Assistant Professor in Design, specialised in Business and Design

The University of Gothenburg offers a research environment where internationally recognised excellence meets an open and collaborative culture. Here, early-career researchers are given the conditions to grow, build networks, and contribute to research with global relevance.

This position is part of the University of Gothenburg's recruitment initiative Gothenburg Global Scholars. Learn more about the initiative and the University here: Gothenburg Global Scholars.

The Artistic Faculty consists of the departments HDK-Valand - Academy of Art and Design and Academy of Music and Drama. As a combined faculty of art and learning, we are an independent, visionary and critical force in the necessary work to create a more sustainable and open society.

HDK-Valand is now looking for an Assistant Professor in Design, specialised in Business and Design, who will conduct research and teaching at the intersection between design studies and business studies. You will be part of the Design unit, attached to the Business and Design Lab (BDL).

The Business and Design Lab (BDL) is a research centre that since 2010 builds on a collaboration between HDK-Valand and the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. Pioneering the intersection between design studies and management and organization studies, BDL offers an inter- and transdisciplinary platform for a critical and grounded investigation of the relations between design & art, technology and the economy. Located between two faculties, the centre has developed a symmetrical dialogue between the two domains of scholarship to study both the role of design and art in organizations and the ways in which design and art work are organized and valued. With a particular interest for methodological developments based on design and artistic methods, the centre has led a large range of research projects nationally and internationally and is seeking to consolidate its next phase of development. The centre involves junior and senior researchers and is led by Elena Raviola, who holds the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Professorship in Design Management.

HDK-Valand's research environment values a broad and inclusive approach whereby knowledge is produced within established research formats, experimental artistic practices and education. Our research contributes to discourses on environmental, societal and cultural challenges through engagement in interdisciplinary projects. Four research themes oriented around politics, the environment, economics and materiality operate as focus areas to facilitate collaboration between different subjects and actors, and to provide a broad base for both research and teaching. An overarching objective at HDK-Valand is the development of a complete academic environment grounded in these themes

More about HDK-Valand here: https://www.gu.se/en/hdk-valand

More about BDL here: https://www.gu.se/en/bdl

Subject area

Design, specialised in Business and Design

Subject area description

The subject area of this position is Design specialised in Business and Design as the interdisciplinary intersection of design research and management and organization studies. At this intersection between designing and organizing, research investigates design as an organizational, managerial and societal practice as well as organizations, organizing processes and other forms of economic activities as objects of design themselves.

A particular area of focus is how the design of material artefacts, such as physical tools, digital technologies, and spatial architecture, is shaped by and shapes organizations and markets in different ways, including issues related to professional work, judgment, learning, leadership, accounting, innovation, strategy formulation, and other organizational phenomena, and ultimately how design contributes to the creation and transformation of organizations, markets, institutions and societal futures.

It is central to the subject area of Business and Design at HDK-Valand to engage with design and artistic methodologies, such as participatory design, collaborative design, speculative design, prototyping, games, and related approaches, and to contribute to the development of innovative methodological approaches for creating new forms of engagement with researchers, practitioners, and the wider public around shared societal challenges. Research within the area may include research on the cultural sector, but may also address other sectors and phenomena depending on the candidate's research interests.

Particular priority will be given to research that, at the intersection of these fields, contributes to understand how democracy and the democratic public sphere are being reshaped through design-based and artistic methods.

Duties

The candidate will conduct research and teaching, with approximately 50% of the position devoted to research and 50% to teaching.

Research responsibilities include to:

• develop and carry out interdisciplinary research projects in collaboration with other researchers nationally and internationally;

• publish articles and other scholarly texts in international journals and with international publishers;

• conduct assigned research tasks under the supervision of Prof. Elena Raviola and contribute to the national and international strategic and operational development of the Business and Design Lab, including the organization of seminar series and other meetings, the development of collaborations with local actors, and participation in larger research bid;

• apply for own research projects to Swedish, Nordic and European funders;

• participate in existing research projects by conducting research work and assisting with project management and coordination;

• engage with societal partners and cultural institutions in research collaborations;

• develop and communicate research findings in public facing activities.

Teaching will take place at the undergraduate, master and doctoral levels in relevant courses and programs in design and other teaching areas of the Academy and will include to:

• develop existing and new courses;
• lead course coordination and administration;
• supervise student projects and theses;
• teach in classroom and digital formats.

Responsibilities and tasks may change over time.

Eligibility

Eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professor is governed by the Higher Education Ordinance and the Appointments Procedure for Teachers at the University of Gothenburg.

Qualification requirements for employment as an Assistant Professor are fulfilled by someone who has been awarded a doctorate in subject or has the corresponding research competence. Primary consideration should be given to someone who has been awarded a doctorate or achieved the equivalent competence within seven years of the deadline for application for employment as an Assistant Professor. However, someone who has been awarded a doctorate or achieved the equivalent expertise at an earlier date may also be considered if there are special grounds. Special grounds are sick leave, parental leave or other similar circumstances. The reason, dates, and extent of the absence must be clearly specified in the application and supported by documentation/certificates

Requirements are:

• a familiarity with the research debates and communities both in design and in management and organization studies demonstrated in the application and/or supporting documentation
• experience with ethnographic approaches and artistic methods in research work, demonstrated in the application and/or supporting documentation.
• the ability to teach in English is a requirement.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for appointment as Assistant Professor are governed by the Higher Education Ordinance and the Appointments Procedure for Teachers at the University of Gothenburg.

We are seeking candidates who have demonstrated the ability to independently initiate, develop, and conduct high-quality research within the subject area of the position.

Assessment will be based primarily on research expertise, secondly on teaching expertise, and thirdly on collaborative and administrative competence.

Specific assessment criteria for this position are:

• the demonstrated level of engagement with and potential for intellectual contributions to the research communities in design and in management and organization studies;

• the demonstrated capacity of methodological innovation in ethnography and artistic methods;

• the demonstrated level of familiarity with science and technology studies, especially as informing design research and organization studies.

Research expertise

Research expertise is demonstrated through scholarly publications and current participation in national and international research collaborations. In the assessment of scientific expertise, particular emphasis is placed on high-quality publications with prestigious international publishers and in respected international peer-reviewed journals. The quality, originality, and impact of publications are given greater emphasis than the total number of publications. The ability to obtain external research funding in competition is highly meritorious.

As the engagement with innovative design and artistic methods might materialize in other outputs than publications, research expertise is also demonstrated through other research outputs, such as design prototypes, public exhibitions, curated projects and participation in internationally reputable design initiatives.

Teaching expertise

Teaching expertise is demonstrated through documented experience of having planned and implemented teaching in various forms (lectures, seminars, practice-based workshops, studio-based learning and supervision) at the first-cycle, second-cycle and/or doctoral level within the subject area of the position. When assessing teaching expertise, special emphasis is placed on documented teaching work that has contributed to the development of a course or study programme and its instruction and consequently improved the quality.

Collaboration with the community at large and Administrative Competence

Expertise in collaboration with the wider community is demonstrated, for example, through the ability to develop existing collaborative relationships or to establish new collaborations between academia and relevant societal stakeholders, as well as through the ability to communicate research findings to the public.

Administrative competence refers to experience of academic leadership, such as coordinating research or educational activities, as well as contributing to the development of the department or faculty.

Overall Assessment

A position as Assistant Professor is a career-development position targeting researchers and teachers who defended their doctoral thesis relatively recently. The position will be offered to the candidate who is assessed to have the best prospects for carrying out the duties required in the position, collaborating and cooperating with other staff, and contributing positively to the development of activities based on an overall assessment of their expertise and development potential.

Extensive experience in academic environments outside Sweden is highly meritorious.

Employment

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment for five years
Extent: Full-time (100%)
Location:Gothenburg
Starting date: By agreement

An appointment as Assistant Professor is a fixed-term career-development position. The purpose of the position is to provide the successful candidate with the opportunity to develop their independence as a researcher and to strengthen their scientific and pedagogical qualifications in order to meet the requirements for eligibility for appointment as Senior Lecturer.

The appointment may be extended, but for no more than a total of two years, if additional time is required to fulfil the purpose of the appointment due to sick leave, parental leave, or other special circumstances.

Promotion to Senior Lecturer

An Assistant Professor is entitled, upon application, to be assessed for promotion to a permanent post as a senior lecturer in the same subject area as that of the Assistant Professor post. Promotion requires that the applicant is qualified and suitable for appointment as a senior lecturer within the subject area, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance and the University of Gothenburg's Regulations on the Appointment of Teaching Staff (Ref. No. GU 2024/3252). In addition, the applicant must have been appointed as an Associate Professor (in Swedish: docent) at the Artistic Faculty. The eligibility requirements for the position of Associate Professor (docent) are set out in the document accessible via this link (Ref. No. V 2014/885) Anvisningar docent

Furthermore, the assessment will evaluate whether you have demonstrated proficiency in Swedish at least at level B2 according to the CEFR. This is demonstrated either by passing a language test, the requirements for which are described here common-european-framework-reference-language-skills, or by a certificate from the Head of Department stating that the language test is clearly unnecessary.

Moving to Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden, beautifully situated on the west coast. The city is well known for its friendly atmosphere and high quality of life. Choosing a career in a new country is a major step. Gothenburg offers a welcoming environment and strong support for international talent relocating to the region.

Internationally recruited staff are offered a contracted relocation package and tax advisory services (Global Mobility support).

Move to Gothenburg - a guide for international talents

Welcome Services - support for international staff relocating to Gothenburg

Other information

The position of Assistant Professor is a career-development appointment and constitutes a step in an academic career path designed to enable researchers to develop their independence and establish their own research profile, with the right to be assessed for promotion to a permanent position as Senior Lecturer. At the University of Gothenburg, Senior Lecturers are also eligible to be assessed for promotion to a permanent position as Full Professor.

To support a healthy work-life balance, we offer academic freedom, flexible working arrangements, and generous annual leave. Employees are also entitled to a range of benefits, including a wellness allowance, supplementary parental benefits, and an occupational pension scheme. For more information about employment benefits at the University of Gothenburg, please visit: Employment benefits | University of Gothenburg.

If you do not have formal training in academic teaching, you will be given the opportunity to undertake such training as part of your employment. Participation in these courses is mandatory.

If you do not have proficiency in Swedish at a minimum of level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), you will be offered language courses as part of your employment. Participation in these courses is mandatory.

Selection process

Eligibility screening of applicants will take place after the application deadline. The application documents of eligible candidates will subsequently be submitted to external reviewers for assessment.

As part of the selection process, in addition to expert assessment and interviews, trial lectures and reference checks may also be conducted.

Interviews are planned to take place during early December.

Contact information

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Prof. Elena Raviola elena.raviola@gu.se.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR at HDK-Valand: hr@hdk-valand.gu.se.

Unions

Information about union representatives at the University of Gothenburg is available here.

Applications

You apply for the position through the University of Gothenburg's recruitment portal by clicking the "Apply" button. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and that it is submitted no later than the application deadline.

Please submit your application in English, as it will be reviewed by external reviewers whose working language is English.

Publications that cannot be attached to the application online should be sent to:

HDK-Valand

Box 131

405 30

and must be received by the deadline.

Application deadline: 30 October 2026

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden's regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.