The University of Borås and the Sjuhärad region is a centre for design, development, and trade in the textile area. The Swedish School of Textiles is a part of the Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business, and is a centre for skills supply in the textile and fashion sector through education at all levels, ranging from first cycle (bachelor) to second cycle (master) and third cycle (doctoral) levels, in textile design, management and technology, and through research and close collaborations with the industry.

Within the area of textile and fashion research at University of Borås through the Swedish School of Textiles, research in textile value chain management (TVCM) focuses primarily on investigating and developing "new" structures, models and forms that can create opportunities for sustainable value creation for companies in the textile and fashion industry as well as for society at large.

Job description and tasks

The PhD position involves four years of full-time study to achieve a doctoral degree. It is financed through a 4-year PhD project titled “Knowledge-based garment modularization system for upscaling remanufacturing in circular textile production” (REMAKE) funded by the Knowledge Foundation under the Jubilee Doctoral Student grant. You can read more about the PhD project and your expected tasks on the project webpage: REMAKE - University of Borås

During the doctoral studies, you are expected to:

• Conduct research on automated remanufacturing for the scaling of circular textile production by using methods and models from, for example, operations research or artificial intelligence/machine learning.
• Identify relevant criteria when selecting used garments for remanufacturing processes by using multi-criteria decision analysis.
• Develop a knowledge-based intelligent system for garment modularization that can facilitate optimized garment disassembly.
• Create guidelines relevant to eco-design criteria for remanufacturing and analyze how to implement such decisions in circular production.
• Develop and use appropriate, scientific conceptual framework from an industrial economics and decision-making perspective.
• Establish contacts with relevant market players in the textile and clothing industry.
• Gather and analyze empirical data using relevant tools and define both scientific and practical contributions.
• Write and publish scientific articles and reports, and present research at conferences and to textile and clothing industry representatives.
• Use relevant and creative tools to adapt research communication to the different audiences of the project.

About the research project

The doctoral student belongs to the research group Textile Value Chain Management (TVCM), led by Prof. Rudrajeet Pal, at the Department of Business Administration and Textile Management.

Please visit the University of Borås's webpage for doctoral students: Doctoral student handbook - From application to doctoral degree

Qualifications

Employment is on the condition that the applicant meets the requirements and is admitted as a doctoral student at the University of Borås. Admission is to the doctoral program in textile management. Physical presence is required to complete the doctoral studies. If the admitted candidate needs a residence permit to pursue studies in Sweden, the university reserves the right to revoke the admission decision if the candidate cannot present a valid residence permit by the start date of the studies.

Requirements:

• Master's degree in textile management, industrial economics or degree that is considered equivalent. You can also apply if you are writing your master thesis during Spring 2025, however, you must have completed the course requirements for a master's degree by the time of admission.
• Good knowledge and experience of scientific problem solving using relevant models and methods, for example from operations research.
• Good ability to collaborate and take initiative.
• Ability to work in a structured manner and to be able to prioritize tasks.
• Good knowledge of English, both spoken and written.

Merits:

• Experience in conducting research on supply chain management, preferably in textile and fashion or similar industrial sectors.
• Basic knowledge of textile materials and processes.
• Basic knowledge of some software programming.
• Practical experience of working in the textile or clothing industry with sustainability production and automation-related issues.
• Experience in producing scientific publications.
• Experience in research communication.

About the employment

The PhD position corresponds to four years of full-time study and is expected to lead to a doctoral degree. The start date is August 1, 2025, or as agreed. The position is located in Borås.

A new PhD appointment is valid for a maximum of one year, and the appointment can subsequently be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. Regulations regarding PhD appointments are found in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), Chapter 5, Sections 1-7.

Application

Please submit your complete application, including the reference number and attachments, through our recruitment system by March 7.

Shortlisted candidates will be called for online interview within few weeks of application deadline.

A complete application should include the following electronic documents:

1. Cover letter with reason for your application for this position (Maximum 2 A4 pages).
2. CV (overview list of education, scientific merits, and work experience in chronological order) with 2reference contact information.
3. Copies of relevant degree certificates and master thesis showing how you meet the requirements for the position
4. Additional scientific publications or manuscripts in pdf-form if made. (Maximum 4)
5. Copy of passport/ID document.
6. Proof of completion of English 6 or equivalent (if required).

For information on how to meet the requirement for English, please visit the webpage English language requirements.

If your degree is from an institution outside Sweden or has not been previously verified by a Swedish authority, it is important to attach diplomas and transcripts to facilitate the assessment.

Read more about how to apply.

The University of Borås encourages applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, as this enriches and strengthens our institution. We strive for gender balance among our employees and value diversity in our operations.

Contact

For more information about the project, please contact project leader and main supervisor Professor Rudrajeet Pal (rudrajeet.pal@hb.se). 

For information about the doctoral education program, please contact Gabriella Wulff (gabriella.wulff@hb.se), Director of Studies, Doctoral Education in Textile Management. 

For further employment-related information you can contact Daniel Hjelmgren (daniel.hjelmgren@hb.se), Deputy Head of Department, Department of Business Administration and Textile Management.

For further employment-related information, please contact the union representative for Saco-S, Sunil Kumar, via the university's switchboard at +46 33 435 40 00. The union representative for OFR/S can be reached at stvidhb@hb.se.