Assistant Professor, tenure track (qualification agreement)

  • Vienna University of Economics and Business
  • Research, development, teaching
  • Fulltime
  • published till: 2025-09-03
You want to understand how things are connected and make a fundamental impact? We offer an environment where you can realize your full potential. At one of Europe’s largest and most modern business and economics universities. On a campus where quality of work is also quality of life. We are looking for support at the

Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization
Fulltime, 40 hours/week
Flexible start date and limited for 6 years

A qualification agreement will be concluded at the start of the employment (§ 27 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement). Pursuant to WU’s Personnel Development Plan, this position can only be fixed-term for up to six years. Once all objectives agreed upon in the qualification agreement have been fulfilled, the employment relationship can be made permanent. Employees who have successfully completed a qualification agreement are classified as associate professors. From an organizational regulation perspective they belong to the group of professors. Three years after successful completion of the qualification agreement, they are entitled to apply for promotion to full professor according to the By-Laws of WU § 43a.
 
The Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization (IfSTO) at WU Vienna’s Department of Strategy and Innovation is currently inviting applications for an Assistant Professor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, tenure track (qualification agreement) to join our interdisciplinary department. We are looking for a creative and engaging scholar who will contribute to building department strengths in the area of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. A successful candidate will have a PhD in management, economics, psychology, sociology or a related field, and a research program that enhances our department's interdisciplinary and quantitative focused work.  Our diversity provides a rich foundation and a strong intellectual base to study challenges that entrepreneurs, managers and organizations face in today’s dynamic business environment.

What to expect

Potential topics and context
The tenure track position’s research focus is on “Innovation in the Digital Age”.
It aims to conduct relevant and rigorous work related to how individuals or organizations create and capture value through innovation in the digital age. Research areas can include, but are not limited to the following three interrelated areas: 
(1)  The paradigm shift towards open, user-centered and democratized innovation processes.
(2)  The role of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and/or machine learning for innovation processes: what role may such digital technologies play independently or in collaboration with human intelligence in different phases of the innovation process such as need recognition, ideation, evaluation & testing, development, and diffusion. 
(3)  New forms of organizing innovation allowing organizations to rapidly adapt in highly dynamic and uncertain environments.
 
The successful candidate will be part of the IfSTO and will likely engage with scholars at IfSTO and at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I). At the same time the successful candidate is invited to engage with scholars at any other institute of the department to cut across into the diverse areas of the department such as strategy, management control or decision science.
 
Your responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to:
  • Develop an international reputation in research in Entrepreneurship and Innovation by publishing in high-quality outlets. 
  • Be actively involved in the international academic community (e.g., through international cooperation).
  • Present as well as organize sessions and/or workshops at leading conferences in the field; participation in and/or leadership of professional association committees
  • Teach 90 contact hours (four WU standard courses) per year on topics related to Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Business Analytics
  • Supervise Bachelor's and Master's theses
  • Support and guide PhD students in their research in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
  • Contribute actively to administration and to the development of the Institute
  • Contribute to the further development of study programs and courses
  • Engage in Third Mission activities
  • Apply for third-party research funds

What you have to offer

We expect that successful candidates fulfill the following criteria:
  • PhD degree (or equivalent) in Management, Economics, Psychology, Sociology or a related field;
  • Proven international academic experience (i.e. a PhD from a non-Austrian university or at least three years of academic work experience as a post-doctoral researcher outside of Austria);
  • A strong commitment to high-quality research on Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Digital Age as well as evidence of ability to conduct impactful research and to publish in top journals;
  • At least one academic research paper (“job market paper”) which has been published or is publishable in a leading journal and which connects broadly to Innovation in the Digital Age;
  • Active involvement in the international academic community;
  • Experience in (advanced) quantitative empirical research methods;
  • Teaching experience (including thesis supervision) in relevant areas in English and/or German at Bachelor- or Master-level;
  • Speak English fluently
  • Willingness to use multimedia teaching methods: prepared to use multimedia teaching and learning formats.
The successful candidate is not required to meet the following criteria but doing so would be an advantage:
  • Experience in successfully attracting third-party research funds
  • Experience in supporting and guiding PhD students 
  • Experience in developing new courses on empirical methods or entrepreneurship and innovation and related fields
  • Proven commitment to academic self-governance and/or Institute administration
  • Experience in Third Mission activities
 
Required submission materials:
  • C.V. (including (if relevant) publications, list of held courses, and list of supervised theses, third mission activities, contributions to academic self-governance, third party research funding)
  • Contact details of at least 2 references for confidential reference letters. References will be contacted directly for their letters when needed.
  • Cover letter
  • Job market paper
  • Research statement 
  • Teaching statement 
  • Additional papers (optional)
For details of the position, please contact Professor Christopher Lettl by email: christopher.lettl@wu.ac.at.

What we offer you

  • Inspiring campus life with over 2,400 employees in research, teaching, and administration and approximately 21,500 students
  • A modern campus with spectacular architecture in the heart of Vienna
  • Excellent accessibility by public transportation
  • Meaningful work in an open-minded, inclusive, and family-friendly environment
  • Flexible working hours
  • A wide range of benefits, from an in-house medical officer to athletic activities and a meal allowance to a variety of employee discounts
Curious? Visit our website and find out more at www.wu.ac.at/benefits.

The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to €5,808.20 (14 times per year). This salary may be adjusted based on equivalent prior work experience. In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive social benefits.

Do you want to join the WU team?
Then please submit your application by September 03, 2025 (ID 2441).
We are looking forward to hearing from you!