Professor or Assistant/Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry

The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki.

As a part of the Faculty of Science, the Department of Chemistry has a wide profile and it carries out international level research in three research programs, i.e., materials chemistry, synthesis and analysis, and molecular science. The Department operates on an annual budget of 20 million euros and reports more than 200 FTE person-years per annum. The Department has 15 professors, one tenure-track associate professor and two visiting professors.

The Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a

PROFESSOR OR ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

The aim of this position is to strengthen experimental studies in the area of organic chemistry and to contribute to research and education within the discipline, including but not limited to synthesis planning, reaction mechanisms and pathways, structural analysis, and work-up and scaling-up methodologies.

The successful candidate is expected to have broad theoretical and practical knowledge of organic chemistry. The research topic can be targeted for example towards general organic chemistry (understanding and development of organic chemistry reactions/methods), elucidation of reaction pathways, synthetic organic chemistry, fractionation/purification- and workup methods, physical organic chemistry or structural chemistry.

To be successful in the position, the candidate is expected to collaborate in-house and should establish a strong network of national and international cooperations. The appointee is expected to conduct research on an internationally high level. In addition, the appointee must take advantage of national and international research funding opportunities, participate in the doctoral education at the Department, and participate in the interaction between science and society at large. The teaching area of the position is chemistry. The person chosen for the position is expected to develop the teaching within the chemistry curriculum in the areas of BSc and MSc level organic chemistry education.

Qualifications

The successful applicant may be appointed to a permanent full professorship or a fixed-term assistant/ associate professorship (tenure track), depending on their qualifications and career stage. For more information on the career path and a description of the tenure track model at the University of Helsinki, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/academic-careers/tenure-track.

A professor must hold a doctoral degree and have high-level academic qualifications, experience in heading scientific research. The professor must also be able to provide research-based teaching of high quality, supervise dissertations and theses as well as evidence of international cooperation in the field.

An assistant/associate professor must hold a doctoral degree and demonstrated ability to conduct independent scientific work. Teaching skills and the willingness to participate in pedagogical trainings are required for the position. Furthermore, the successful candidate is expected to have competence and motivation to pursue an academic career proven by a record of scientific publications and other academic activities.

When assessing the qualifications of each candidate, attention will be paid to scientific publications and other research results of scientific value. Likewise, the educational merits will be assessed based on teaching experience, pedagogical training, the ability to produce teaching materials, as well as participation in doctoral education. Furthermore, other qualifying aspects include the applicant’s activities within the research community, success in obtaining research funding, research work abroad and elected positions in international organizations

Salary and benefits

The University will offer the appointee a career opportunity to conduct top-level research and research-based teaching, possibilities for international collaboration, and for the appointed assistant/associate professor adequate conditions to grow into full professorship. In addition to the funding possibilities offered by the national funding agencies, the Faculty of Science opens calls for infrastructure funding on a yearly basis. The selected person will also get a startup package of about 160 000 EUR

A typical starting salary for a newly appointed professor is 6100-6900 euros/month. The starting salary of an assistant professor is ca. 4900 euros/month and that of an associate professor ca. 5500 euros/month.

The University offers comprehensive services to its employees, including preventive occupational health services and general medical care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The Faculty of Science is an equal opportunity workplace committed to advancing wellbeing and diversity and promoting gender equality in science and education. We support the compatibility of work and family-life e.g. by providing an opportunity for 6 weeks of paid annual leave.

The University assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland and e.g. offers support for language studies to learn Finnish and Swedish. Finland is a family-friendly country with generous parental leaves, affordable state-subsidized day care that is available for all children, as well as world-renowned free primary education and universal healthcare. For more on the University of Helsinki as an employer and living in Helsinki, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers and https://welcome.hel.fi/#/ .

How to apply

Applications must have the following enclosures as PDF files (in English):

1. A cover letter describing the candidate´s suitability for the position and motivation to apply for it (1–2 pages)
2. An academic portfolio following the guidelines of the Faculty (as set out at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-science/faculty/join-us/academic-portfolio), containing a summary of supervision duties of master’s and doctoral theses and plans how the applicant will develop her/his research field and its teaching

Please submit your application through the University of Helsinki´s recruitment system. Applicants, who are employees of the University of Helsinki, are requested to leave their application by using the “Employee Login.”

The deadline for applications is May 10th, 2023.

The University of Helsinki welcomes applications from people of all genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities.

Further information

Further information on the position and the working environment may be obtained from Professor Ilkka Kilpeläinen, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Ilkka.kilpelainen(at)helsinki.fi.

If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact HR Specialist Jussi Hartikainen (jussi.a.hartikainen(at)helsinki.fi).