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University Re­searcher, Core Research Area Con­sumer Eco­nom­ics

Employer
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
Location
Helsinki, Finland
Closing date
11 Sep 2021

The University of Helsinki is the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland, an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. In international university rankings, the University of Helsinki typically ranks among the top 100. The University of Helsinki seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for the best of humanity.

The Faculty of Social Sciences is Finland’s leading research and education institution in the social sciences and the most diverse in terms of its disciplines. In several research fields the Faculty belongs to the top 50 in the international rankings. The Faculty has a strong international profile both in research and teaching programmes. The number of academic staff stands at 500. Each year the faculty awards some 350 Bachelor’s degrees, 400 Master’s degrees, and more than 40 doctoral degrees. For more information, please see the Faculty website at www2.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences.

The Faculty of Social Sciences invites applications for a position of

UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER - Core research area Consumer Economics

for a permanent position starting from 1st of December, 2021 to contribute to the nationwide responsibility of the Centre for Consumer Society Research (CCSR).

This responsibility constitutes 1) conducting multidisciplinary research on significant phenomena in consumer society and on their effects on the lives of consumers, 2) participating in the offering of university education in the field, and 3) participating in development projects that enhance the societal impact of the research field.

The appointee is recruited to strengthen the fulfilment of the nationwide responsibility of the centre. Research at the CCSR focuses on the development of the consumer society from a consumer-centred perspective. The research is multidisciplinary in its orientation and seeks to identify problems that concern the future of consumer society. The centre makes critical use of qualitative and quantitative methods and engages in participatory means of research. Furthermore, it explores the impact of economic phenomena and politics on consumers and the consumer society and contributes to political debates on the future of Finnish consumer society. Please see further information on https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/centre-for-consumer-society-r....

QUALIFICATIONS

An appointee:

  • must hold a doctoral degree in a relevant field of social science, the ability to obtain financing and to conduct independent scientific research in a highly multidisciplinary environment and possess the teaching skills required for the position. Good working skills in either of the two official languages in Finland (Finnish and Swedish) are required to achieve well the expectations on the appointee concerning the nationwide responsibility of the centre.
  • will have substantial research experience as demonstrated by high-quality publications in the core research area and research funding; a strong theoretical and methodological background and performance of empirical research on consumer economics, and concrete ideas about how the candidate’s work will contribute to research in the field.
  • will have knowledge of the Finnish welfare society and practical quantitative research experience in working with activities such as household surveys and reference budgets. We are looking for a researcher who is motivated to take responsibility for research on the reference budgets, the development of research in the field, the availability and usability of reference budgets and the construction of databases.

We appreciate earlier international research experience that deals with issues related to money and debt, economic livelihoods and wealth, questions of structural inequalities and vulnerabilities, economic agency and the lack of it. Expertise in quantitative approaches but also knowledge on qualitative methods and tools in researching issues affecting consumers’ economic positioning and activities is considered an asset.

Successful performance of the work requires the ability to lead research projects, attract younger scholars to the field and communicate research results to various audiences, both academic and professional.

EXPECTATIONS

An appointee is expected to contribute 2-5 months of annual work time to joint projects at the centre, develop her/his own and our common research agenda, and contribute to collective academic tasks such as teaching, conducting seminars and participating in joint academic papers. The appointee is expected to develop and maintain long-term research activities in the field and obtain research funding for it. To fulfil the research requirements of the position, the applicant chosen is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki, and actively participate in the research and teaching activities of the centre. The Faculty of Social Sciences provides assistance in relocation.

CONSUMER ECONOMICS AS A FOCUS

The nationwide responsibility of the CCSR is to produce knowledge on phenomena related to consumption and the consumer society. We are looking for a university researcher to work permanently in our unit, to strengthen and build a research programme that focuses on issues related to consumer economics. We treat the area of consumer economics as a multidisciplinary field, having its roots in disciplines, including sociology, economics, anthropology, and social policy, and covering the study of economic and financial matters that have to do with consumer’s daily lives.

The CCSR has been a nationally significant producer of research data on household reference budgets related to defining the level of reasonable standards of living. Making people’s basic consumption needs visible is also part of the research agenda. Continuing this work is a priority when hiring a university researcher.

WHAT WE OFFER

We are an equal opportunity employer and offer an attractive and diverse workplace in an inspiring environment with a variety of development opportunities and benefits. The monthly gross salary range will be approx. € 3900 – 4500 depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience. In addition, University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and opportunities for professional development. Further information at https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/university/careers-at-the-university-of-hels.... The employment contract will include a probationary period of six months.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the link Apply for job. Applicants who are employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via the SAP HR portal. The deadline for applications is 11 September, 2021.

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents as a single pdf file:

  1. A curriculum vitae
  2. Statement/summary of previous research based on given criteria and a selection of five key publications to be considered during the review
  3. A research plan on how to contribute to household reference budgets related to defining the level of reasonable standards of living

For instructions, please see https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences/faculty/applying-....

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information about the positions may be obtained from Director Päivi Timonen, paivi.timonen@helsinki.fi.

Due date

11.09.2021 23:59 EEST

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