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Assistant Professor in Industrial automation and intelligent robotics

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Industrial Engineering and Management

Subject field

Industrial automation and intelligent robotics.

Subject description

Industrial automation and intelligent robotics is an interdisciplinary field focusing on the development, integration, and optimization of automated systems and robots with intelligent functionalities to improve the efficiency, adaptability, and quality assurance of industrial production systems. Focus lies in industrial production applications where the human role in the system is important.

Duties

The position includes research and teaching in close collaboration with industry and society. The assistant professor is expected to develop an independent line of research and contribute to building KTH’s competence in automation and intelligent robotics. This includes establishing external collaborations, supervising doctoral students, and working with postdoctoral researchers. The interdisciplinary nature of the subject entails collaboration with other departments and schools at KTH in areas such as mechatronics, robotics, computer vision, machine learning, mathematics, and optimization.

The assistant professor will also contribute to teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Duties may include course responsibility, course development, lecturing, and supervision. Within the subject area, the department is running courses including MG1002 Automation Technology (taught in Swedish) and MG2032 Automation Technology, Advanced Course (taught in English). If necessary, a language plan will be drawn up as support in connection with employment as it is expected that the assistant professor will be able to teach in Swedish within four years.

The assistant professor will be given opportunity to develop their independence as researcher and gain accreditation that may allow them to take other teaching positions with higher eligibility requirements (see Chapter 4, Section 12 a of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance). Following application, the assistant professor can apply for promotion to associate professor in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 12 c of the Higher Education Ordinance.

Eligibility

An individual who has completed a doctorate or equivalent scientific competence is qualified for appointment as an assistant professor. Candidates who met those qualifications a maximum of seven years before the deadline for applying for the appointment as an assistant professor has expired should be prioritized. Other candidates may also be considered if there are special reasons. Special reasons’ refers to absence due to illness, parental leave or other similar circumstances.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for appointment as an assistant professor at KTH are stated in KTH's appointments procedure section 1.3, and apply in relation to the employment profile laid down.

Of highest importance is that the applicant has

  • potential to qualify for a higher teaching post. This includes the potential for independent development as a researcher and teacher within the subject field in question and also the ability to establish, review and develop the research area in question.
  • scientific expertise demonstrated through scientific publications, conference attendance, attendance of research cooperation and also other undertakings in the scientific community such as assignments as a reviewer or expert.
  • an interest in and experience of research and development through industrial collaboration in the relevant subject area.

Of second highest importance is that the applicant has

  • an interest in and understanding of pedagogical development within the subject field in question.
  • experience from a postdoctoral visit in a research environment other than the university at which the applicant defended their doctoral thesis. Experience from research and development work within the industry or other organisations is considered to correspond to a traditional postdoc visit to another university.

It is also important that the applicant has

  • an interest in and insights concerning leadership in academia, collaboration with the outside community, and awareness of diversity and equal opportunity issues with a particular focus on gender equality.
  • administrative expertise.

Special grounds of assessment for promotion to associate professor

When assessing applications for promotion to associate professor, provisions according to Section 1.2.4 of Appointments procedure at KTH will be applied. Ability to teach in Swedish is a merit that is given great importance in the application for promotion.

Trade union representatives

Contact information to trade union representatives can be found at KTH's web page.

Application

Your application should follow KTH's CV template for employment of teachers. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete according to the requirements in the ad and CV template.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Log into KTH recruitment system in order to apply to this position.

Other

Time limitation:The appointment is for an indefinite term, but no more than six years, and may be extended if, due to the teacher’s absence due to sick leave, parental leave or other special grounds, more time is required to reach the objectives of the appointment. However, the total appointment period may not exceed eight years. The appointment is part of the Tenure Track system at KTH and the assistant professor may apply for promotion to tenured associate professor.

For more information regarding KTH's assessment, see Appointments procedure at KTH

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

Guidance on relocating and settling in at KTH and in Sweden.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

About KTH

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history and philosophy. Read more here

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Type of employment

Temporary position

Contract type

Full time

Full-time equivalent

100 %

First day of employment

As soon as possible

Salary

Monthly pay

Number of positions

1

Location

Stockholm

County

Stockholms län

Country

Sweden

Reference number

PA-2025-1318

Published

23.Jun.2025

Last application date

16.Aug.2025

Contact
Head of department Magnus Wiktorsson
magwik@kth.se
Unit manager Vincent Xi Wang
wangxi@kth.se
Associate professor Antonio Maffei
maffei@kth.se