Espoo, Finland
Postdoctoral researcher — design methodologies in architecture
at Aalto University
There is an opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher in the field of design methodologies in Architecture to join Aalto University in Espoo, Finland.
Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto University has been ranked the 9th best young university in the world (Top 50 under 50, QS 2018) and one of the world’s top technology challenger universities (THE 2017), thinking outside the box on research collaboration, funding and innovation. Aalto has six schools with nearly 11 000 students and 4000 employees of which close to 400 are professors. Our campuses are located in the Capital Area of Finland. With 37% of our academic faculty coming from outside Finland, we are a highly international community with strong academic standing
At Aalto, high-quality research, art, education and entrepreneurship are promoted hand in hand. Disciplinary excellence is combined with multidisciplinary activities, engaging both students and the local innovation ecosystem. Our main campus is quickly transforming into an open collaboration hub that encourages encounters between students, researchers, industry, startups and other partners. Aalto University was founded in 2010 as three leading Finnish universities, Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki, were merged to strengthen Finland’s innovative capability.
We are now looking for a:
Postdoctoral researcher in the field of design methodologies in architecture to support and strengthen research at the Department of Architecture.
In this position you will have a chance to make an impact by contributing to the development of architectural design. You will work in a pioneering group with an international reputation, concentrating especially on the cross-disciplinary interaction of architecture with other fields, and the research of the limits of architecture.
The position will be filled as soon as possible and preferably latest on 1 December, 2018. The position is fixed-term for a period of one year with a 70% workload.
Your role and goals
The duties of the postdoctoral researcher include the following:
- preparing research, development and design projects at the department
- implementing and leading these projects under the leading of the professor of emergent design methodologies
- responsibilities in teaching
- participation in the development and administration work of the department
You will also take part in the day-to-day life of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and Aalto University more widely. You will engage with relevant on-going research in the Department of Architecture and have postgraduate supervision duties.
Your network and team
You will work in the context of a thematic focus group at the department called Group X. Group X hosts not only architectural design methodologies, but also service architecture (architecture conceived as a service platform) and pursues these themes and fields in research and teaching. The focus of Group X is in the culture of sharing, communicative design, as well as learning organizations and spaces. The group is responsible for certain master level building design courses at the department.
Your experience and ambitions
You should have a doctoral degree from the past five years and a master’s degree from architecture or other relevant design field. You are fluent in English and have excellent design skills. Knowledge on the design methods of contemporary international architecture is appreciated. As a person you are ambitious and open-minded.
What we offer
The salary is determined based on experience and qualifications according to the salary system of Aalto University. For a postdoctoral researcher, the expected starting salary is around 3500 €/month, and it may increase with responsibilities and performance over time. The position is located in Otaniemi, Espoo in a new campus building made and designed for the School of ARTS.
Aalto University provides its employees health care and retirement benefits. Finland is a great and safe environment offering many excellent state-subsidised services, including affordable day care and free schools, which are consistently ranked among the best in the world. More information.
Ready to apply?
If you want to join our community, please submit your application by October 22, 2018. For more information and instructions for applying, please see the full job advertisement here
To apply, please share the following application materials with us (all in PDF format):
- motivation letter (max. two pages)
- CV including a list of the most important publications
- an artistic portfolio of your design and/or planning projects
- a short statement about the future development of architecture and how your research and other design or art activities relates to this
Aalto University reserves 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. The candidates selected for the next round are interviewed at the end of October via Skype.
Want to know more about us and your future team members?
The Department of Architecture at the Aalto University, is the oldest and largest of the three schools of architecture in Finland. Since 1872, the architectural education in Finland has followed the European tradition of architectural education as part of the technical sciences. During the last decade, the department has strengthened its research activity and doctoral education to meet the future challenges of architecture and planning.
Additional information can be found online.