Dear OMTers,
Please distribute freely. Thank you
Positions Open: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Salary Level Equivalent to B - $73,149 to $86,846 pa
(Plus travel funds and generous superannuation)
Vision Building: Integrating and Innovating Organizational and Architectural Design Processes
The University of Technology Sydney has two post-doctoral research scholarships available for suitably qualified researchers. The scholarships are in association with a large, multi-disciplinary and multifaceted research project centered on the design and implementation of a Frank Gehry designed new building in Sydney, Australia. The successful applicants will be working within the Centre for Management and Organization Studies (CMOS), with a team of internationally recognized researchers from the fields of organizational studies, organizational behavior, design, project management and architecture. One post-doc will be situated within the Faculty of Business and will have a PhD in psychology, sociology, management or related fields. The other will be situated within the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building and will have a PhD in Architecture, Design, Project Management or related fields. The split location of the postdoctoral fellows reflects the multi-disciplinary nature of the project and its aim of investigating the linkages between two design processes that have traditionally been separated: the organizational and the architectural design processes. We are seeking high caliber candidates who will be comfortable in a multidisciplinary team environment and with a mixture of research methodologies and theoretical perspectives. The two positions will be full time, for three years and on a fixed contractual basis.
The importance of this study is reflected in the increasing interest in space and architecture as a potential strategic vehicle for organizational and broader urban-economic change and development. Such strategic implications are important yet frequently overlooked aspects of the architectural design process. They have a clear bearing on the architect’s transformation of a vision and design principles into a practical social space as well as on the role and integration of organizational design as an inextricable part of the transformation process and vice versa.
The successful applicants will be working closely on the Gehry project and will interact intensely with the Gehry design team (including Mr. Frank Gehry), as well as constructors, project managers and a range of client organizations. The Gehry team is working with the University of Technology Sydney to produce a new building – to be called the Chau Building in honour of a key benefactor – that will house the Faculty of Business. There is a significant opportunity to investigate all aspects of the process from design through to implementation and the complex and inter-related sub-processes attendant upon that. Each postdoctoral researcher will be expected to develop a program of research directly relevant to the research project and within the context of the work of the project team overall.
There are some highly significant outputs expected from the project and these include:
• A book about the involvement with Frank Gehry at UTS. The book aims to brand the university’s engagement with the procurement of the Chau Building as one achieving excellence in terms of architecture as well as one understanding the processes that support the procurement of innovation at an institutional level. The book will include highly crafted photographs recording the Chau Building and the processes supporting its delivery as well as a good read about the achievement.
• Dissemination of research outcomes in top, peer-reviewed academic journals in relevant disciplinary areas as well as the presentation of findings at leading conferences around the world.
• A report prepared for the University that transmits the knowledge acquired during the project that can feed into its own planning processes as well as into aspects of curriculum design and future research.
While the postdoctoral researchers will be expected to develop and contribute their own research ideas and research agendas, the project overall seeks to understand processes associated with design and large project management and their relation to organizational design and practice. This broad focus suggests the following thematic areas as sites of research concentration:
• The development of the architectural design of the Gehry building and its planned situatedness in and impact on the city.
• The architectural design process and its influence in shaping the strategy and vision of the faculty, the design of the educational programs and culture of the organization and its vision.
• The impact of economic and other exigencies on architectural procurement and project realisation.
• The decision making process in large and complex organizations and their impact on the achievement of goals.
• The management processes associated with complex ,high innovation projects
• The role of design thinking in architectural, managerial and organizational innovation processes
• The use of new BIM technologies and their influence on the process of building procurement – with case studies of the project’s consultant groups.
Position Descriptions: please address the position description and essential and desirable criteria.
Successful applicants will be expected to be engaged with the project in the following ways and as determined in situ by project leaders.
• Major contribution to research activities carried out within The Centre for Managerial and Organization Innovation and Design (CMOS), as well as the Faculty of Business and the Faculty of Design Architecture and Building as determined by project leadership team.
• The development of a personal research focus and agenda that compliments the main project. This to be done through discussions with, and agreement of project leaders.
• Collaboration in the production of research outcomes in the form of conference papers, quality journal publications, reports and a book.
• Contribution to the preparation of research proposal submissions to the Australian Research Council.
• Promotion of research links with outside bodies.
• Collaborating and building relationship with other research teams nationally and internationally worldwide working in this area.
• Assistance to the chief investigators in the administration of the project.
Reporting Relationships
The primary supervisors for this work will the principle chief investigators on the grant headed by Co-Director of CMOS (Professor Stewart Clegg), but both candidates will work closely with research team from both Business and Design, Achitecture & Building
SELECTION CRITERIA
Qualifications: A PhD from a recognized tertiary institution in a relevant discipline as outlined above.
Experience:
• Strong research capability and performance in a field of management, psychology, sociology, design, architecture, project management, organization studies and/or organizational behavior: preferably with work that resonates with the focus of this project. We are especially looking for people form a practice based perspective.
• Demonstrated ability to disseminate and communicate research findings through top-tier publications.
• A demonstrated capacity or clear willingness to work in a cross- and multi-disciplinary environment and to be comfortable with a range of research methodologies and perspectives.
It is desirable that the applicants have:
• Experience of project management of research projects with budget responsibilities, including setting and meeting project milestones and deadlines.
• Experience of supervising research students and/or research staff.
All applicants MUST
• Demonstrate a capacity to work positively with colleagues, as well as have an ability to relate to diverse stakeholders
• Excellent English written and oral communication and language skills.
• Knowledge of equal opportunity principles.
• Knowledge of OHS responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant OHS training.
This position is open to international applicants.
For more information please email Dr. Tyrone S. Pitsis, Director of CMOS, UTS, at
tyrone.pitsis@uts.edu.au, or call +61 2 9514 3371
UTS CRICOS Provider Code: 00099F
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