located in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland.  

The Aalto School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS) is a Nordic leader in higher education for design, fashion, games, media, architecture, film, art education and fine art. We produce world-class research e.g. in design, digital media and visual culture, art education, urban planning and architecture. Our graduates innovate in and beyond their fields, drawing on over a century of tradition of our institution, a humane and forward-looking approach, and the latest technologies. The Department of Design is a community of creative and responsible researchers and design experts. We educate front-line design professionals and visionaries for established, changing and emerging fields of design. (https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-design ). 

Aalto School of Business ranks globally #29 in management research. The Department of Management Studies offers a dynamic environment for scholarship and learning, where cutting-edge research underpins high-quality teaching. It consists of four units: Organizations and Management, International Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizational Communication with 100 employees, of who nearly half are international. The Department hosts Sustainability in Business research group of 30 professors and researchers focusing on key sustainability topics in contemporary society.

Co-Innovating circular solutions

The call is open for an assistant to associate level professor on the Aalto University tenure track system. The position will begin the 1st of August 2022 or as agreed.  The professorship is full-time and, depending on the positioning on the tenure track, with either a fixed-term or permanent contract. Please find more information here: Tenure track | Aalto University

Your role and goals

The Co-innovating for circular solutions professorship fulfils an Aalto promise to seek and build crossovers between disciplines, in education, research, and practice. As grand challenges cannot be solved by a single discipline, the professor will be expected to have the competence necessary to facilitate the crossing of disciplinary borders.  The professorship is aligned with Aalto University’s strategy of ‘Shaping a sustainable future’ and its thematic area of Co-innovating circular systems that focuses on systemic circular economy solutions. Within that scope, the focus of the Co-innovating for circular solutions professorship is in societal transformation in which businesses, consumers and other stakeholders move from a linear resource use model to circular solutions. The post holder is expected to have the capacity to catalyze and create the means for multiparty innovation and social change, to be able to orchestrate multi-disciplinary constellations across design, business, and technology, and consumer and civil society involvement in co-innovation processes.  

The professorship is shared between the Department of Design, School of Arts, Design, and Architecture (ARTS) 60% and the Department of Management Studies, School of Business (BIZ) 40%. At the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, the position is located in the Department of Design, where the professor is expected to contribute to education on sustainable design processes and circular solutions at MA and BA levels. The post will help strengthens research excellence in the fields of sustainable design, codesign and open design, and the professorship is expected to contribute, in particular, to research on orchestrating multi-stakeholder collaboration in the search for, and design, of circular solutions.

At the School of Business, the position is located in the Department of Management studies, where the post holder is expected to contribute to the BSc and MSc -level educational offerings of the department, particularly the MSc program in Creative Sustainability and the new MSc program in Strategy in a Changing World. The professorship is expected to strengthen the department’s existing research excellence in the field of Sustainability in Business, circular economy, and collaborative forms of developing circular business models and ecosystems governance, in particular. 

Your Experience

We are looking to hire an ambitious colleague who has the capacity to lead and collaborate in the continuous renewal of education and research. We expect you to have:  

• Demonstrable competence and track record in the topic of co-innovating circular solutions
• Proven ability to acquire competitive research funding 
• Experience and high competence in university education, preferably also having undertaken training in university pedagogy 
• A doctoral degree in design, business studies, or in a related relevant field 
• Experience with academic responsibilities in university education and research management, relevant to your career stage. 

The successful applicant is expected to take on the following responsibilities, depending on the level of appointment:

• Conducting individual- and group-based research, meeting high international standards  Designing and offering student-oriented, high-quality teaching, and supervising undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students’ work depending on Aalto tenure track level. Teaching comprises from 20 to 40 % of the workload. 
• Leading or participating in administrative tasks and strategic decision-making at the level of Unit, Department and School 
• Participating in, or initiating and leading applications for funding of research projects 
• Participating in regular research activities, such as research seminars, workshops and conferences
• Interacting in various ways with society, Aalto University’s stakeholders in particular
• Promoting Aalto University’s academic reputation

What we offer

We offer the opportunity of working in a dynamic world-class community of creative professionals and researchers, with a remit to continuously explore the frontiers of design research and practice, and sustainability management research.

The salary is determined according to the applicant's experience and qualifications. Activities are mainly located in the Otaniemi campus of Aalto University in Espoo, part of the capital region of Finland.

Aalto University provides its employees with occupational health care services and excellent learning and development opportunities. Finland is a healthy and safe living environment, offering many excellent state-subsidized services including affordable day care and free schools and universities, which are consistently ranked among the best in the world. 

More information about living and working in Finland:

Get to know Finland and Aalto | Aalto University

Aalto University follows EU rules and regulations on HR policies. Based on the regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems, full-time employment at Aalto University is inconsistent with residence abroad. Employment duties need to be performed in Finland. The specific responsibilities and salary are determined based on the applicant’s qualifications and level of position. In addition, Aalto University provides its employees with occupational health care services.

Ready to apply?

To apply, please submit the following application materials through our recruitment system Workday no later than February 15th 2022, at 23:59 EET (UTC+2). Aalto University’s employees and visitors should apply for the position by using their existing Workday user account!

The application material must be in English and must include the following documents in PDF format (‘lastname_firstname.pdf’): 

• Cover letter with a statement of interest in the Co-innovating circular solutions position and indicating the level (assistant, associate) that you are applying for 
• Curriculum Vitae — please use the template recommended by The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity 
• List of publications, with the maximum five most significant publications highlighted including at least one solo or first authored article. 
• Research portfolio —a concise (max 5 pages) self-reflection on the merits, long-term vision, and research plan. Reflection on how the research work links to the Aalto University strategy - Aalto University strategy – We shape a sustainable future | Aalto University
•  Teaching portfolio according to Aalto’s guidelines— Teaching competence assessment_Guidelines_for_candidate_2020_Aalto University[1].pdf

Aalto University uses external reviewers during the recruitment process.

We reserve the right, for justified reasons, to leave the position open, to extend the application period, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

For more Information

Please contact Associate professor Tuuli Mattelmäki, email [email protected]

In questions related to the recruitment process, please contact HR
Coordinator Katju Helminen, [email protected]  

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