Five associate professor or professor posts in the New Social Research programme
The University of Tampere is an internationally renowned research-led university and one of the few in the world to specialise in the social sciences. It has a lively, multidisciplinary and international research environment with a staff of 2.200 and 15.000 students.
The University places strong emphasis on rigorous scholarship in areas of significant social relevance. To help achieve this objective, the University has commenced the New Social Research programme. NSR has five core themes: governing complexity; transformation of agency and empowerment; the changing nature of work; the future of well-being, and; new forms of communication, information and interaction. NSR will become a truly international programme, working across disciplinary boundaries and in partnership with a wide range of external stakeholders nationally and internationally. More information on NSR is available at the programme website.
At the centre of the programme are eleven fully-funded associate or full professor posts. The director, Professor Rebecca Boden, and the first six appointments are already in place. The University of Tampere is now seeking to complete the team by appointing a further five associate or full professors. Appointees will have dual affiliation between NSR and an appropriate faculty, ensuring a clear career trajectory, and at the end of this period it is anticipated that they will take up permanent posts in one of the University’s faculties, as appropriate.
The University of Tampere is seeking highly motivated and accomplished academics who will be active and innovative co-builders of the NSR programme as research leaders. In addition to developing a strong individual research profile within the broad remit of NSR’s activities, you would work collaboratively with fellow NSR researchers to achieve significant programme synergies. Activities would include: effective research leadership (particularly of early career academics); facilitating the development of the NSR profile nationally and internationally; and seeking, winning and managing major research funding. A key role of the NSR programme is to make a major contribution to the further development of the University’s research profile more generally. As such, you would be expected to work collaboratively and constructively with appropriate faculties to embed programme gains across the institution. Whilst the main emphasis of these roles for the first five years is on research, you would be expected to make a gradually increasing and expertise-appropriate contribution to research-led teaching, curriculum development and research student supervision in the faculties.
What you can offer
You must have: a doctoral degree in a field relevant to the research programme; high-level scientific expertise; an excellent international publication record; and teaching/supervision skills and experience across the range of levels.
Additionally, successful candidates will have a proven track record of international scientific cooperation, and the ability to offer advanced research-led teaching and supervision. Your research interests will be aligned to one or more themes in the NSR programme, but you will be able to demonstrate how you would develop those further. NSR especially welcomes applications under the theme the changing nature of work and is less likely to make any appointments of candidates whose principal contribution would be in the theme governing complexity.
Your proposed work for the duration of the programme will evidence a good fit with NSR objectives and how you would work in an inter- and multidisciplinary environment. Ideally you will have experience of leading or making a major contribution to a research group and a track record of successful applications for external research funding.
What we offer
The University of Tampere offers a dynamic and international research community with strong national and international collaborative networks. Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and the University of Tampere have recently agreed to merge and will be working collaboratively together to build a unique model of higher education offering an innovative, multidisciplinary and internationally attractive research and learning environment built on demonstrably excellent foundations. Appointment to NSR offers an opportunity to develop, lead and maintain a dynamic research programme leading to national and international recognition within this environment.
Finnish people almost universally speak English to a high level. Finland is a well-ordered and culturally sophisticated EU country which enjoys world-leading free schooling (including in English), affordable child care, excellent public services, moderate taxation and low levels of bureaucracy. The Tampere region is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in Finland. Tampere is the largest inland city in the Nordic countries and Finland’s second largest city. The city offers an extremely pleasant environment in which to live and work. Whilst a traditional industrial centre, with an attractive heritage built environment, today the city is best known for its high-tech expertise. The city has a lively cultural life, with many theatres, galleries and museums etc. and is the most popular city to study in amongst Finnish students.
We appreciate that relocation can be daunting and the University’s HR Services provide intensive support for international recruits, especially on matters such as residence permits, registration, taxation, retirement pensions, social security issues, finding accommodation, daycare for children, schooling, health care and other local services in Tampere. You can contact the International HR Team (international.hr@uta.fi) during your application process with any specific queries or see our Join us!-pages on our website. The University of Tampere received the European Commission’s acknowledgement of HR Excellence in Research in March 2015.
The University of Tampere offers a comprehensive package of employee benefits. These include occupational health care, flexible working hours and high-quality sporting facilities. These posts include membership of the generous Finnish statutory earnings-related retirement pension scheme, further details of which are available here.
Finnish universities operate a national University Salary System and salaries will be determined by reference to that. At commencement, the minimum monthly salary of an associate professor will range between €5.000 and €5.600 a month and that of a professor between €5.700 and €6.400 a month. Higher salaries may be agreed dependent upon experience and/or performance.
These post are subject to a four month probationary period. Initial appointment as associate professor is for five years and, subject to successful performance, post holders will become tenured members of faculty staff at the end of the five year period. The evaluation of suitability for a tenured position will commence after four years in post and appointees will be supported throughout the five year period to ease transition to faculty positions. Full professors will hold a permanent appointment from the outset.
The application process
Applications should be written in English and submitted electronically via the University of Tampere’s electronic recruitment system by 15:45 pm. on 2 May 2017.
The following documents should accompany your application:
- A CV (excluding publications).
- A list of publications compiled according to the Academy of Finland guidelines. Please indicate your ten most important publications.
- A letter of application in which you set out the reasons why you are applying for the post and why you are particularly suited to it.
- A five page research plan, outlining your proposed research within the programme.
- The names, positions and contact details of two referees who can support your application.
Enquiries
For queries related to the NSR programme please contact the Programme Director, Professor Rebecca Boden (Rebecca.Boden@uta.fi)
For queries related to the application process please contact the Faculty Head of Administration Sari Saastamoinen (sari.saastamoinen@uta.fi)
More information online: http://www.uta.fi/nsr/professorposts.html
