Organisation

The Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering has two vice heads of department for education and research, respectively.  

The Vice Head of Department for Education has overall responsibility for the organization and implementation of the Department’s teaching in accordance with the quality requirements arising from the quality system. This responsibility is fulfilled with the support of the Heads of Degree Programmes (UA) and the Secretariat. 

The Vice Head of Department for Education reports to the Head of Department and is part of the department's management team. 

Below is an overview of the main tasks performed by the Vice Head of Department for Education at MPE: 

Teaching planning and quality 

• Responsible for the process of activity planning.  

• Ensuring that the activity planning process is carried out with the involvement of respective UA and the relevant employees. VIL ensures coordination with the Heads of Section, so that the activities are planned in the best possible way in relation to the individual employees' wishes and capacity as well as the balance between sections. The coordination with Heads of Section is carried out, so that Heads of Section have an ongoing overview of the individual employees' activity profiles and thereby be able to spar with them about their activities 

• Responsible for quality assurance of teaching and education. 

• Responsible for developing the physical framework for professional activities (classrooms etc.). 

• Responsible for ensuring that the department has an attractive study environment, this in collaboration with the Faculty's Vice-Dean for Education. 

• Responsible for ensuring high student retention.  

• Conduct and follow up on course evaluations. 

• Sign standard NDA agreements for student projects. 

Strategy, organization, and cooperation 

• Lead and coordinate the work related to the educational parts of the department's strategy. 

• Ensure implementation and daily operation of new education initiatives. 

• Provide input to the Heads of Section to ensure the continuous development of the teaching staff's pedagogical competences. This is done by e.g. providing information to the Heads of Section about options for competence development at AU and externally.  

• Participate in educational activities at faculty level and in collaboration with other departments. 

• Keep the department management informed in February and September of the results of the course evaluations. 

Recruitment 

• Responsible for hiring teaching staff and forming part of the hiring committee alongside the relevant Head of Section. All final decisions on recruitment must be coordinated with the Head of Section.  

• Responsible for hiring student assistants and instructors and approving their monthly timesheets. 

Meetings and committees 

• Inform the Department about relevant education-related news at department meetings by keeping updated on developments in sections, study programmes and fields of study. 

• Head the Department’s Education Committee and inform the management about activities and decisions. 

• Head the Department's Employer Panel and inform management about activities and decisions. 

• Represent the Head of Department at education-related events in cases where the Head of Department is absent. 

• Planning coordination meetings with the Heads of Section continually during each semester. 

Economy 

• Responsible for the finances and budget of the degree programs, including approving expenses and invoices related to teaching and education. 

The Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering has two vice heads of department for education and research, respectively.  

The Vice Head of Department for Research has responsibility for the development of the department’s research, including development and implementation of the department research strategy, activities related to increasing the department’s external funding, and research talent development (for PhD’s., postdocs, and tenure tracks).  

The Vice Head of Research reports to the Head of Department and is part of the Department's management team. 

Below is an overview of the most important tasks solved by the Vice Head of Department for Research at MPE: 

Research support and data processing 

• Ensure that researchers and Heads of Section receive internal and external sparring in relation to research applications, external funding, etc. 

• Regular coordination with the MPE Research Coordinator. 

• Responsible for activities related to the department's work with responsible conduct of research, research integrity and GDPR in research. 

• Ensure that the department's researchers submit their data for research applications in ReAp. 

• Help researchers with ReAp data on previous successful applications. 

• Responsible for setting section and department funding targets each year and informing the management on the progress twice a year. 

Strategy, organization, and cooperation 

• Develop and implement a research strategy for the department. 

• Develop research initiatives and equip Heads of Section or staff to continue working on them. 

• Implement research decisions from the department and faculty management teams. 

• Respond to requests for recommendations and appointments for various research-related prizes and involve the Department’s Research Committee when necessary. 

• Being the reference point in the management for the Department’s Ph.D. Committee and the Department’s local PhD.- and Postdoc Club. 

• Develop and implement the Tenure Track model and have meetings to align expectations for all new tenure track assistant professors.  

• Coordinate Research evaluations. 

Recruitment 

• Responsible for drafting the department's recruitment plan within the research structure. This is done by consulting Heads of Section, the Vice Head of Department for Education and the Head of Department and the research committee. 

• The Vice Heads of Department are accountable for the hiring process (but responsibility for performing the tasks, i.e. drafting job advertisements and running the process, lies with the Head of Section). All final decisions on the hirings must be coordinated between the Head of Section, the Head of Department and the respective Vice Head of Department.  

Meetings and committees 

• Inform the department about relevant research-related news. 

• Chairman of MPE Research Committee, including initiating four annual meetings of the Committee. 

• Participate in and implement decisions from Tech's Research Committee 

• Represent the Head of Department when relevant. 

• Planning and conducting department theme meetings within the research area to secure continuous focus on research. 

• Planning coordination meetings with Heads of Section continually during each semester. 

Economy 

• Approve budgets for research applications where Heads of Section cannot approve1.  

• Collect information from Heads of Section regarding budget, expectations for external research grants, etc. for use in the management's budgeting process and other reporting to the faculty. 

• Invoice handling for expenses on the department's research account, 35819.

The Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering is divided into four sections, each of which represents a central engineering discipline within the Department. 

Each section has a Head of Section appointed by the Head of Department. The Head of Section reports to the Head of Department and is part of the department's management team. In addition to section management, each Head of Section has teaching and/or research responsibilities. 

Below is an overview of the most important tasks solved by the section heads at MPE: 

Personnel management 

• The Head of Section is the immediate manager of the section's employees. Temporary staff will in many cases go to their supervisor first, but the Head of Section is also there for them. 

• The Head of Section is the go-to person for the section’s staff. The Head of Section guides staff to the right place if they are not able to help.  

• The Head of Section is the daily manager for the section and is responsible for the well-being of its members by taking initiatives to strengthen well-being and by reacting when things are wrong. 

• The Head of Section is responsible for initiating professional and social activities that create a sense of belonging to the benefit of the work environment. 

• The Head of Section conducts Staff Development Dialogue (SDD) with permanent section staff1 except full professors and “ingeniørdocents” who report directly to the Head of Department. 

• The Head of Section is responsible for the seating plans in their own section area. If there are space issues, the Head of Section asks the Secretariat for guidance.  

• The Head of Section supports staff members development of didactical and other education related skills. 

• The Head of Section is responsible for the section’s overall work with research management. 

Strategy, organization, and cooperation 

• The Head of Section regularly keeps staff informed on discussions and decisions from management meetings and other forums in which the Head of Section participates. 

• The Head of Section is responsible for making management decisions come alive at section level. 

• The Head of Section must execute the strategy initiatives assigned to the Heads of Section. 

• The Head of Section is a role model when it comes to living the MPE Workplace Values and the MPE Diversity and Inclusion-initiatives. 

• Present the education and research competencies of the section at internal and external events. The Heads of Section also support the Head of Department and Vice Heads of Department in developing strategic collaborations with internal and external organizations. 

Recruitment 

• The Head of Section supports the Vice Head of Department for Research and for Education in their task of preparing the Department’s recruitment plan for researchers and teachers.  

• The Vice Heads of Department are accountable for the hiring process but responsibility for performing the tasks, i.e. drafting job advertisements and running the process, lies with the Head of Section. 

• Heads of Section form part of the recruitment committees for new permanent staff in the section.  All final decisions on the hirings must be coordinated between the Head of Section, the Head of Department and the respective Vice Head of Department.  

• The Head of Section is responsible for onboarding new employees in the section. This is done by direct participation in the onboarding process or by delegating tasks to experienced members of the section.  

Meetings and committees 

• The Head of Section participate in – and contribute to agendas for – Department meetings, thematic meetings, educational meetings and other forums relevant to the Department. 

• The Head of Section is responsible for coordinating section meetings for all staff, including PhD’s and postdocs. The Head of Section must involve staff regularly to know what topics the staff would like to discuss.  

• The Heads of Section participates in coordination meetings organized by Vice Heads of Department for Research and for Education at least twice per semester. 

Economy 

• Heads of section can – with a few exceptions – approve the purchase of anything that is deemed relevant to a permanent staff member’s work. Office furniture must be coordinated with the secretariat, research/teaching supplies with Vice Head of Department for Research  

• Head of Section supports the Vice Head of Department with his task of assessing research applications budgets.  

Staff allocation 

• The Head of section provides feedback to the Vice Head of Department for Education in the work with activity planning. The Head of section is responsible for having an overview of the employees' wishes and capacity, including plans for research as well as for the teachers' plans for development activities and coverage. 

• The Head of section is the go-to person for staff when they have proposals for new – or updates to – educational and research initiatives, including new courses, within the section's overall academic areas. Head of Section then goes to the respective UA/VIL to discuss options for implementation. 

• Support the Department in identifying key people in the sections who can carry out committee work and take on other tasks and responsibilities. 

The head of secretariat manages the department secretariat by planning and distributing work tasks that ensure professional and efficient secretarial service of the department’s staff/students/professional activities and ensures good internal and external communication.

The head of secretariat assists and reports to the head of department and is part of the department’s management team.

The head of secretariat represents the secretariat and the department in relevant fora by ensuring visibility of its competencies, qualifications, and task solutions.

Below is an overview of the most important tasks performed by the head of secretariat at MPE:

Staff Management

• Securing the well-being and motivation of all staff
• Inspire and work for a good work environment in the secretariat, where different disciplines are respected and involved for the benefit of the individual employee, the section, and the department
• Contribute to a good work environment between colleagues with a combination of professional and social activities
• ​Carry out MUS with all employees in the section every year
• Securing that the career development of section members is properly addressed

Staff allocation

• Ensure that all administrative support functions are staffed and delegated, and that the department is informed on who to talk to regarding different issues.

Strategy, organization and cooperation

• Contribute to a high level of information, openness, and timely communication in the department, eg. through department meetings as well as developing and updating internal websites (medarbejderportalen)
• Continuously monitor and identify the administrative needs of the department
• Define and follow-up on administrative procedures and policies, eg. purchases, hiring, vacation, absence, onboarding etc. to the benefit of the department
• Strategic and administrative professional back-and-forth/competent feedback regarding all things relevant to HoD.
• Coordination of the local strategy process
• Be part of various collaborative relationships internally in AU, primarily in relation to the administrative center and the faculty secretariat
• Ensure collaboration across the engineering secretariats
• Perform ad hoc tasks in connection with e.g. analyses, reports, hearings etc.

Recruitment

• The secretariat assists the deputy heads of department for education and research in the research process, ie. passing on information and templates filled by dHoDe and dHoDe to the HR department, booking job interviews, and handles contact to the HR department regarding the Emply Recruitment process
• Responsible for hiring student assistants to research projects based on requests and information from HoS (not teaching assistants)
• Responsible for hiring research assistants based on requests and information from HoS
• Onboarding of new staff by sending a “Welcome email” with relevant administrative information regarding access, emails, systems, vacation, staff policies, PURE-profile etc.
• Adding new staff to relevant mail distributions list and Teams.
• Ordering standard IT-equipment for new staff hired by the department.

Meetings and committees

• Prepare meetings in collaboration with the head of department, e.g. Liaison Committee (LSU), Local Occupational Health and Safety Committee (LAMU), management meetings, theme meetings and staff meetings.
• Participate in the department’s Liaison Committee (LSU).
• Represent the head of department when relevant, in case the head of department is absent

The role of the Project Controller (PC) is to act as a financial advisor to the project leader (PL). That is,

• the PC keeps abreast with rules set out by AU, external foundations and collaboration partners, and can therefore check that the funds allocated are being managed according to these rules
• the PC uses their knowledge actively to advise the project manager about the rules
• the PC is the link between the project leader, the external grant maker/collaboration partner and the relevant department, and the PC has insight into and understands the project leader's budgets and can ask relevant, critical questions
• to fulfil this role, the PC is dependent on the PL submitting all relevant financial material to the PC in due time

Good collaboration requires knowledge sharing between the PC and the PL. If their collaboration is not working, both parties have a duty to make their/the immediate supervisor aware of this.

The PC provides support for the following tasks

The application phase:

Whether the PC is involved in the application phase, and thus helps with the application budget and registrations in ReAp, depends on the agreement entered into with the relevant department.  The Research Support Office (FSE) must provide support during this phase as far as possible.

Commitments:

• The PC ensures that all applications received have been registered in ReAp for the two annual financial rounds (ØR1 and ØR3).
• The PC ensures that the project is created upon receipt of a commitment/collaboration agreement including application and all appendices.
• The PC ensures that the project budget/granted budget sum is registered.
• The PC informs the PL about project and activity numbers.

Project management:

• The PC (and the PL) familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of the relevant grant/collaboration agreement.
• The PC follows up on the staffing plan and the budget regularly in dialogue with the PL.
• The PC helps with any re-budgeting.
• The PC prepares financial reports on an ongoing basis, including payment requests, and keeps in contact with the external auditor.
• In connection with coordinator projects administered by Nat-Tech Finance, the PC is the one to contact partners in connection with financial reporting and forwarding of information.
• The PC approves/confirms the PL’s proposal for financing of new appointments, including PhDs and extensions before job advertisements.
• The PC assures the financial completion of the project as quickly as possible after completion of the project.

Financial report (ØR), audit requirements:

• The PC offers two annual budget meetings with a view to reviewing project finances.

• The PC makes sure that the ØR budgets have been updated with any input from the PL, so that the PL can approve the relevant budgets electronically (project status).

Other:

• Follow-up on staffing plans at person level
• The PC checks the quality of time registration before reporting
• Approval of expense settlements in RejsUd, supplier invoices in IndFak, as well as approval of hours in AU Timeløn (salaries for student workers and other hourly-paid employees). The PC checks that costs may be covered by the grant and checks that there is appropriate project, activity and budget coverage