Professor "Emerging Media Narration" (50%) m/f/d

ZHdK is one of the largest and most diverse art universities in Europe, with around 2100 Bachelor’s and Master’s students. The fields of study and research include Art Education, Cultural Critique, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, and Transdisciplinarity. Located in the heart of Zurich, ZHdK is a dynamic place where passionate people from over 75 countries work, study, teach, research, and continue their education. The university includes numerous exhibition and performance venues where students’ project work is publicly presented.

The Cast / Audiovisual Media department is part of the Design Department, which comprises seven specialisations and the integrative Institute for Design Research. Since 2007, it has been dedicated in teaching, research, further education, and services to the interplay between audiovisual narrative forms and changing media usage behaviour. The clear focus is on non-fictional and journalistic storytelling. From an application-oriented perspective, it consolidates relevant topics, develops prototypical applications, and works closely with the media and communications industry. The diverse, cross-departmental interfaces at ZHdK create a high networking potential that enables inter- and transdisciplinary research practice.

For the Cast / Audiovisual Media department, we are seeking as of 1 May 2027 or by agreement a

We are looking for a distinguished personality who works from an application-oriented research perspective on one or more of the following – non-exhaustive – focal points:

• Narration & Audience: New forms of serial, interactive and platform-based storytelling and audience relationships in algorithmically shaped media environments.
• Technology & Production: Effects of AI-supported workflows on the conception, production and distribution of audiovisual media.
• Ethics & Society: Societal and ethical implications of synthetic media and algorithmically shaped media environments.

Your tasks

The performance mandate includes 30% core-funded research, 20% teaching and is to be expanded through third-party funded research and services.

• You initiate and lead research projects at the interface of design, technology and societal transformation, acquire third-party funding, manage the department-specific research unit including personnel and budget responsibility, represent the Cast / Audiovisual Media department in the R&D college of the Institute for Design Research and contribute your expertise to the direct interdisciplinary environment of ZHdK.
• You utilise existing connections to neighbouring departments to initiate and strengthen joint research and teaching formats as well as cooperative, third-party funded projects.
• You design and teach courses and participate in the development and implementation of a planned Master’s programme.
• As a strategic bridge between the university and industry, you maintain collaborations with the media and communications industry as well as with relevant partner institutions in research and teaching.
• You supervise early-career researchers within the framework of research and/or doctoral projects, support the department’s researchers in the content development of their research projects and promote the creation of new positions through successful acquisition of third-party funds.

Your profile

• We are looking for a visionary, discourse-strong personality who can act with academic authority and design excellence from the start of employment.
• You hold a completed PhD (e.g. in media, communication or film studies, human-computer interaction, or similar) as well as a proven track record in research and third-party funding acquisition at national and/or international level.
• You bring several years of experience in designing and conducting courses in which theoretical, design or technological competences in the field of digital narrative media are conveyed.
• You have a national and/or international network in the media and communications industry, in human-computer interaction or in relevant university networks.
• You possess excellent German and English skills, both spoken and written, combined with the ability to teach and publish in both languages.

What you can expect from us

We offer an attractive key position in a lively, collegial and inclusive environment in Zurich’s Toni Areal to actively shape the future of audiovisual storytelling at a leading art university. The highly interdisciplinary ecosystem with versatile synergies and established interfaces to neighbouring departments at Zurich University of the Arts, as well as partnerships with media houses, cultural institutions and partner universities, form the basis for your own research and service projects.

The employment conditions are governed by the personnel law of the canton of Zurich and are associated with various benefits . Additional information about Zurich University of the Arts can be found at www.zhdk.ch

Your contacts for further information

For general questions, please contact Prof. Dr Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken, Head of Department (a.i.) Design Department: anna.martin@zhdk.ch

For content-related questions, please contact Nico Lypitkas, Head of Department (a.i.) Cast / Audiovisual Media: nico.lypitkas@zhdk.ch

Additional information about Zurich University of the Arts can be found at www.zhdk.ch .