Professor of Practice, Industrial Wood Construction/

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 12 000 students, 400 professors and close to 4 000 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in the Helsinki region, Finland. Diversity is a part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

Aalto University School of Engineering invites applications for

PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE, INDUSTRIAL WOOD CONSTRUCTION

The call is targeted to ambitious individuals seeking a full-time Professor of Practice position: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/other-academic-positions.

The vacancy is at the Department of Civil Engineering, see http://civileng.aalto.fi/en/ at Aalto University http://www.aalto.fi/en. In accordance with Aalto University´s living strategy, www.aalto.fi/en/strategy, our call is to support the shaping of a sustainable future using Aalto’s three core values: responsibility, courage, and collaboration.  Currently, the department has 16 professors supported by lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral students, and technical staff. In total, the number of personnel is about 115. The department and school have well-equipped research infrastructure and access to national scientific computing services. We are located at Aalto University campus in Otaniemi, Espoo where several research institutions and organizations have their laboratories.

Job description

The Department of Civil Engineering invites applications for a professor of practice position in Industrial Wood Construction. This new position is part of one of Aalto University’s key research areas, known as “Human Centered Living Environments.”

We are seeking a highly qualified expert with an academic background in industrial wood construction who can bring practical expertise and societal knowledge to the university community. We expect expertise in one or more of the following areas: mechanical performance of prefabricated wooden construction products, construction management, building physics. The candidate is expected to perform multidisciplinary research with researchers in Civil Engineering and other disciplines.

The main target of the professorship is to strengthen the field of industrial wood construction. The research is intended to be carried out half at Aalto University and half at the technology park in Savonlinna (XAMK, University of applied science). The technology park in Savonlinna is a well-equipped testing facility for wood construction that was opened in January 2024. The professor should strengthen the cooperation with companies and other stakeholders not only in the Savonlinna area, but also more widely in Finland. Furthermore, it is planned to carry out national and international research activities in cooperation with regional companies and tenure track professors from Aalto.

Professors of practice at Aalto University are expected to perform high-quality research and teaching and to supervise students at the different educational levels. We expect professors to be active members of the Aalto and international scientific community, and to exhibit leadership and services for society. The professor of practice position is a fixed-term position with a duration of 5 years.

Requirements

Applicants must have (i) a doctoral degree in civil engineering or in another position-relevant field, (ii) demonstrate practical experience in wood construction, and (iii) expertise in research, demonstrated though the publication of scientific articles. We expect work and/or research expertise in one or more of the following areas: mechanical performance of prefabricated wooden construction products, construction management, building physics. Well-demonstrated collaboration skills and an excellent command of English are essential.

Scientific awards and recognitions, experience in applying for and acquiring funding, teaching and supervision expertise, as well as Finnish language skills, are considered advantages. Interdisciplinary research activities, roles in research organizations, pedagogical studies, and student supervision.

The merits and potential of the applicants will be appraised via a holistic evaluation based on the quality and quantity of practical expertise, research, and teaching, in addition to the overall activity in the scientific community and society. A bibliometric analysis will be conducted to support the evaluation of research merits.

What we offer

Salary will be defined according to Aalto University’s payroll system. You may also provide a salary request. In addition to the salary, the contract includes occupational health care and retirement benefits.

Finland offers a safe and healthy environment for living with excellent state-subsidized services including affordable daycare, health care, and free schools ranked among the best in the world. Finland is among the best countries in the world, according to many quality-of-life indicators, including – for six years in a row – being the happiest country in the world (UN study 2023). We are one of the world’s most reliable and stable nations with a high level of safety. With high investments in R&D, a strong innovation culture, open data, and an advanced state of digitalization, we are a nation of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Nordic values of equality and co-operation are rooted deeply in our society. Gender equality, flexibility and low hierarchy are at the core of our Nordic working environment. For more information about living in Finland, see: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto/for-international-staff.