Vice-Rector Research and Innovation Member Executive Board

With around 2,100 Bachelor's and Master's students, ZHdK is one of Europe’s largest and most diverse universities of the arts. Its study and research areas include Art Education, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre and Transdisciplinary Studies. Located in the heart of Zurich, ZHdK is a dynamic place where passionate people from over 75 countries work, study, teach, conduct research and pursue continuing education.

The university has numerous exhibition and performance venues where students' project work is shown to the public.

ZHdK is strengthening its strategic effectiveness by introducing Vice-Rectorates. The Vice-Rectorate for Research and Innovation at ZHdK fosters environments for knowledge creation and impact. It strengthens artistic, arts‑based and scientific research and promotes excellence and social relevance. To strengthen our Executive Board, we are looking for an inspiring individual as:

In this management role, you will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of research, innovation and transfer in order to strengthen the social impact of ZHdK. You will be responsible for the research infrastructure, develop institutional capacity for third‑party funding, actively support researchers and develop the international visibility of ZHdK's research and innovation profile.

In this challenging management role, you will support the strategic development of research and innovation ed on the university's overall strategy and in collaboration with the departments, you will continuously develop the university's research and innovation strategy, thereby shaping a coherent and forward‑looking research profile that embraces diverse artistic, arts‑based, and scientific approaches. By observing national and international developments in higher education, research and innovation policy, you will identify strategic opportunities early on and integrate them effectively into institutional governance.

You will also be involved in the university's development and financial planning, be responsible for relevant performance indicators and position ZHdK as an internationally visible, research‑active university of the arts.

In collaboration with your team, you will coordinate all internal support services for researchers, from external funding advisory services, open science and research information to innovation support and competitiveness. Together with your team, you will actively support researchers in acquiring third‑party funding – in particular for applications to the SNF, Innosuisse, the EU or foundations – thereby strengthening the development of a diverse and promising third‑party funding portfolio.

At the same time, you will continue to expand the ZHdK's research infrastructure, strengthen open science standards, ethical processes and scientific information systems, and consistently develop research‑related indicators, evaluations, reporting processes and research and innovation communication.

Another focus of your work will be in the area of innovation, transfer and cooperation. You will promote the university's innovative strength and actively foster connections between art, science, business and society. You will expand cooperation structures and strategic partnerships, enable entrepreneurial thinking and action, establish fair and transparent cooperation models, and thereby strengthen both ZHdK’s local embeddedness and its international visibility.

Great importance is also attached to promoting early‑career researchers and research‑based teaching. You are responsible for the coordination of the university‑wide PhD programme, professionalising support structures and quality standards for doctoral students, and strengthening a research‑friendly and inspiring culture for early‑career researchers. In addition, you promote the integration of research and teaching – especially in the field of artistic research and research‑oriented curriculum development – and thus contribute to empowering future generations of researchers and artists.

In internal collaboration, you serve as an…