Research Associate / PhD Candidate in the Area of Design Thinking and Digital Innovation (m/f/d)

The Institute of Information Systems and Digital Business ( IWI-HSG ) has been conducting application- and design-oriented research at the intersection of business and IT for over 30 years.The institute comprises five chairs. The team at the chair of Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister strives to be a leading research institution that generates knowledge for the design of high-quality innovations in inter-disciplinary collaboration with other research institutions and industry partners.

• Support the design, delivery, and further development of our Design Thinking lectures and practical courses (e.g., "Design Thinking for Digital Innovation").
• Work independently and collaboratively on developing innovative learning and teaching applications for the Design Thinking program at the University of St.Gallen.
• Continuously test and adapt prototypes based on feedback from faculty, students, and the university teaching team to ensure the practical impact of your work.
• Conduct independent and collaborative research on how emerging technologies (e.g. GenAI, XR, collaborative platforms) can augment design thinking in education and innovation processes.
• Publish your research findings in renowned international peer-reviewed journals and present them at leading conferences in the field of Information Systems.

• A stimulating, interdisciplinary research environment within a motivated team at one of Europe's top-ranked business schools
• Highly practice-oriented research topics and the freedom to experiment and shape the future of Design Thinking education at the University of St. Gallen
• Participation in international conferences
• Access to state-of-the-art resources and comprehensive support for your projects
• A structured PhD program (average duration 3.5 years, fully funded)
• A healthy and balanced work environment that promotes both professional and personal growth
• Direct collaboration with renowned leaders in the field of Information Systems, offering valuable mentorship and networking opportunities

• Master's degree with a grade average of at least 5.0 (equivalent to 2.0 in Germany and Austria) in Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline
• Strong analytical, structured, and independent working style
• Passion for creative problem-solving and interdisciplinary research
• Experience in functional prototyping and/or developing MVPs (e.g., Python, JavaScript)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (German is a plus)
• Ideally, prior experience in facilitating design thinking workshops, managing innovation projects, or developing user-centered solutions
• Proven ability to conduct high-quality research and a strong interest in publishing your findings

"A place where knowledge is created" - As one of Europe's leading universities of economics and business administration, the University of St.Gallen (HSG), Switzerland, is committed to the education of over 9800 students. The HSG is one of the largest employers in the region and provides an attractive and innovative environment for more than 3300 researchers, educators and professional staff.