PhD position in Informatics with a focus on sustainable data cultures

The Department of Informatics is recruiting a PhD student for a fixed-term employment of four years starting in the autumn of 2025 or as agreed.

Project description
This doctoral position has a special focus on sustainable data cultures, algorithmic decision-making and AI solutions within municipal companies. The planned dissertation work focuses on how employees within the municipal company Vakin work with data management, and how organizational structures affect the possibility of creating a data-driven culture where AI is used effectively in operations. The doctoral position is affiliated with the School of Business Administration at Umeå University, as well as current research conducted at the Department of Informatics. The project involves in-depth collaboration with Vakin as an external party to the project, Vakin's mission is to deliver drinking water, clean wastewater and take care of household waste resources, and in this way contribute to the construction of a sustainable society. The project also involves national and international research collaborations in the area of sustainable data cultures and AI solutions.

Against this background, the applicant is expected to have some knowledge of digitalization and current developments towards AI solutions for businesses. It is important that the candidate is motivated to conduct empirical studies to create new knowledge about sustainable data cultures and how a municipal company can develop a sustainable data culture that enables the effective use of AI within the framework of the business's sustainability goals and socially beneficial values.

Those who are employed as doctoral students must primarily devote themselves to their own research education that is intended to result in a doctoral degree. As a doctoral student, you will be trained in scientific work in the form of publishing scientific articles in journals and at national and international conferences. As a doctoral student, you will take both mandatory and elective courses, plan and carry out your research projects independently.

About the employment
You will be employed by and accepted as a PhD student at the department of Informatics, Umeå University. The appointment runs for four years full-time. Salary is paid according to the established contract for doctoral positions, and is increased by study progress. Starting date is autumn 2025 or as agreed. Placement is at Umeå University, the department of Informatics and we are looking for a PhD student who will be part of our daily work.

To a certain extent, the position may include teaching or other departmental duties (maximum 20%), in which case the employment period will be extended accordingly. More information about the doctoral education at the department and what it means to be a doctoral student can be found here.

The position is filled subject to the necessary decisions being made.

Eligability
For employment as a doctoral student, admission to doctoral education is required. The basic eligibility to be admitted to postgraduate education is for those who have completed an advanced level degree in informatics or equivalent. The department's complete eligibility for admission to postgraduate education can be read here - General study plan for postgraduate education at the department of informatics. In order to fulfill the requirement for special eligibility, it is required that the applicant has basic university education in informatics of at least 90 higher education credits, as well as 60 higher education credits at advanced level in informatics (master's level) or other education of equivalent scope and depth. The department's complete eligibility for admission to postgraduate education: Syllabus for the PhD program in Informatics

Other qualifications
The applicant is expected to have some knowledge of digitalization and current developments towards AI solutions for businesses. Since the doctoral student will be part of a multicultural institution, the ability to communicate well in English is required. It is also necessary that the doctoral student can read and speak Swedish fluently as the data collection requires it. When selecting eligible applicants, great importance is placed on the thesis plan and ability to assimilate the education as well as previous study results. Otherwise, reference is made to regulations for employment as a doctoral student found in Regulation SFS 1993:100 (Higher Education Regulation Chapter 5).

Application
Your application must include:
• A letter of introduction/personal letter
• Dissertation plan/research plan and description of research interest (max. 2 pages)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Copies of previous thesis/work (MSc/MA and/or BSc/BA)
• Copies of academic transcripts including documentation of completed academic courses and grades
• Copies of published own research (if any)

The application must be complete in order for it to be considered in the recruitment process. The application must be made via the e-recruitment system Varbi.

The Department of Informatics
At the Department of Informatics, research and education is conducted with a focus on digitization of society, organizations and interaction. Digital technology has become an enabler for changed ways of living and doing business. In our research, we study these changes and change processes and we study the interaction between humans and technology to understand technology's possibilities and its limitations. In our studies of digitization, we move in many contexts such as the public sector, media, games, entertainment, financial companies, entrepreneurship, IT companies and the manufacturing industry.

Industrial Doctoral School for Research and Innovation
The industrial doctoral school for research and innovation is a multidisciplinary research school where the projects are based on collaborations between Umeå University and external organizations. The doctoral students within the industrial doctoral school constitute an interdisciplinary group that, in addition to each individual research specialization, is offered a tailored course package that creates a strong platform for future work in research and development. A doctoral position within the School of Business Research also includes an internship period at the external organization.