Vacant job

University of Gothenburg meets society's challenges with diverse knowledge. With 58,000 students and 6,800 employees, the university is a large and inspiring workplace. Strong research and attractive education attract researchers and students from all over the world. With new knowledge and perspectives, the University of Gothenburg contributes to a better future.

The Faculty of Fine, Applied Arts and Design consists of the departments HDK-Valand – University College of Fine Arts and HDK-Valand – University College of Music and Drama. As a combined faculty for art and learning, we are an independent, visionary, and critical force in the necessary work of creating a more sustainable and open society.

HDK-Valand is now seeking a Workshop Technician for the project Forest to Chair, with extended responsibility for practical development work, process leadership, and workshop coordination.

The position is located at Open Wood in Dals Långed, which is the project's central workshop environment. The employment is carried out within the framework of the University of Gothenburg, HDK-Valand Campus Steneby's participation in the project, and takes place in close collaboration with Mötesplats Steneby/Open Wood, project management, process leaders, and other project partners.

Campus Steneby is a unique environment for education and research in design and crafts at the University of Gothenburg. In our education, we aim to develop knowledge about materials and technology as a basis for pushing the boundaries of material-based crafts and design. With a strong focus on artistic exploration and methods, we give students the tools to apply their skills in new contexts in a rapidly changing world.

Read more about HDK-Valand, Campus Steneby: https://www.gu.se/hdk-valand/om-oss/campus-steneby-dar-manniskor-ideer-och-material-mots (https://www.gu.se/hdk-valand/om-oss/campus-steneby-dar-manniskor-ideer-och-material-mots)

NOTE! For the full job advertisement, see the University of Gothenburg's website for vacant positions: https://www.gu.se/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar (https://www.gu.se/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar)

Job Description

Forest to Chair aims to contribute to a sustainable transition of the wood-based interior industry in the border region between Sweden and Norway. The project is funded through Interreg Sweden–Norway, EU funds, as well as the Västra Götaland Region, Environmental and Regional Development Board.

Through collaboration between actors on both sides of the border, the project explores how reuse, smarter material usage, and circular solutions can reduce the industry's environmental impact. The project aims to create conditions for the interior industry to transition to circular flows in all stages: from public procurers to sawmills, forest owners, designers, producers, and reuse actors.

As a Workshop Technician, you play a central role in the project's practical, exploratory, and workshop-based development work. The position involves more than traditional workshop technical support and includes responsibility for leading and coordinating practical development processes within the project.

You create the conditions for ideas about sustainable and circular wood-based interior production to be tested, shaped, developed, and documented in concrete form.

The role involves both practical execution and active development responsibility. You are expected to be able to drive your own processes, initiate tests and prototypes, support process leaders and participants, and contribute to making the project's development work feasible in practice.

The work is located at Open Wood in Dals Långed, which is the project's central workshop environment.

The role includes:

• Planning, leading, preparing, and conducting practical sessions in the project's workshops and development processes.
• Driving and supporting exploratory work related to materials, techniques, prototypes, and demonstrators.
• Contributing to the creation of prototypes, test pieces, material tests, and physical examples.
• Serving as a development resource for process leaders, participants, and external actors in the project.
• Translating ideas and questions into practical tests in the workshop environment.
• Responsible for the practical coordination of the workshop, machinery, materials, and equipment in project activities.
• Responsible for ongoing maintenance and supervision of the machinery.
• Coordinating the ordering, receiving, sorting, and handling of materials.
• Ensuring that work in the workshop environment is carried out safely and appropriately.
• Contributing to the documentation of practical experiments, methods, and results.

NOTE! For the full job advertisement, see the University of Gothenburg's website for vacant positions: https://www.gu.se/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar (https://www.gu.se/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar)

Employment

• Type of employment: Fixed-term employment until 2028-06-30.
• Extent: 50% of full-time.
• Job title: Technician.
• Location: The position is located in Dals Långed, and the work requires regular physical presence at Open Wood.
• Start date: September 1, 2026, or by agreement.

Contact Information

If you have questions about the employment, you are welcome to contact Carl-Johan Skogh, Head of Campus Steneby: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

If you have questions about the recruitment process, you are welcome to contact HR at HDK-Valand: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Trade Unions

Trade union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/jobba-hos-oss/sa-blir-du-en-av-oss#kollektivavtal-och-fackliga-foretradare (https://www.gu.se/jobba-hos-oss/sa-blir-du-en-av-oss#kollektivavtal-och-fackliga-foretradare)

Application

You apply for the position via the University of Gothenburg's recruitment portal by clicking the "Apply" button. As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and that it is in the university's possession by the final application date.

Application deadline: 2026-08-05

The university works actively for a workplace with equal conditions and values the qualities that diversity brings to the operations. The university applies individual salary setting. According to the National Archives' regulations, the university is required to keep application documents for two years after the appointment decision. If you, as an applicant, specifically request your documents back, they will be returned when the two years have passed; otherwise, they will be destroyed. To staffing and recruitment agencies and to you who are salespeople: The University of Gothenburg utilizes a procured advertising agency in connection with the recruitment of staff. We kindly but firmly decline direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies as well as sellers of job advertisements.