Associate Professor in Mechatronics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Mechanical, Electronic and Chemical Engineering (MEK) is one out of five departments at Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD). The department offers bachelor's degree programmes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering and master's degree specialisations in biomedical engineering and robotics & control, in addition to research and development activities. A master’s degree program in mechanical engineering is under development and is planned to start in August 2024. The department has approximately 35 staff members, 10 PhD candidates, and 800 students.

MEK has a vacant position of an Associate Professor in Mechatronics. The position will involve teaching courses in one or more of the MEK’s study programs and conducting research in line with TKDs research strategy.

We are looking for a candidate with talent and passion for teaching, research, and innovation. MEK is currently building activities in the area of mechatronics, and the candidate hired for this position will, in collaboration with other MEK employees, be central in shaping our study program/specialisation in mechatronics.

The R&D activities at the MEK department are undergoing significant development and growth. The person hired is expected to take clear responsibility for developing the mechatronics field at the department and faculty level further. This includes building new research cooperation and networks internally and externally and contributing to colleagues’ projects when mechatronics expertise is needed.

Tasks and responsibilities 

• Planning, developing, and teaching courses at bachelor, master, and PhD levels.
• Initiating and conducting research within mechatronics as well as facilitating the funding
• and recruitment of PhD candidates.
• Initiating and leading applications for external funding for research in mechatronics and related fields.
• Actively contributing to the development of high-quality education at MEK and OsloMet as a whole.
• Communicating and disseminating research results for both academic environment and a broader audience.
• Performing administrative tasks related to educational, research, and innovation activities.

Qualifications: 

The required qualifications for the position are as follows: 

• PhD in Mechatronics or related engineering fields, such as Mechanical engineering, Electrical engineering or Robotics.
• Academic excellence and documented high quality research work within Mechatronics applied in an area in line with the TKD’s R&D strategy.
• Experience in interdisciplinary research.  
• Experience in teaching and supervision in higher education.
• Experience in collaborating with, or direct experience from, relevant industry.
• Fluency in English.  

Desired experiences:

• Experience with initiating and managing research projects.
• Experience with applying and securing external funding (for example from Research Council of Norway and/or EU).
• Experience in development of study programs.

The candidate who is not fluent in Norwegian is expected to acquire a working command of Norwegian within three years of being appointed.

Candidates who have no relevant qualifications in pedagogy at the time of appointment must commit themselves to complete OsloMet's programme for basic pedagogical competence (15 ECTS credits) within two years. 

The university will test pedagogical skills in connection with a personal interview.

General criteria for appointments to academic positions are covered by the Regulations for appointment and promotion to academic posts. 

In the assessment and ranking of qualified applicants, emphasis will be placed on:

On top of the required qualifications and desired experiences listed above, the following will be evaluated positively: 

• Expertise in at least one of the following topics: practical robotics, embedded systems, sensors and actuators, kinematics, dynamics, modeling, and simulation.
• Pedagogical education, a keenness to develop academic and teaching skills, and an interest in digital and innovative educational techniques and practices.
• The ability to motivate and inspire students and colleagues. 
• Excellent cooperation and communication skills.
• Inquisitiveness and a keenness to develop as an academic leader. 
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt teaching and research to the needs of the department and OsloMet, including interdisciplinary collaboration.
• The ability to build communities and networks, research projects, and to demonstrate fresh thinking and innovation. 
• Experience with and interest in technology transfer, innovation, and patents.

It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavours to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. If there are periods where you have not been working, under education or in training, you are also welcome to apply.

We offer

• An exciting job opportunity at Norway's third largest university
• Opportunity to be a part of a dynamic professional environment and unique academic network
• Beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund
• Good employee welfare arrangements
• Free Norwegian language classes to employees
• Relocation support, cultural courses and on boarding services
• Working location in downtown Oslo

Practical information about relocation to Oslo and living in Norway.

Application process

An expert committee will assess applicants. You must upload the following documents with the application within the application deadline: 

• CV (including teaching, supervision and funding experience)
• Full list of publications
• The copies of certificates/diplomas (including formal education in pedagogics, if applicable)
• Up to ten full-text scientific articles, submitted together with a table of contents and a short introduction highlighting the relevance of each article to the profile of the position and a detailed description of the contribution to the article by the applicant
• A teaching statement (up to 2 pages) outlining the candidate's relevant pedagogical experience and plans for pedagogical activity and development in the position
• A research statement (up to 2 pages) outlining the candidate's relevant research and plans for research activity in the position. This document should include an overview of existing projects and research collaborators
• The names and contact information of at least three references
• Any other relevant documentation

We only process applications sent via our electronic recruitment system. All documents must be uploaded for your application to be processed. Incomplete applications will not be processed for any further assessments. The documents must be in either English or a Scandinavian language. Translations must be authorized. Originals must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document checks to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition. 

Before submitting the application documents to the Expert Committee, all applications will be reviewed by the faculty and applicants who do not meet the formal qualification requirements will not be submitted for assessment.

If you have documents that cannot be uploaded electronically, please contact HRTKD@oslomet.no.

OsloMet has adhered to the principles in the DORA declaration and obliged the institution to follow the recommendations in this declaration.

Other information

For more information about the position, feel free to contact:

Head of Department Astrid Oust Janbu, e-mail astridj@oslomet.no, phone +47 91 51 43 26. 

The salary for the position is in accordance with the pay for state employees:  job code 1011 associate professor, salary step 60-74, NOK 553 500-714 000. A higher salary may be considered for particularly well-qualified applicants. Law deducts 2% of the salary to the State Pension Fund.

As an employee at OsloMet, you must always adhere to the changes that the development in the subject requires and the organizational changes that are adopted.

The selected candidate, after approving the position, must live in a location enabling them to be physically present at and available to the Department.

If you wish to apply for the position, please apply electronically by clicking the button “apply for the position”.

Application dead line: February 5th 2023

Reference number: 22/08086