OPEN POSITION: Professor (Design practices) in Fashion Design

The Department of Design at ELIA member Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture from Finland is looking for a professor with a strong professional portfolio in fashion design and teaching experience in higher education. The successful candidate will be appointed for a fixed five-year term with the title of Professor (Design Practices). The appointment will begin as soon as possible, at the latest in August 2021.

Fashion, Clothing andTextile Design is one of the leading and most internationally known MA programmes at Aalto University. The Professor in Fashion Design will be a leading name in fashion, driven to ensure the dynamic and constant renewal of the field. The field is characterized by artistic creativity and continuously growing awareness of sustainability in its many facets. We seek a visionary and forward-looking fashion professional with international experience in the fashion industry, pedagogical competence to further the success of our students and experience in research and/or cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Your role and goals

The title ‘Professor (Design Practices)’ provides Aalto University’s departments with the possibility to hire highly qualified professionals to develop their areas of teaching, design work and/or research, and to re-evaluate and dynamically advance their field. In general, these professors are expected to be active designers and/or researchers, use the latest knowledge and developments as a basis for their teaching, and follow the developments and achievements in their field. The professors are expected to be active members of the Aalto University community and ofs ociety in Finland and internationally.

The position will require relocation to Finland for candidates not already living in the country.

Your experience

The applicant is expected to have significant design qualifications, wide practical experience in Fashion Design and active networks in the field. In addition, the applicant is expected to have a strong and well-articulated vision regarding the field and the ways it could be developed further. Pedagogical experience in higher education is expected. Professional experience of development activities andacademic/applied research in design-related fields, and collaboration with different stakeholders are highly appreciated. Design merits will be emphasized in the selection process: the applicant is expected to have at least master’s-level artistic/design qualifications, good knowledge of relevant theories, and wide practical experience in the field.

The applicants will be reviewed on the basis of the following areas: design merits; teaching, research and collaborative skills; and active participation and leadership in the professional or academic design community. The position requires a fluent command of both written and spoken English.

What they offer

The Professor will be part of an inspiring and supportive community of experienced professionals and highly motivated students. The Professor will also have the opportunity to use the Department’s extensive networks both nationally and internationally, and enjoy their resources to build educational workshops, masterclasses and student productions with the help of our production service, Aalto Studios (https://studios.aalto.fi/).

Aalto University follows the salary system of Finnish universities, but applicants may also make salary requests. As an employer, Aalto University offers excellent learning and development opportunities, occupational healthcare services, a commuter ticket benefit, and versatile sports and exercise services.

Ready to apply?

To apply, we kindly ask you to submit your application materials through their recruitment system via the “Applynow!” link below on 7 December 2020 (Eastern European time UTC +2) at the latest. The following application materials should be submitted in English (in the pdf format):

• A motivation letter
• A Curriculum Vitae that follows the guidelines by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity: https://www.tenk.fi/sites/tenk.fi/files/TENK_CV_template.pdf
• A design portfolio including five of your most relevant design projects in a single PDF file.
• A statement: a brief (max. 1,000 words) overview of your ideas regarding the future development of the field and how these might be implemented in a Master’s programme.
• A list of research/design publications, if applicable (indicate the most important five with an asterisk)

The recruitment process will consist of three phases. In the first phase, Aalto University will go through all applications and request supplementary materials from some of the applicants. In the second phase, the supplemented applications will be reviewed byexternal experts. Based on the application materials and external evaluations, the Departmental Committee will invite the most suitable applicants to the third phase where they will visit the Department of Design and deliver teaching demonstrations in the spring of 2021 if this is possible in light of the pandemic (if not, the teaching demonstrations will be delivered remotely).

For more information

If you wish to hear more about the position, please contact Chair of the Departmental Committee, Associate Professor Maarit Mäkelä (maarit.makela(at)aalto.fi). If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Coordinator Katja Korpinurmi (katja.korpinurmi(at)aalto.fi).

Aalto University webpage: https://www.aalto.fi/en/open-positions/professor-design-practices-in-fashion-design