Tenure Track Assistant or Associate Professor, of Entrepreneurship, Specialisation in Microentrepreneurship - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

We are now looking for

Assistant or Associate Professor in micro-entrepreneurship

to join the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute and the Oulu Business School to
strengthen our team focused on the national task of micro-entrepreneurship research and
education at the University of Oulu. 

About Kerttu Saalasti Institute and Oulu Business School

University of Oulu has received significant donations for establishment of the new
professorship of micro-entrepreneurship at the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute
and Oulu Business School. Donation funds enable the
establishment of the professorship.

Micro-sized enterprises employing less than 10 people are an important foundation of
sustainable and constantly renewing economy. Up to 94% of Finnish companies are
micro-enterprises and a quarter of the jobs in all companies in Finland are in micro-enterprises. The University of Oulu has been responsible for the national task of research
and education in micro-entrepreneurship granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture
since the beginning of 2021.

The University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute (UO KSI) provides evidence-based
knowledge and competence on micro-enterprises and their operating conditions. As a
research institute focusing on micro-entrepreneurship, future manufacturing technologies
and regional excellence, we produce knowledge with an international impact. The institute
is an active and vibrant workplace of 44 employees including one professor, three
research directors, four docents, fourteen post-docs and several doctoral students, project
researchers,  manager of Academic Affairs and other support staff. At the UO KSI, the professorship is allocated at the Micro-Entrepreneurship Centre MicroENTRE®, a research group and service centre that provides evidence-based knowledge on micro-entrepreneurship, helps to create operating conditions for sustainable growth in business, and builds a society that encourages entrepreneurship. 80% of your working time will be allocated to the University of Oulu
Kerttu Saalasti Intitute.

Oulu Business School is an AACSB accredited international research and educational
institute. It is one of the eight faculties within the University of Oulu, having around 1 500
students and 100 faculty and staff members. It offers degrees of Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration and Master of Science in Business Administration with six
different majors and a doctoral research program. You will be an important link between the faculty and the institute with 20% of
your working time allocated to the Oulu Business School Department of Marketing,
Management and International Business.

About the job

As a Tenure track Assistant or Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship,
Specialised in Micro-entrepreneurship, you will be responsible for the micro-entrepreneurship research and research-based education at the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute and Oulu Business school. This new position is part of the national task of micro-entrepreneurship education and research which is an important mission of the University of Oulu.

The new professorship strengthens the societal impact of research and education in
micro-enterprises, whose success is a prerequisite for Finland's sustainable growth and
renewal. Under the professor's leadership, the research activities of micro-entrepreneurship are strengthened and raised to the next level. With the new position, the University of Oulu's online education in micro-entrepreneurship will be developed as part of a customer-oriented continuous learning offering that is independent of time and place. This education supports the diversification and deepening of entrepreneurial skills and the strengthening of competitiveness. 

With the micro-entrepreneurship professorship, in addition to regional and national
impact, the goal is to strengthen the global impact of micro-entrepreneurship research and
education. At the European level, increasing the effectiveness of research and education
means both networking and concrete research and education cooperation. From the
perspective of research cooperation, we invest in research projects that have an impact
on the European level and in building a virtual network of researchers. 

What we offer?

• The support of an experienced and enthusiastic team where you can share your expertise and grow as an expert.
• Wellness benefit ePassi covering sport, culture and well-being. Read more about other staff benefits.
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes flexibility and work-life balance. Read more about working with us.
• We have a HR Excellence in Research -quality label which is a recognition awarded by the European Commission for the development of researchers’ working conditions and careers.
• Our Buddy Programme and Spouse Network support you and close-ones in settling into Oulu.
• If you are moving from abroad, we offer comprehensive relocation packages to support your smooth relocation to Oulu.
• We also consider the possibility of recruiting the accompanying spouse to the University of Oulu.
• Finland is one of the most livable countries in the world, with a high quality of life, safety, excellent education system, and competitive economy. Read more about living in Oulu.

Who are you?

The emphasis of this position is on entrepreneurship, especially micro-entrepreneurship.
Prominent research areas related to this position include, but are not limited to
management, growth, and internationalisation, entrepreneur’s competences and resources, networks and operating conditions and entrepreneurial learning and culture. We are open to consider applicants from other areas that provide additional value to the micro-entrepreneurship research area.

You should have excellent potential for a successful scientific career. The top candidates undergo an evaluation by external experts and are required to reach top scores (5-6 on a scale from 1 to 6 for scientific activity and as the overall score), to be recruited. Find out more about our tenure track system, entry criteria, evaluation procedure and advancement on our careers website.

In order to succeed and enjoy the position, we expect from you: 

As an Assistant professor:

• Doctoral degree in applicable research field. (e.g. entrepreneurship, management, economics, industrial engineering and management, sociology and/or other related research fields)
• You must demonstrate the ability to work independently and have proven teaching skills.
• In order to be eligible for a position as Assistant Professor, you must have received your doctoral degree not more than ten years ago.
• A track record in scientific publications
• A convincing research vision and plan in field of the position applied
• Fluency in English and Finnish skills or willingness to commit yourself to learning Finnish

As an Associate professor:

• Doctoral degree in applicable research field (e.g. entrepreneurship, management, economics, industrial engineering and management, sociology and/or other related research fields)
• You must demonstrate evidence of scientific research work and relevant teaching skills.
• You must have the ability to lead research and experience of acquiring external research funding.
• We also expect you to have sufficient and relevant experience in international scientific work and evidence of international cooperation.
• A track record in scientific publications
• A convincing research vision and plan in field of the position applied.
• You should be able to lead a multidisciplinary research group, raise international funding, and contribute strategically into regional, national and international networks.
• Fluency in English and Finnish skills or willingness to commit yourself to learning Finnish

Salary

The position is fixed-term for 5 years as of 1.2.2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The salary will be based on the levels 05-06 of the demand level chart for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (maximum of 50 % of the job-specific component). Starting gross salary will be approx. 3600-5500 € per month (before taxes).  A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position.

How to apply?

Interested? If yes, please apply by 19.11.2023 (23:59 Finnish local time) through our recruitment system.

The application should be written in English and include the following:

1. Cover letter, stating the career level on which you would like to be evaluated at.
2. CV following the guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity
3. List of publications following the guidelines of the Academy of Finland, with the ten most important ones marked
4. Brief account of research merits 
5. Brief account of teaching merits or a teaching portfolio including:
   1. Teaching philosophy, teaching strategies, and methods
   2. Teacher’s self-reflection on his/her teaching style, a personal background idea of teaching; how are these reflected in teaching?
   3. A description of oneself as a teacher and an implementer of educational work
   4. Practical experience in teaching and efforts to improve teaching
   5. Description of educational material (curricula, handouts, assignments, workbooks)
   6. Professional development as a teacher
   7. Evaluation of teaching (student evaluations, peer evaluations, awards, and assessed test lectures)
   8. Plans for future directions of teaching in the discipline concerned 
6. Details regarding acquisition of research funds 
7. A brief research and action plan 
8. Contact details of 2–4 persons available for recommendation

The eligible applicants fitting best in the profile expected for the position will be invited to an on-site or remote interview. All applicants will be notified during the selection process.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, such as people of different ages,  genders and lingual, cultural or minority groups. 

The selection process follows the University of Oulu tenure track guidelines. The process is carried out by a recruitment committee and the candidates are subjected to publication analyses based on their publication lists. The candidates that are considered most suitable by the recruitment committee will also undergo an expert evaluation.

Contact Information

If you have any further questions, please contact

Professor, dean Janne Järvinen, Oulu Business School, janne.t.jarvinen(at)oulu.fi or

Development Manager Eija-Riitta Niinikoski, Kerttu Saalasti instituutti eija-riitta.niinikoski(at)oulu.fi.