Recruitment of combined appointments as Professor and Senior Lecturer
When recruiting a combined Professor or Senior Lecturer, the same regulations and guidelines apply as for the recruitment of Professors and Senior Lecturers at Karolinska Institutet (KI). The recruitment process largely follows the same steps; however, since the appointment is shared between two employers, the entire process is carried out in close collaboration with the other employer.
The recruiting managers at the relevant healthcare provider and KI share responsibility for the recruitment process.
The recruitment process is based on strong ownership and active involvement by the recruiting managers. The parties are expected to use joint documentation and supporting materials that facilitate and quality-assure the recruitment and appointment process.
A combined appointment may only be held by an individual who meets the specific eligibility requirements for both positions.
The distribution of working time for combined appointments is normally 70 per cent at KI and 30 per cent at the university healthcare unit (USV unit). Alternative distributions may be agreed upon between KI and the healthcare provider, provided that the combined workload does not exceed 100 per cent in total.
In addition, the establishment of a combined appointment requires specific agreements between KI and the other employer. These agreements regulate, among other things, responsibilities, terms and conditions, and collaboration between the parties.
Documents required for a combined appointment
The following documents must be established:
- Agreement on Establishment – the President of KI and the Hospital Director (or equivalent head of the healthcare provider) sign a joint agreement establishing the position.
- Agreement on Appointment – the President of KI and the Hospital Director sign a joint agreement regarding the appointment decision.
- Employment contracts – each employer prepares and signs a separate employment contract with the employee.
The agreements remain in force until further notice or until superseded by a new agreement.
If you would like to learn more about the standard recruitment process for Professors and Senior Lecturers, please see: Recruitment of Professor and Senior Lecturer
Recruitment process
The recruitment process begins with a joint needs assessment in which KI and the collaborating healthcare provider identify the operational needs and establish the prerequisites for the joint appointment.
This work is carried out in consultation between the hiring manager or Head of Department at KI and the recruiting Head of Department/Clinical Director, or a representative from the healthcare organization appointed by the Head of Department/Clinical Director. To ensure that the required competencies and conditions are in place, the HR functions of both employers are involved from the outset of the discussions.
Based on the needs assessment, the organizations clarify their shared expectations and requirements for the future appointee. A joint proposal to establish a joint appointment is then prepared. The decision to establish the position is made by the Group for strategic competence provision (GSK). Read more about GSK here: Group for strategic competence provision.
Once the needs assessment has been completed and the GSK has endorsed the proposal, the next step in the recruitment process is to establish an agreement between KI and the relevant healthcare provider regarding the creation of the joint appointment.
The agreement sets out the fundamental terms and conditions for the joint appointment and must be signed by authorized representatives of both employers. At KI, the agreement is signed by the President. On the healthcare provider’s side, the document is typically signed by the Hospital Director or an equivalent senior official.
The agreement must be in place before the recruitment process can proceed further.
Once the agreement establishing the joint appointment has been signed by both parties, the recruitment process can begin and the position can be advertised.
The vacancy announcement is developed in close collaboration between the responsible department at KI, the relevant healthcare provider, the Recruitment Committee, and the HR Department. The purpose is to ensure that the advertisement clearly describes the responsibilities, requirements, and terms of the position, while reflecting the needs and expectations of both employers.
The finalized advertisement is then published in accordance with KI’s recruitment procedures and, where applicable, through the relevant healthcare provider’s recruitment channels.
Read more about the Recruitment Committee here: Recruitment Committee.
Once the application period has closed, an initial assessment of the applicant pool is conducted in collaboration between the Recruitment Committee, the responsible department at KI, and the relevant healthcare provider.
This is followed by an external expert review carried out by independent reviewers. Proposed reviewers are identified by the department in dialogue with the healthcare provider. KI’s HR Department is responsible for administering the process and issuing the review assignments.
Once the expert assessments have been received, the Recruitment Committee, in consultation with the department and the healthcare provider, selects the candidates to be invited for interviews. The interviews are conducted as part of the Recruitment Committee’s work and form the basis for the Committee’s recommendation of a candidate for the position.
In some cases, the healthcare provider may also need to conduct a separate expert assessment to support its decision regarding the clinical position. This is carried out in accordance with the healthcare provider’s own procedures and regulations.
Following the assessments and interviews, KI’s HR Department is responsible for conducting credential verification and reference checks in accordance with KI’s applicable procedures and regulations.
At the same time, the relevant healthcare provider carries out corresponding reviews based on its own procedures and requirements. The purpose is to ensure that the proposed candidate meets the qualifications and requirements for both the academic and clinical components of the joint appointment.
The results of these reviews constitute an important basis for the subsequent employment decision.
Following the completion of the assessments, interviews, credential review, and reference checks, the process of determining the terms and conditions of employment begins.
Salary negotiations are conducted between the candidate and each employer in accordance with the procedures applicable at KI and the relevant healthcare provider. As the joint appointment involves two employers, each organization determines its portion of the salary separately.
Before the appointment can be finalized, a mutually agreed start date must also be established. Both the salary and the start date must be endorsed by the responsible managers within both organizations, as these details form part of the appointment agreement concluded between the parties.
Once the terms and conditions have been agreed upon, an appointment agreement is prepared. The agreement must be signed by authorized representatives of both employers. At KI, the document is signed by the President. On the healthcare provider’s side, the agreement is typically signed by the Hospital Director or an equivalent senior official.
The appointment agreement must be in place before a formal employment decision can be made.
Once the appointment agreement has been signed, a formal employment decision can be made.
The employment decision is prepared by KI’s HR Department. For appointments as Professor, the decision is made by the President of KI. For appointments as Senior Lecturer, the decision is made by the Head of Department in accordance with the applicable delegation of authority.
After the employment decision has been made, the HR function at the responsible department at KI and the relevant healthcare provider each prepare an employment contract in accordance with their respective employer procedures.
For the appointment at KI, the employment contract is registered in Primula and archived in KI’s HR records. The corresponding administration of the clinical appointment is carried out in accordance with the healthcare provider’s procedures.
Roles and Responsibilities
- The group for strategic competence provision (GSK) decides on the establishment of positions as Professor and Senior Lecturer. GSK also determines the position's orientation (research or education and research) and its subject area. As of 3 April 2025, a decision from GSK is required before the recruitment of a Professor or Senior Lecturer can be initiated. Once GSK has approved a proposal to establish a position, the recruitment process is handled by KI’s Recruitment Committee.
- The Recruitment Committee prepares recruitment cases, reviews proposals submitted by the Recruitment Group, carries out candidate selection, and recommends a candidate for appointment.
- The recruiting managers at KI and the USV unit share responsibility for the recruitment process. At KI, the recruiting manager is the Head of Department. For each recruitment process, there must be at least one representative from the department (normally the recruiting Head of Department) and one representative from the relevant healthcare provider (normally the recruiting manager). The Recruitment Group is responsible for preparing proposals to establish a position (including the vacancy announcement), proposing external reviewers and recommends which candidates should be invited for interview as well as participating in Recruitment Committee meetings where decisions on advertisements and interviews are discussed. At Recruitment Committee meetings, both the department and the healthcare provider are represented, giving both parties the opportunity to present their views on the matter.
- The President at KI makes the formal employment decision for appointments as Professor
- The head of department makes the formal employment decision for appointments as Senior Lectruer.
- Academic Appointments within the HR Department ensure that the recruitment process is carried out in accordance with the jointly agreed process description and operating procedures.
- Once the recruitment process has been completed, the department’s HR function prepares the employment contract. For appointments at KI, the contract is first registered in Primula and then processed and archived in KI’s HR records system. The department’s payroll specialist receives a notification and reviews the contract before it is finalized.