Operation Director for SCIENCE Makerspace, UCPH

Do you want to create something new? Do you want to fundamentally change how we organize teaching and learning at the SCIENCE departments at UCPH? Do you want to be part of a unique opportunity in the largest university in Denmark? Then you might be our new SCIENCE Makerspace Operation Director.

We invite applications for a 5-year position as Operation Director for the SCIENCE Makerspace at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. The Faculty of Science is committed to sustainably continuing the Makerspace activities at the end of the 5-year period, providing the possibility for extending the position long-term.

About the SCIENCE Makerspace

We are establishing a top-tier Makerspace at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, spearheaded by the Department of Computer Science (DIKU), Niels Bohr Institute (NBI), and the Department of Science Education (IND). The SCIENCE Makerspace vision is built upon a foundation of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) and aims to create an inclusive learning environment that bridges disciplines, supports different ways of learning, and attracts students with diverse backgrounds and interests. Everyone is welcome, and no prior knowledge of makerspaces, machines, or materials is required.

The SCIENCE Makerspace will be established as a 600 sqm facility centrally located at Nørre Campus, with a budget of 42 million DKK over 5 years supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The Makerspace is expected to host 1-3 university courses per academic quarter, independent projects for BSc/MSc/PhD students, and be a venue for extracurricular workshops and 'blue sky' ideas from faculty and students. The Makerspace will also facilitate the integration between traditional and non-traditional forms of knowledge production within an Expert-in-residence program.

Description of the position

We offer a unique opportunity for you to become the Operation Director of the ‘yet-to-be-build' 600 sqm SCIENCE Makerspace centrally placed at the Northen Campus in Copenhagen. The SCIENCE Makerspace vision is to design, build and run an inclusive and innovative learning space that bridges disciplines, allows for multi-modal learning activities, and attracts a diversified and balanced cohort of students from different educational programs (BSc, MSc, PhD) across the 12 Departments.

The Operations Director will direct the SCIENCE Makerspace and be the manager for the Makerspace team. The Operation Director is responsible for ensuring that principles for DEIB are mainstreamed in all decisions in the Makerspace.

You will be part of the core decision-making on how to organize, establish, and run the ‘one-of-a-kind' Makerspace. You will collaborate with committed faculty from DIKU, NBI, and IND in the establishing phases, and with the Deanery for Education for long-term engagement across the departments in making the Makerspace vision a reality.

You will be part of hiring the team who will run the makerspace together with you including Technical Lab Manager, Lab Technician, and a group of student mentors.

You will not be a one-person army, instead you will have three main groups with different types of competences and experiences you can draw on in the position, including the Makerspace team, an experienced team of administrative management colleagues, and the Faculty of SCIENCE teaching committee.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of creating something new, in the largest university in Denmark, which fundamentally will change how we organize teaching and learning at the SCIENCE departments.