PhD student in Business Analytics – Creating Business Value from Data

Mälardalen University and the Swedish Research School of Management and IT offers a fully funded position for a PhD student to work with a project in the intersection of business and analytics. We are looking for a person with either a business degree and a strong interest in analytics and data science, or a degree in data science (or similar) and a strong interest in business.

Employment information
Employment: Temporary employment, up to 5 years
Scope: Full time (80% PhD studies, 20% teaching)
Closing date for application: 2021-04-30
Campus location: Västeras
School: School of Business, Society and Engineering, (EST)

The Project
While the availability of data has increased dramatically, and powerful tools and techniques to handle such data have been developed, creating business value from data is not easy and straightforward. The solution is not for companies to succumb to buzz-word language and invest in IT-systems promising AI capabilities. Instead, the challenge for the modern organization is to have the skills and understanding of how to use tools and techniques to address relevant business decisions and drive innovation.

The PhD student project should focus on some aspect of applied analytics for business value and data-driven decision-making. The business perspective can concern issues related to accounting, control, governance, innovation, management, marketing or operations. Similarly, analytics can cover a wide range of challenges and opportunities from using small and big data sets, including predictive analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and social network analysis.

The Position
The PhD candidate will be employed at Mälardalen University, with a monthly salary, employee benefits, and access to the university’s resources. The salary, and its increase throughout the progress, is regulated by university policy.

This full-time position includes 20% teaching (or other department assignments), which gives the opportunity to get the teaching experience necessary for a career in academia. The position is funded for five years, after which the student is expected to present and defend a doctoral dissertation. The employment is governed by Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:110), which stipulates that (section 3) only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentships. The successful candidate to this position will be assessed for admission to Third-cycle Studies (240 HE credits), and the offer is conditional to that outcome.

The structure of the research degree is stipulated by a study plan outlining the expected PhD-level courses and independent thesis work. In the independent thesis work, you will develop your research topic, design a study, collect and analyse data, and communicate your findings in academic publications and presentations. By doing a PhD in business analytics, and contributing to theory as well as practice, you become an expert in an area of utmost important for the future of businesses and society. A team of supervisors will provide guidance to help you develop your research topic and produce high quality research.

The Research Context
The PhD student will be part of the Department of Accounting and Control at the School of Business, Society, and Engineering, which is the largest school at the university. The business research is strong within the themes of digitalization, sustainability and internationalization. In collaboration with regional actors, the school offers a bachelor programme in Digital Business Development.

The PhD student will also be part of the National Research School of Management and IT (https://www.mit.uu.se), which is a collaboration between 12 universities in Sweden. It brings together PhD students, researchers and professors from the fields of business and informatics, creating an extraordinary opportunity to develop your research and academic network. The PhD student will attend the research schools’ conferences and PhD courses.

The Candidate
The candidate must have:


• A Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in business, data science, or other relevant subject.
• A strong interest in understanding business
• A strong interest in applied analytics
• An analytical mindset and excellent communication skills

The candidate will thus typically have a degree in business, and a passion for data, or a degree in data science and a passion for business. You should be fluent in English, and enjoy communicating complex findings in writing. Speaking and writing Swedish is an advantage.

Of merit is knowledge and experience in:


• Accounting and Control
• Applied statistics & Big Data Analytics
• Business Development & Business Theories
• Computational methods
• Machine Learning
• Network Analysis & Research Design

The candidate will be selected based on an overall assessment of qualifications and suitability by the recruiting team. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds. Mälardalen University values the qualities that an even distribution of age and gender, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity, can bring.

Application
Application is made online. Make your application by clicking the "Apply" button below.

Your application should be written in English or Swedish. Include a CV, with supporting documents, and an extended cover letter including sections where you specify (1) your interest within the scope of the project, and (2) what motivates you to do a PhD. If possible, attach examples of your academic writing.

A short-list of candidates will be invited to an interview in person or online.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and will reach the University no later than closing date for application.

We look forward to receiving your application.


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