The University of Helsinki (www.helsinki.fi/en), the largest university in Finland and one the world’s leading multidisciplinary universities, looks for solutions to global challenges and engenders new thinking for the benefit of humanity. With a community of more than 8,000 staff members, we offer extensive career advancement opportunities in teaching and research as well as service and specialist roles. Some 36,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki.

The Ruralia Institute (www.helsinki.fi/en/ruralia-institute) of the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry provides high-quality research-based knowledge and innovation partnership opportunities for rural development. The institute’s multidisciplinary work focuses on the development of local communities, sustainable food chains and the new bioeconomy. The institute’s 40 or so experts engage in wide-ranging international, national and regional cooperation in the university consortiums of Mikkeli and Seinäjoki.

We invite applications for the position of

RESEARCH DIRECTOR/SENIOR RESEARCHER

for a fixed term of five years from 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2025 at the Seinäjoki unit of the Ruralia Institute. The field of the position is entrepreneurship in the sustainability transformation of the food system. The objective of the research activities is to integrate the perspectives of entrepreneurship research and, more broadly, business economics and sustainability science into research on the transformation of the food system. The aim is to produce high-quality research-based knowledge that can help support the active role of companies and promote an understanding of new business opportunities in the sustainability transformation of the food chain.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the fixed-term position of research director or senior researcher, depending on his or her qualifications and career stage. The position will be in the multidisciplinary Epanet research network of five universities, which operates in the University Consortium of Seinäjoki and is funded by not only universities, but also, for example, companies, municipalities, foundations and various development organisations.

The duties of the research director/senior researcher will include research work, the planning and leadership of research projects in the field, the provision of university-level teaching, and active public engagement. The aim is that the appointee will start a research group and establish strong Finnish and international networks.

APPOINTMENT CRITERIA

According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to the position of research director must hold a doctoral degree and have top-level scholarly qualifications, experience in the supervision of scientific research, the ability to provide top-level teaching based on research and to supervise theses and dissertations, as well as documentation of international cooperation in the research field that the appointee represents. When considering the applicant’s qualifications, particular attention will be given to scientific work, the efficient leadership of a research group, success in obtaining external research funding and evidence of international research cooperation.

An appointee to the position of senior researcher must hold a doctoral degree and have evidence of scientific research, the teaching skills necessary for the position, and the ability to lead a research group and obtain external funding. When selecting the appointee, scholarly work outside Finland and evidence of international cooperation will be given particular consideration.

WHAT WE OFFER

The University of Helsinki’s extensive networks and the Ruralia Institute’s multidisciplinary work community, high-quality support services and modern work facilities provide a good basis for academic work. The University of Helsinki’s profile in sustainability science (www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-institute-of-sustainability-science) also supports the appointee in the successful completion of his or her duties.

We will provide the appointee with the academic freedom to direct his or her research activities and to develop national and international cooperation. We ask applicants to describe in their application what they consider the main areas in which they would like to direct their research activities. The companies and communities providing funding for the position will also provide an excellent interaction framework for practical information needs.

The salary for the position will be based on levels 6–8 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research positions in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. The appointee’s gross monthly salary will range from 4 300 to 5 500 euros. There will be a six-month trial period for the position.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Application documents must be submitted in a single PDF file in the following order:

1. A letter of motivation (max. 1 page, grounds for applying for the position)
2. A curriculum vitae drawn up in compliance with good scientific practice and following as carefully as possible the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity’s template (3/2020) for the researcher’s curriculum vitae (https://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae)
3. A numbered list of scientific and other publications in accordance with the Academy of Finland guidelines (https://www.aka.fi/en/funding/apply-for-funding/az-index-of-application-...)
4. A draft version of the applicant’s personal research programme (max. 5 pages)

In addition, applicants are kindly asked to prepare to select and submit upon request, after the closing of the application period, up to 10 publications to be sent to the assessors. These publications will be submitted through the University’s electronic application system.

Interested? Please submit your application in one PDF file 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 application period for the position has been re-opened. We will take into consideration the applications we received during the earlier application period.

The closing date for applications is 21 September 2020.

• Further information about the position may be obtained from Director Sami Kurki, phone +358 500 811 232, sami.p.kurki(at)helsinki.fi.
• Further information on the recruitment process (incl. the recruitment system) can be obtained from HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen, phone +358 2941 57583, mirkka.juntunen(at)helsinki.fi.

Due date

21.09.2020 23:59 EEST