Assistant / Associate Professor in Animation and digital AV Production

Assistant / Associate Professor in Animation and Digital AV Production

Apply locations Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland time type Full time posted on Posted 2 Days Ago job requisition id R42189

Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto University has six schools with nearly 20,000 students and more than 400 professors. Our campuses are located in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland.

The School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS) is an institution of higher education for design, media, architecture, motion picture, art education, and art. The current key areas of research are design, digital media, audiovisual representation, art, visual culture, welfare architecture, and emerging technologies as well as urban planning and design. The school produces specialists and innovators of art, design, and architecture with strong artistic and technical skills. ELO Film School Finland, founded in 1959, is one of the eldest film schools in Europe and in the world.

The Department of Film is now seeking a tenure track professor in:

Animation and Digital AV Production

The call is open for assistant and associate professor levels of the Aalto University tenure track system. The position will begin 1 August 2025, or as agreed. The professorship is full-time.

Job description

The professorship focuses on Animation and Digital Audio-Visual (AV) Production. The field includes the study and creation of animation for film, television, and other digital media platforms, as well as the technical and creative aspects of digital AV production. The professor leads the field's activities at the School of Arts, Design, and Architecture towards innovative research, high-quality teaching, and engagement with the industry and broader community.

The professor is responsible for teaching on all academic degree levels, collaborating closely with an already contracted lecturer in the field and the other majors of the Department of Film. The focus is on providing students with a comprehensive understanding and advanced skills in both theoretical and practical aspects of animation and digital AV production.

The professor will be responsible for developing the program in Animation within the University and from collaborating universities. The field of Animation and Digital AV Production requires skills to use knowledge from various other fields: computer science, visual arts, storytelling, sound design, and interactive media, etc. We expect professors to be proactive members of the Aalto and the international academic community. Collaboration with national and international stakeholders will be important, ensuring the program stays at the forefront of global developments in animation and digital AV production.

Your roles and goals

The tasks of the Assistant/Associate Professor include:

• Teaching
• Artistic activity (and possibly also research) in the field
• Department and School level educational development and administrative tasks

The Professor will cooperate with the Department's faculty, other departments of Aalto, and other higher education institutes. Many of the courses in the Department are organized together with other majors. The Professor will also work tightly with the professional field and create and maintain national, Nordic, and international collaboration networks. Furthermore, the Professor will actively develop the Animation study program, the Department, and the practiced teaching methods in close collaboration with other faculty members.

Requirements

Applicants must possess a master's degree in animation or a related field, such as Digital Audio-Visual Production.

Candidates should have a proven professional track record in animation and/or Digital Audio-Visual Production related to Film such as virtual production, digital effects, etc. They must have teaching experience in relevant fields, along with demonstrable knowledge of both traditional and contemporary animation processes, techniques, and approaches. Additionally, proficiency in industry-related software is essential.

Although not required, the following qualifications are considered assets: a PhD in a related discipline, experience in curriculum planning and administrative responsibilities, experience with a variety of animation processes, and familiarity with additional time-based media, such as video art, multimedia installation, interactivity, or the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning as they pertain to animation.

The applicants will be reviewed based on the following areas: artistic merits, teaching, collaboration skills, and activity and leadership in the artistic or academic community. A doctoral degree or research and publication activity are considered an asset but are not required. A master's degree relevant to the position is mandatory.

The candidate is expected to be internationally networked and fluent in English. The position will require working on Aalto University campus in Finland.

What we offer

We give you the possibility to work within a well-resourced learning, research, and art & design community. The School of Arts, Design and Architecture has well-equipped infrastructure for research and artistic activities, including top-class workshop premises. We are located on the Aalto University campus in Otaniemi, Espoo, with several other neighboring research institutions and organizations.

The salary will be defined based on the applicant's qualifications and level of position and will follow the Aalto University salary system. In addition to the salary, Aalto University provides its employees with occupational health care and excellent learning and development opportunities.

Ready to apply?

The following materials should be submitted in English and in PDF format through our recruitment system Workday. Maximum size per document is 5 MB.

• a motivation letter, including your vision of the Animation and Digital AV Production field from teaching and development perspectives (max. 2 pages)
• a curriculum vitae, according to the instructions of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity
• a teaching portfolio that follows Aalto University guidelines
• an artistic portfolio presenting your 3 most significant artistic works with a link to a compilation of film excerpts. Please describe your role, contribution, and artistic process (The total amount of text should not exceed 1500 words. If visuals are included, the submission can extend to a maximum of 15 pages and must not exceed 30 MB in size. For video links, the duration should not surpass 5 minutes).

We kindly ask you to submit your application materials through our recruitment systems no later than midnight on March 27, 2025 (UTC +3).

If you already work at Aalto University or are a visitor here, please apply for the position by using your existing Workday user account Please see how to apply as an internal applicant here.

After the application period closes, the Departmental Committee will draw a shortlist of candidates who will be invited to a site visit at the Department of Film. During the site visit, they will be interviewed and asked to deliver a teaching demonstration. The site visit will take place at the campus in spring 2025. In addition, the shortlisted applications will be reviewed by external experts.

In parallel with the external peer review phase, we may conduct an academic leadership assessment as part of our evaluation process. This assessment is conducted by an external service provider.

Aalto University reserves the right to leave the position open, to extend the application period, to ask for supplementary materials, or to consider additional candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

Enquiries

For additional information, please contact Chair of the Departmental Committee, Professor Harri Ylönen: harri.ylonen (at) aalto.fi. In questions related to the recruitment process, please contact HR Partner Mariangela Bizzo: mariangela.bizzo (at) aalto.fi.

ELO Film School Finland / Department of Film

The position is located at the Department of Film. The Department of Film, ELO, is the only university-level film school in Finland. It is a vital combination of innovative art academy and an active, practice-based and artistic research unit. It teaches all aspects of filmmaking and costume design. Our faculty consists of international-level practicing filmmakers, costume designers, and researchers.

We value our over 60-year-long tradition but at the same time actively explore future challenges and emerging technologies. The department works closely with the audiovisual industry and costume design in theatre, and emerging contemporary groups in performing arts.

The curriculum draws on artistic and pedagogical traditions, passing them on creatively and developing new forms of expression. During their studies, students are familiarized with various artistic processes, teamwork, historical and critical thinking, observations, and interpretations of reality. This knowledge is applied in practical exercises and student film productions.

The department's research brings new understanding of the forms of expression and production processes in cinematic arts and costume design and opens paths to international research. The research orientation is based on a fruitful dialogue between theory and practice.

The Department encourages its staff to maintain active professional careers as filmmakers. It is possible to work on professional film productions during periodic uncompensated leaves of absence.

For more information, see Department of Film (ELO) | Aalto University.

About Finland and Helsinki area

Finland has a high standard of living, a world-leading education system, and a vibrant commercial and cultural life. It enjoys a robust economy and political stability. It has excellent transport links to the major cities of Europe and beyond. Helsinki is one of Europe's leading capital cities and a vivid center of scholarship. As a living and working environment, Finland is consistently ranked highly in quality-of-life and competitiveness studies.

Want to learn more about us and your future colleagues? You can watch these videos: Aalto University – Towards a better world, Aalto People, and Shaping a Sustainable Future. And this webpage about Aalto and Finland. Welcome to Aalto University and Finland Info Package.

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