University Assistant (Prae-Doc)

University Assistant (Prae-Doc)

40 hours per week| limited to 3 years

The TU Wien is Austria's largest scientific-technical research and educational institution and one of the best technical universities in Europe with about 4500 employees in research, teaching and administration and over 30,000 students. At the Research Unit Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning (Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning, Institute of Urban Design and Landscape Architecture), a doctoral position is available, starting 01.04.2025 (40 hours per week, limited until 31.03.2028) for a period of three years. The position is part of the Doctoral Network “LANDLABS - Landscape Laboratories: Design strategies for sustainable and beautiful urban landscapes in the Anthropocene” (funded by the European Commission within the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions). It operates across six landscape laboratories throughout Europe, exploring new perspectives on the interconnectedness between humans, animals, plants, water, air, soil, and technologies. Through an innovative site-based, research-through-design approach, LANDLABS offers young researchers the opportunity to contribute to the critical and urgent issue of the green transition of cities in alignment with the European Green Deal and the United Nations Goals of Sustainability. As members of LANDLABS, the Doctoral Candidates will receive training in developing new modes of understanding urban landscapes in the Anthropocene and devising new methods to enhance their sustainability and beauty. LANDLABS unites researchers from Leibniz University Hannover, Aarhus School of Architecture, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, University of Ljubljana, University of Porto, TU Wien, and associated partners from municipal planning departments. All six Doctoral Candidates affiliated with LANDLABS will engage deeply with a specific site in collaboration with the local municipal planning department. These sites are landscapes significantly impacted by human activities and will function as landscape laboratories for exploring new perspectives on interconnectedness and testing design strategies for sustainable and beautiful urban landscapes in the Anthropocene. The PhD fellows are expected to develop and implement design interventions in these landscape laboratories as part of their research. The doctoral training in LANDLABS is organized into two main phases. In the first two years, each Doctoral Candidate primarily focuses on their individual landscape laboratory site and related theory. For the candidate at TU Wien, this entails an investigation of the industrial urban landscape of “Old Freight Yard Breitenlee” and an examination of social and ecological design processes in regard to cohabitation and cocreation. In the third year, the six Doctoral Candidates collaborate in a virtual PhD lab on joint tasks to develop transferable theory, evaluation criteria, and design strategies for sustainable and beautiful urban landscapes in the Anthropocene. The Doctoral Candidates are required to participate in all joint activities and contribute three papers as part of their dissertation: two individual and one joint.

Your responsibilities

• Active participation in an innovative doctoral network dealing with the development of a site-based, research-through-design approach for a conversion area and transformative urban landscape in Vienna dealing with ecological and social dynamics and the interconnectedness between humans, animals, plants, water, air, soil, and technologies.
• Writing of a dissertation and enhancement of own scientific knowledge.
• Active publication work within the framework of the research project
• Participation in a secondment to a municipality
• Participation in teaching activities in connection with the research project
• Participation in scientific events (e.g. organization of workshops and conferences)

Your profile (qualifications)

• The position requires a master's degree in landscape architecture or a related design discipline. Additionally, experience with projects dealing with landscapes significantly impacted by human activities will be advantageous.
• If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, you will not be eligible for this position.
• Applicants must demonstrate English language skills at the B2 level (CEFR) and at least basic knowledge of German.
• An application letter describing the applicant’s motivation for the specific project and the doctoral network, along with a portfolio documenting the applicant’s design competencies and a CV, is required as part of the application. Writing examples from thesis, seminar work or other publications could be included
• In the assessment, emphasis will be placed on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the design-related work documented in the application. Additionally, other experiences significant to the completion of the doctoral program may be considered.
• We will also place importance on motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are seeking candidates who possess strong collaboration and communication skills and an interest in working in an international context.
• Applicants can be of any nationality and must comply with the following mobility rule: the applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting university for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. This rule is not debatable.
• In-depth knowledge in the field of landscape architecture and landscape planning as well as profound knowledge of scientific work
• Experience in collaborative, integrated, and exploratory design and planning methods and interest in developing related research questions
• Organizational talent and the ability to work independently, analytically and in a structured manner. Determination and excellent time management
• High degree of social competence (ability to work in a team, motivational skills, problem-solving ability as well as innovative skills and initiative, openness and flexibility))

We offer

• Participation in an engaging research project/doctoral network
• Promising career opportunities
• Wide range of internal and external training opportunities and flexible working arrangements
• Central location and good accessibility (subway U1/U2/U4 Karlsplatz)
• Working in a stimulating academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Family-friendly working time arrangements
• An appreciative culture and pleasant working atmosphere

Entry level salary is determined by the pay grade B1 of the Austrian collective agreement for university staff. This is a minimum of currently EUR 3.578,80 /month gross, 14 times/year for 40 hours/week.

Additional information

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Susann Ahn (susann.ahn@tuwien.ac.at). Information about the institute can be found on the Internet at https://landscape-tuwien.at. More information – also to related positions: www.landlabs.eu

Your application should include

• A letter of application explaining your motivation (maximum two pages)
• A portfolio documenting design competency (maximum five projects/twelve pages, including the master’s thesis)
• Writing samples (maximum five pages)
• A CV (max. two pages)
• Diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees
• Transcripts of grades/academic records for bachelor's and master's degrees
• An explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English language skills at the B2 level (CEFR)
• Documentation of proficiency in German and other languages
• Please indicate whether you have applied to other partners within the LANDLABS consortium and, if so, where you have applied.
• All documentation to be considered must be in English.

The TU Wien strives to increase the proportion of women and therefore expressly invites qualified women to apply. Applicants who are equally suitable as the best-suited competitor will be given priority, unless reasons relating to the person of a competitor prevail. We are committed to hiring people with disabilities with appropriate qualifications and therefore expressly invite applications. If you have any questions, please contact Gerhard Neustätter, the TU Wien's representative for persons with disabilities. We look forward to receiving your application by 30.11.2024.