Postdoctoral Researcher (ORBIT Consortium, Management and Organizations) Tampere University in Finland

Tampere University is offering a Postdoctoral Researcher position in the NordForsk-funded ORBIT consortium: Organizing Across Boundaries for Responsible Use of AI: Towards Interconnected Smart Grids in the Nordic Energy Sector. The post is hosted by the Faculty of Management and Business and supervised by Professor Elina I. Mäkinen.

The ORBIT project examines how Nordic energy-sector organizations are adopting AI to forecast, balance, and manage critical infrastructure while responding to changing regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act. The research focuses on how regulation, organizational practices, and professional expertise interact as organizations build the capacity to use AI responsibly and securely. A key aim is to understand how this reshapes expert work, accountability, and collaboration across organizational and national boundaries.

The successful candidate will contribute to qualitative fieldwork and stakeholder engagement across the consortium. Duties include interviews, observations, document analysis, comparative analysis across Nordic countries and organizational settings, workshop design and delivery, dissemination, and co-authoring scholarly outputs. Most fieldwork will take place in Finland, with possible research travel and meetings in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

This is an excellent opportunity for a researcher with interests in organization studies, organizational sociology, responsible AI, and professional work. The consortium includes researchers from Tampere University, Aalborg University, University of Gothenburg, and BI Norwegian Business School, offering an international and interdisciplinary environment.

Applicants must hold a completed doctoral degree in management and organization, organization studies, sociology, or another relevant social science discipline by the application deadline. Strong qualitative or ethnographic research skills, evidence of publication activity, and excellent English are required. Experience in the energy sector is beneficial, and prior work in an international, interdisciplinary team is valued.

The appointment starts on 1 November 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter and runs for three years. The salary follows the Finnish university salary system, with a typical starting salary of approximately EUR 3,900–4,200 per month. Tampere University also offers staff benefits and an internationally oriented research environment in Finland.

Application deadline: 21 September 2026 at 23:59 Finnish time. Applications must be submitted electronically in English and include a cover letter, CV, list of publications, one writing sample, and contact details for two referees.