Director of International Affairs, International Affairs Office

We are now seeking a

Director of International Affairs

for the International Affairs Office at the University of Oulu. The Director will be responsible for the strategic direction, development and coordination of the university’s overall internationalisation efforts. Internationality is one of the University of Oulu’s strategic priorities and we are continuously developing our activities to strengthen our role as an international scientific community.

The International Affairs Office is responsible for the strategic development and coordination of the University of Oulu’s internationalisation. The team of experts supports faculties and university leadership in matters related to internationalisation in education and research, as well as in university-level partnerships and advocacy. The team also coordinates the European university alliance UNIC collaboration and the development of knowledge-based management of internationalisation.

Job Description

As the Director of International Affairs, you will play a central role in advancing the university’s strategic development. You will lead the university’s international operations in close collaboration with faculties, independent units, university services and the university’s leadership.

This is a new position that offers the opportunity to build and establish the role of the International Affairs Office within the university’s management system.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Lead and develop the university-level international affairs portfolio, including its strategic objectives and implementation.
• Coordinate the university’s overall internationalisation efforts across education, research, partnerships and service processes in collaboration with faculties and other units.
• Lead the activities of the university-level steering group for international affairs.
• Serve as the supervisor of the international affairs expert team and manage the financial and operational activities of the office.
• Develop reporting and knowledge-based management related to international affairs as part of the university’s strategic decision-making.
• Participate in the activities and development of the European university alliance UNIC.
• Support university leadership in regional, national and international advocacy and networking related to internationality.

Who are you?

We expect from you

• A relevant Master’s degree.
• Experience in leading an expert organisation or in demanding strategic development roles within an international operating environment.
• The ability to lead long-term, university-level strategic development and to understand broad entities.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and collaboration skills.
• Excellent proficiency in Finnish and English.

We also appreciate

• A doctoral degree
• Additional language skills
• Experience in international research and project collaboration

We Offer

• A strategically significant and visible Director role in which you can influence the university’s overall direction in internationality.
• The opportunity to build and develop a new operating model for managing university-level internationality.
• A dynamic working environment and extensive international networks.
• The support of a skilled and motivated expert team.
• An exceptional vantage point into the international development of the Finnish higher education sector.
• Arctic attitude.
• Sports, culture and wellbeing benefits (ePassi), as well as flexible multi-location and remote work opportunities. Read more about our employment benefits.

Salary

The position is permanent and starts by agreement.

The salary will be based on the level 13 of the demand level chart for other expert and support staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (maximum of 50 % of the job-specific component). The starting gross salary is approximately 6500–6800 EUR/month (before taxes). A trial period of 6 months is applied to the position. 

How to Apply

If you are interested, please submit your application through our recruitment system by 12 April 2026. Please include a motivation letter and a CV.

Applicants best suited for the position will be invited to an in-person interview. We will be in contact with all applicants during the process.

A suitability assessment may also be used as part of the recruitment process.

Further Information

For more information about the position, please contact
Vice Rector for Partnerships Petteri Alahuhta
petteri.alahuhta@oulu.fi  | +358294484078

Best reached by phone on:
30 March, 10:00–11:00
2 April, 10:00–11:00