Tenure track position (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor) specialization in Theatre Arts

Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences create a unique environment for multidisciplinary, inspirational and high-impact research and education. Our universities community has its competitive edges in technology, health and society. www.tuni.fi/en 

We are now seeking an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor in the field of Theatre Arts, with a focus on multidisciplinary artistic research. The position is placed in the Degree Programme in Theatre Arts (Näty), which is administered by the Communication Sciences Unit in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University, and which works in close collaboration with researchers and postgraduate students affiliated to the unit, and the T7 Centre for Practice as Research in Theatre.

The Degree Programme in Theatre Arts provides interdisciplinary, Finnish-language actor education at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. Artistic, professional and societal perspectives meet in the teaching, which is based on and led by artistic research. The pedagogy aims to recognise the demands that will be placed on artists and arts in the future and builds a foundation for the students’ continuous self-development. Performances of various kinds are created as part of teaching.

The artistic research carried out in the programme focuses on acting and performance, and their continuously changing environments. It encompasses topics such as digital acting and Telepresence, actor dramaturgy, the actor’s voice, acting in a foreign language, group dynamics and artistic processes, as well as questions concerning corporality and differently abled bodies.

Job description 

We are seeking a highly motivated and accomplished artist-researcher with a focus on multidisciplinary artistic research in acting, performance, and embodied practices.

The professor will carry out artistic and theoretical work and provide research-led teaching and supervision in collaboration with other experts involved in the research and education of theatre arts. The professor will also follow the developments in the field of art and artistic research and take part in community interaction and international cooperation in the field.

In this position you are expected to: 

• carry out independent artistic and research activities
• develop multidisciplinary artistic research in the Degree Programme in Theatre Arts 
• develop research projects which involve other disciplines and institutions, and external stakeholders
• promote societal impact and community interaction of artistic research
• bear responsibility for the instruction and personal supervision of doctoral students
• conduct research-led teaching, and supervise and examine artistic thesis projects
• take part in collaborative activities in the Degree Programme in Theatre Arts, the Communication Sciences Unit, and within the ITC faculty
• participate in the wider research community of Tampere University
• follow current developments in art and artistic research
• promote and create international collaborations
• applying for external research funding
• perform other duties belonging to the professor

The duties of the professor will be further specified, and their quantitative ratios confirmed, in the annual workload plan. The duties will also be proportioned to the level of seniority; For more senior level appointments, leading research, carrying out international research activities will be emphasized.

Requirements  

Assistant Professor  

We require:  

• applicable doctoral degree
• ability to undertake independent scholarly and artistic activity; and potential to pursue scholarly and artistic activity at a high international level of excellence   
• teaching skills required to successfully perform the duties and functions of the position. 

Associate Professor  

We require:  

• applicable doctoral degree
• track record of independent scholarly and artistic activity
• ability to lead a research group and acquire external funding
• track record of international scholarly and artistic activity
• teaching skills required to successfully perform the duties and functions of the position

Professor  

We require:  

• applicable doctoral degree 
• high-level scholarly and artistic expertise 
• experience of leading scientific research and artistic activities 
• ability to provide high-quality research-based education and instruction 
• track record of winning external research funding 
• track record of international scholarly and artistic activity

You need to be fluent in the English language in order to be able to manage the position. Knowledge of the Finnish language and culture can be seen as an advantage. Please be prepared to provide proof of your merits when requested.

Tampere University is a unique, multidisciplinary and boldly forward-looking, evolving community. Our values are openness, diversity, responsibility, courage, critical thinking, erudition/ Bildung, and learner-centredness. We hope that you can embrace these values and promote them in your work. 

We offer  

Tampere University and the higher education community offer a unique multidisciplinary environment for interdisciplinary research and teaching. We offer an initial appointment for assistant professor and for associate professor for five years. Subject to successful performance, you will become a tenured member of the Faculty staff at the end of the first five-year period. You will be well-supported throughout the five-year period to ease transition to a tenured position. Full professors will hold a permanent appointment from the outset. Please read more about the Tenure track career path at Tampere University.

We offer you the opportunity to join our dynamic and innovative international community. As a member of staff at Tampere University, you will enjoy a range of competitive benefits, such as occupational health care services, flexible work schedule, versatile research infrastructure, modern teaching facilities and a safe and inviting campus area as well as a personal fund to spend on sports and cultural activities in your free time. Please read more about working at Tampere University. You can also find more information about us and working and living Tampere by watching our video: Tampere Higher Education Community - our academic playground.   

Tampere sits between two lakes and is Finland’s second largest urban area and the largest inland city in the Nordic countries. Nature is close everywhere you turn your head in Tampere. This, coupled with a strong industrial tradition and a vivid cultural scene, makes Tampere a unique environment for living and working. For more information on Tampere, please see VisitTampere and BusinessTampere.  

Finland provides one of the most advanced and comprehensive social security systems in the world. It includes, for example, sickness benefits, various family benefits and a comprehensive healthcare system. For more information on Finland, please check InfoFinland and This is Finland. 

Salaries are based on the job demands and employees’ personal performance in accordance with the Finnish University Salary System. The starting salary range will be from €4,000 to €4,600/month for an assistant professor, from €4,600 to €5,300/month for an associate professor, and from €5,500 to €6,300/month for a professor. A higher salary may be agreed upon based on the successful candidate’s experience and/or performance. A trial period of six months applies to all our new employees. 

How to apply 

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system (link below). The closing date for applications is 2^nd of March 2023 (at 23.59 EET / UTC +2).  

Please write your application and all accompanying documents in English and attach them in PDF format. Applications should include the following documents:  

• Curriculum Vitae according to TENK guidelines
• List of publications according to Academy of Finland guidelines. Please indicate your five most important publications and add a link to those. You may also gather the publications to a cloud file and add a link to this to your list of publications.  
• Teaching portfolio according to the university guideline
• A research plan (max. 4-5 pages) including your research vision for the future in this field and a realistic implementation plan (research questions, methods, collaboration, funding, etc.) for your research for the next 5 years. 
• A letter of application (max. 2-3 pages). This should include your motivation for applying for this post, a brief account of your career, career stage, career outlook, and key achievements. 
• The names, positions and contact details of two referees who can provide references. Only referees for shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

Candidates may be invited for a video interview during the first stage of the recruitment process. The most qualified candidates will be invited for an on-site interview. They will undergo an aptitude assessment, a review by external experts and will be expected to provide a demonstration of their teaching skills. Read more about how we evaluate teaching competence during recruitment.

For more information, please contact:  

Head of Communication Sciences Unit, Iiris Ruoho, iiris.ruoho@tuni.fi and Professor (theatre work) Pauliina Hulkko, pauliina.hulkko@tuni.fi. 

With questions related to the recruitment process, please contact HR specialist Meri Pere, meri.pere@tuni.fi.