Head of Department of Mathematical Sciences - Aalborg University

Job Description
As the head of the department, you will participate in the management of a well-established department and its strategic development such as interdisciplinary collaboration, mission orientation and maintaining high academic standards.

The department is one of five departments at the Faculty of Engineering and Science and collaborates on projects across all of Aalborg University. In addition, the department performs a significant amount of teaching both within its own programmes and across all AAU’s programmes. Moreover, the department contributes with mathematical expertise to AAU's strategic focus areas through fundamental and applied research.

As the head of the department, you are responsible for the department's academic, financial, and staff management. You will represent the department both internally and externally. Therefore, the ability to establish strong collaborative relations with internal and external stakeholders is a must. One of your most important tasks will be to drive the continuous development of the department's activities within research, problem-based learning, and industrial collaboration. Given the department’s extensive teaching responsibilities, it is also imperative that the head of the department ensures the development of the quality of education.

It will be a crucial task to manage and increase the share of external activities, including an international dimension.

Furthermore, it is your responsibility to nurture the development of new scientific talents and ensure ongoing career development for staff members. You will be part of the faculty management team, working alongside the dean, vice deans, and other department heads, who are responsible for managing the faculty and for implementing AAU’s strategy.

As a committed leader, you will contribute to the internal coherence of the department through active listening, efficient communication, and personal example. You must clearly formulate the department's strategic directions in collaboration with the rest of the management team, thus building trust and confidence within the department. 

As head of the department, you will have independent budget responsibility, as well as responsibility for developing action plans for the department's activities within the framework of the faculty's strategic focus areas, with a particular focus on sustainability, research quality, research-based education, and external research project funding, both nationally and internationally.

In the years to come, the focus of the department will be to strategically utilise the substantial potential within the department’s areas of expertise. This will include seeking out further collaborations across the university, as well as establishing cross-field and cross-department research partnerships.

Moreover, a continuous focus on developing the organisation in terms of research- and staff management, processes, workflows, tools for the department’s dynamic daily operations, as well as the department’s continuous expansion, is important. The department enjoys good internal collaboration, and its ongoing nurturing and development is also a part of the new head of department’s responsibilities.

Finally, an important task is to ensure agreeable and inspiring working conditions for all staff members within the department, in harmony with the above-mentioned focus areas and the department's principal goals.

About the department

The Department of Mathematical Sciences has around 45 employees. In 2022, the department had a turnover of 34 million DKK, with 4 million DKK arising from external research activities. Research and teaching at the department cover various areas in mathematics, statistics, mathematical economics, and technology. 

Gender equality and diversity are core values for Aalborg University(AAU) with an ambition to be a diverse and inclusive organisation. As head of the department, you must see diversity as a strength and support an inclusive culture. Read more about Aalborg University’s Committee for Equality and Diversity here.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences shares a secretariat with the Department of Materials and Production to ensure critical mass and competencies in the administrative support. For more detailed information on the research and teaching, please visit the department's website here.

Information about life in Denmark in general, health care, tax etc. can be found at the International Staff Unit page here and the official guide to Life in Denmark here,

Qualification Requirements

You must be an internationally recognised researcher at least at associate professor level or equivalent, have insight into the department's academic areas, and be willing to take on leadership. Experience in staff management and training in this area is an advantage.

It is expected that you have insight into the interaction between research and higher education, as well as into their contributions to the wider community. You must be able to demonstrate results from research collaboration with the external community both at the national and international levels and have solid knowledge of several of the academic areas represented in the department.

As a person, you have strong leadership and teamwork skills. You are capable of functioning in an internationally oriented university environment and have strong strategic competencies that allow you to anticipate the future needs of society in terms of research, education, and knowledge exchange.

You strive to lead by example and set goals and frameworks for education, research, and external collaboration. Moreover, there is an expectation of a focus on internationalisation both within the department and at the faculty level.

It is expected that you possess strong interpersonal skills, communication abilities, decisiveness, and the ability to take action in a complex organisation.

Application Process

If you have questions about the position, feel free to contact Dean Mogens Rysholt Poulsen at+45 2215 1444 or email mrp@adm.aau.dk(private e-mail, treated confidentially).

Interviews will be conducted in two rounds. We expect to conduct the first round of interviews on January 24, 2024, and invitations for the first interview will be sent out on January 18, 2024. The second round of interviews is expected to be conducted on February 2, 2024. Candidates advancing to the second round will undergo a personal profile analysis. Please be aware that the above dates are in the process of being updated due to the application deadline being extended. 

Application

The application should include your motivation for applying for the position, personal qualifications for meeting the job requirements, education papers, scientific qualifications, management qualifications, experience with external collaboration and if possible, a teaching portfolio. Aalborg University must receive your application electronically, along with your CV, exam certificates, and other relevant documentation no later than April 2, 2024.

Open the"Søg stillingen her" link and fill out the application form.

Salary and Terms of Employment

The appointment as the head of the department is on a fixed-term basis for a period of 5 years with the possibility of extension for up to 3 years. There may be the option of including research activities up to 20% within the position. Employment and remuneration are in accordance with the collective agreement for academics in the state, along with the associated protocol on the employment of department heads and deans at universities, as well as the circular on fixed-term employment.

There is a possibility of negotiating a qualification supplement.

An agreement may be entered into a post-position as associate professor or professor at the end of the fixed-term period. Employment in a post-position can occur following a positive assessment by experts in accordance with The Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities and the ministerial order on the appointment of academic staff at the universities(the appointment order).

AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.

Learn more about Aalborg University at www.aau.dk