Professor, Design Anthropology

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 120 nationalities, 14 000 students, 400 professors and close to 5000 faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is 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.

The Aalto School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS) is a Nordic leader in higher education for design, fashion, games, media, architecture, film, art education and fine art. We produce world-class research e.g. in design, digital media and visual culture, art education, urban planning and architecture. Our graduates innovate in and beyond their fields, drawing on over a century of tradition of our institution, a humane and forward-looking approach, and the latest technologies.

The Department of Design is a community of creative and responsible researchers and design experts. We educate front-line design professionals and visionaries for established, changing and emerging fields of design. (https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-design).

We are now looking for an

Associate/Full Professor, Design Anthropology

Design Anthropology is a thriving field straddling design research, ethnography and anthropology. It investigates practices, cultures, social formations and design with ethnographic methods, while incorporating insights from the design field about how the material and the conceptual aspects of social life are entangled. The key foci for design anthropology at Aalto are the processes of imagining, producing and making design outcomes, and the systems of signification that inform design and are reproduced by design. It can explore and develop different framings and styles of design, from DIY or community-based design to the high-tech and commercialized fields of design. An anthropological approach is significant for design in general and for the Department of Design at Aalto University in particular. The study of users, use, and design-in-action is a cornerstone of all work at the Department of Design. This aligns with the Department of Design's commitment to fostering inclusivity and societal dialogues through design, and to educating broad-minded change-makers.

Your competency and goals

We are looking to hire an ambitious and experienced colleague who has capacity to lead and collaborate in the continuous renewal of design education and design research, including:

• Demonstrated competence and excellent track record in design anthropology research
• Experience and high competence in university education
• Demonstrated ability to gain competed research funding
• Doctoral degree in design, anthropology or in a related relevant field
• Experience in academic responsibilities in university education and research management
• Experience in practical applications of design anthropology (e.g. in industry, public sector or community initiatives) is considered as an advantage
• Excellent skills in English, and Finnish proficiency is considered as an advantage.

Your network and team

The professor of design anthropology will work closely with the 18 professors and 12 lecturers at the department of design, particularly with MA programmes in collaborative and industrial design, creative sustainability and BA programme in design and media.

Experience and ambitions

We are looking for a person who will continue pursuing their excellent research and holds a collaborative attitude and an interest in inter-disciplinary collaboration, including collaboration beyond academia. Our expectation is that the candidate will join a research group or take responsibility for leading or establishing one. The professor will teach courses and supervise students across BA, MA and DA levels.

What we offer

The post offers a unique opportunity to develop a leading profile in design anthropology in a world leading academic department with a collaborative culture. Department of design at Aalto offers Meaningful and inspiring environment. We are proud of our purpose to shape a sustainable future. We spark the game changers of tomorrow and renew society with research-based knowledge and creativity . It’s the people that create Aalto, now and in the future. We want to be an open community where equality and inclusion enable curiosity, innovation, collaboration and wellbeing.

The current post is geared towards taking a responsible and meaningful role with true impact in our university’s success, and in the end, in the wellbeing and development of our society. The university furthermore offers great possibilities for competence development and learning, and provides a support, coaching and sparring when you feel you need it. We constantly keep learning to find the most impactful ways to empower – and invest in – our people. Life on the Aalto campus is vibrant, featuring stunning architecture, tranquil nature, and a variety of cafes, restaurants, and services, all complemented by excellent public transportation connections.

More information about Tenure career: Tenure track | Aalto University

Join us!

To apply, please share the following application documents with us through our recruitment site ("Apply now!”) at the latest at 23.59pm (EET) on April 1st, 2026

• Motivation letter, including your vision for research and teaching in the applied position (2 pages).
• Curriculum vitae, using the following template: https://tenk.fi/en/advice-and-materials/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae
• A List of publications (with the three most significant publications highlighted) according to the instructions by Academy of Finland: List of publications - Research Council of Finland (aka.fi)
• Teaching portfolio including student feedback and self-evaluation, compiled according to Aalto guidelines: Teaching-competence-assessment_Guidelines-for-a-candidate_2024_Aalto-University.pdf

From shortlisted candidates we might require also a research portfolio, but this is not requisite in this initial application round.

Please note: Aalto University’s employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system Workday (Internal Jobs) by using their existing Workday user account. If you are a student or visitor at Aalto University, please apply with your personal email address (not aalto.fi) via Aalto University open positions

For more information about the role, kindly contact Professor Sampsa Hyysalo, sampsa.hyysalo(at)aalto.fi For questions related to the application process, kindly contact HR Partner Katju Helminen, katju.helminen(at)aalto.fi

Read more about working at Aalto: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto

Check out our new virtual campus experience: https://virtualtour.aalto.fi

About Finland

Finland is a great place for living with or without family – it is a safe, politically stable and well-organized Nordic society.

For more information about living in Finland: Aalto Careers for International Staff

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