Curator, Metazoa Team

The Finnish Museum of Natural History (Luomus) invites applications for a fixed-term research position of  Curator specialising in systematics, biogeography, population genomics and/or evolution of either vertebrates or invertebrates (excluding insects). We are looking for an established or future top expert to complement our Metazoa team of the Zoology Unit. The starting date is 1.3.2024 or as soon as possible. The appointment is a substitute position for one year, but permanent positions may become available in the Metazoa team soon. If that happens, the selected Curator may apply for such position.

The duties of the Curator include independent collection-based research, application of external funding, student supervision, as well as managing the scientific collections together with other team members and supervising the work of collection technicians. As an expert in the field, the Curator will participate in the museum’s tasks related to teaching and societal interaction.

Qualifications

The Curator must hold a doctoral degree and have a record of international publications demonstrating competence in the field of the position. Successful candidate should have the skills needed to supervise PhD and MSc students and write high quality funding applications. Experience and interest in working with scientific collections, participation in university teaching and supervision, proven success in obtaining external funding, experience of societal interaction, as well as knowledge of Finland’s nature and fauna are considered further assets.

The official languages of the University of Helsinki are Finnish and Swedish. Foreign citizens, non-native Finnish citizens or citizens who have not been educated in Finnish or Swedish may be exempt from formal language requirements. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must have good skills in English. 

About the team

In addition to research, our team is responsible for the national zoological collections, excluding insects. We promote open science and accessibility to collections and data for the research community. The position offers possibilities for collection and database development. You also get to join team's very diverse work; our areas of responsibility vary from high level research and societal interaction to taxidermy and management of collection data. According to the well-being at work survey, we are a healthy work community where people feel safe and enjoy their work and the working environment. We value coaching leadership, and our team highly appreciates conversational and interactive teamwork. We work in a hybrid way.

What do we offer?

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including preventive occupational health services and general medical care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. We are an equal opportunity workplace committed to advance wellbeing and diversity and promote gender equality in science and education. We welcome candidates from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities.
The starting salary will be 3 800–4 900 euros/month, depending on the career stage of the candidate and it is based on the salary system of Finnish universities.

The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The University assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland. Finland is a very family-friendly country with generous parental leaves, very affordable state-subsidized daycare that is available for all children, as well as world-renowned free primary education and public healthcare. For more on the University of Helsinki as an employer and living in Helsinki, please see: Careers at the University of Helsinki.

How to apply?

Candidates are requested to submit their application as one single PDF file which includes the following documents in English:

• statement of interest for applying this position and description of research interest (maximum length 2 page)
• CV (maximum length two pages)
• list of publications

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki recruitment system by clicking the "Apply now" button or if you already work for the University of Helsinki please apply via "employee login".

Further information

For questions and further information, please contact Metazoa Team leader Hanna Laakkonen: hanna.laakkonen[at]helsinki.fi / +358 504778171 (Mon–Fri: 8–16 CET) 
If you have any questions about the recruitment system or recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Laura Jensen-Eriksen: hr-erla[at]helsinki.fi

About Luomus

The Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS is an independent institute of the University of Helsinki and the national museum in the field of natural history in Finland. The museum’s duties are to amass, maintain and display its collections, and to conduct related research, particularly in the field of species-level biodiversity. The collections serve research, teaching, and public education in biology, geology, and biodiversity, and form part of the international network of natural history repositories. The Finnish Museum of Natural History has five units: Botany, Zoology, Natural Sciences, Public Engagement and Biodiversity Informatics. The Zoology Unit has a staff of about 60 persons, including both permanent and temporary employees.

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