The University of Helsinki – among the best in the world

Founded in 1640, the University of Helsinki is one of the best multidisciplinary research universities in the world. The University of Helsinki is an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. It operates on four campuses in Helsinki and at 15 other locations. The high-quality research carried out by the university creates new knowledge for educating diverse specialists in various fields, and for utilisation in social decision-making and the business sector.

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-biological-and-environmental-sciences) represents the field of biological and environmental sciences at the University of Helsinki. The Faculty is responsible for research in the field and educates experts to meet the needs of universities, research institutes, government, schools and the business sector.

The Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences invites applications for a

PROFESSOR IN ECOLOGY

For a fixed-term period of just under two years starting as soon as possible but before January 2020.

The professorship is based in the Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-biological-and-environmental-scien...). The areas of strength of the Programme include population, molecular and evolutionary ecology, to the advancement of which the professor is expected to contribute.

The other professorships of the Research Programme are in the following fields: genomics, bioinformatics, statistics, plant physiology and molecular biology, plant developmental biology, plant systematics, mathematical ecology, behavioural ecology, and evolutionary biology. The research and teaching activities at the Viikki Campus are supported by state-of-the-art infrastructures such as many core facilities for DNA sequencing and genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and light- and electron microscopy including confocal and cryo-electron microscopes. Researchers are offered ample opportunities for field work as the Faculty has three field stations: one on the Baltic coast, one in Southern Finland and one in Lapland. Furthermore, the campus is situated on the edge of Vanhankaupunginlahti Bay, a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance, which provides further opportunities for teaching and research.

The duties of the ecology professor will include scientific research and teaching inspiring research-based courses in ecology at the bachelor and masters degree level, with around 6-weeks of intensive contact teaching hours per year. Experience teaching in the Finnish university system is a plus. In addition to teaching lectures and courses, the professor will supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students.

According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to a professorship shall hold a doctoral degree.

When considering the applicant’s qualifications, attention shall be given to experience in undergraduate lecturing experience as well as undergraduate course development and course co-ordination experience, the applicant’s participation in doctoral education, the applicant’s scientific publication track record. Furthermore, account shall also be taken of the applicant’s activity in the scientific community, success in obtaining external research funding, international research experience and elected positions in Finnish and international organizations.

There is no requirement for foreign citizens, non-native Finnish citizens or citizens who have not been educated in Finnish or Swedish to be proficient in Finnish. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must have good skills in English.

The professor’s salary will be based on levels 8 or 9 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. The gross monthly salary will be approximately 5000–7500 €, depending on the appointee’s career stage and scholarly qualifications.

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English:
1) CV, including details of undergraduate lecturing experience and course development and co-ordination experience
2) A numbered list of publications in English and other works with which the applicant wishes to demonstrate their competence and merits, with five most important publications highlighted with brief explanations.

Or, alternatively, an academic portfolio containing the above documents and information (for instructions, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/academic-portfolio).

Applications must be submitted through the University’s electronic recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Internal applicants (i.e., current employees of the University of Helsinki) must submit their applications through the SAP HR portal. The deadline for applications is 1st September, 2019.

Further information can be obtained from the Director of the Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Professor Kurt Fagerstedt, kurt.fagerstedt (at) helsinki.fi, tel. +358 (0) 2941 59438 or Vice-Director, Professor Craig Primmer, craig.primmer (at) helsinki.fi, tel. +358 (0) 2941 59074.

Technical support for using the recruitment system: rekrytointi (at) helsinki.fi