Postdoctoral Researcher, Biodiversity Change

The Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a 
 
Postdoctoral Researcher, Biodiversity Change
 
for a fixed-term employment for the duration of two years starting in May 2025, or as agreed. The work will be based at the Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS at the University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. The postdoctoral researcher will join the Biodiversity Change research group, and they will work under the supervision of Julia Kemppinen, the assistant professor in biodiversity change. The postdoctoral project is funded with the start-up package appointed to Kemppinen by the University of Helsinki.

About the position

The main aim of the postdoctoral project is to design and conduct experiments for testing causality in plant-microclimate relationships. The focus is on tundra plants under climate change and how microclimates shape responses within and across species, populations, and communities. The main task of the postdoctoral researcher involves designing and registering protocols for greenhouse and/or field experiments, conducting the experiments, and carrying out the related statistical analyses and writing of manuscripts. 

Qualifications of the postdoctoral researcher

The position requires a doctoral degree relevant for the project, for instance a PhD in ecology, and the ability to conduct independent scholarly work. The position also provides the opportunity to co-supervise training periods and theses of master student's related to the postdoctoral project (max. 5 % of annual working time). Experience in conducting greenhouse or field experiments is highly valued, as well as strong skills in programming and statistics, and good knowledge of tundra plants and microclimate ecology. Excellent collaboration and communication skills are also highly valued. 
 
The appointee should have:
-    a doctoral degree by the beginning of employment
-    the ability to conduct independent scholarly work
-    the necessary teaching skills for the position

Also, these qualities are highly valued:
-    experience in conducting greenhouse or field experiments
-    strong skills in programming and statistics
-    good knowledge of tundra plants and microclimate ecology
-    excellent skills in written and spoken English
  

Why conduct a postdoctoral project at the Biodiversity Change research group?
 
The Biodiversity Change research group is well connected nationally and internationally with collaborators from various fields, ranging from ecology and geography to microclimate modelling. The postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to leverage these networks, work with different research communities, and establish new connections. The outcomes of the postdoctoral project will contribute to the advance of an exciting emerging research program integrating highly controlled experiments with extensive field monitoring study designs.

Why conduct a postdoctoral project at the University of Helsinki?

In the field of ecology, the University of Helsinki is the leading university in Finland and the Nordic countries, and the fifth-best in Europe, according to ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects in 2024. The University of Helsinki provides excellent opportunities for professional development, for instance, training in leadership skills, grant writing skills, and university pedagogy skills. The University of Helsinki invests in the welfare of its employees by offering preventive occupational health services, general medical care, and sports facilities. For further information please check: Staff benefits. The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from all gender identities, and linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities. 

The salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart 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 performance. The starting salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be ca. 3400-3800 euros/month, depending on the appointee's qualifications and experience. A six-month trial period will be applied. The working hours of the postdoctoral researcher will be 1612 hours on a yearly basis as the they will belong to the annual workload scheme of research and teaching staff. Annual holidays are approximately five to seven weeks during the academic year.

The postdoctoral researcher should reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The University of Helsinki assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland. Finland is a member of the European Union, has high quality free schooling (also in English), as well as generous family benefits and healthcare. Read more about why the University of Helsinki is an excellent career choice: working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland. For seven years in a row, Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world.
 

How to apply?
 
The application must include the following documents written in English as a single pdf called "lastname_firstname":
1.    Motivation letter, max. one page.
2.    CV, max. four pages. Follow the CV template and CV instructions of TENK.
3.    Publication list. Highlight the three most relevant publications for the position. Follow the sub-headings of RCF.
4.    Contact information of two persons who can provide a reference letter based on request.
 
Please submit your application via our recruitment system by 24.2.2025 (16:00 EET). External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via Apply Now button. Employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through the SAP Fiori portal: https://msap.sap.helsinki.fi

About the Finnish Museum of Natural History 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 and Mycology, Zoology, Earth Sciences, Biodiversity Informatics, and Public Engagement. It has about 250 staff members, from which the Botany and Mycology Unit has a staff of about 70 persons, including both permanent and temporary employees.
 

Further information
 
Further information about the position can be obtained from Julia Kemppinen: firstname.lastname(at)helsinki.fi
Further information about the recruitment process can be obtained from HR: hr-erla(at)helsinki.fi