Assistant Professor/Associate Professor or Professor in Ecological Restoration of Urban Environments
The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences invites applications for the position of
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR / PROFESSOR IN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
The expected starting date for the position is by 1st January 2026 or by mutual agreement.
The successful applicant may be appointed to assistant/associate professorship (tenure track) (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/careers-at-the-university-of-helsinki/tenure-track-at-the-university-of-helsinki), or a full professorship depending on the applicant’s qualifications and career stage.
We are seeking an environmental scientist with expertise on ecological and environmental degradation and restoration, including the toxification/chemical pollution and restoration of the urban environment and subsequent biodiversity effects. Expertise can include ecotoxicology, and bioremediation with an emphasis on identifying and responding to scientific challenges related restoration. Suitable backgrounds for the position include methodologies to assess ecological/environmental quality and restoration, and related relevant fields, drawing from a broad range of theoretical backgrounds and a strong emphasis on field and laboratory measurements, preferably in, but not limited to, urban settings.
This position will be part of the Diversity in Society and Life (DIVSOL https://www.helsinki.fi/en/diversity-society-and-life) multi Faculty action led by the Faculty of Arts, with the participation of the Faculties of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Education, Law, Theology, Social Sciences, Science, the Swedish School of Social Science, and the Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities. It aims to develop a leading European hub for transdisciplinary research on ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and socio-ecological diversity. As a result, the position includes working in and leading multi- and transdisciplinary working groups, including social sciences, the humanities, and artificial intelligence (AI).
An appointee to an associate or full professorship must have a doctoral degree and have top-level scholarly qualifications and experience in the supervision of scientific research, as well as a proven record to acquire research funding. In addition, the appointee must have the ability to provide top-level research-based teaching and to supervise theses and dissertations, as well as documentation of international cooperation in the research field that the appointee represents.
An appointee to an assistant professorship must have a doctoral degree. In addition, they should have the ability to conduct independent scholarly work, supervise and mentor doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, attract funding and have the teaching skills necessary for the position.
When considering the applicant’s qualifications for the position, attention will be given to scientific publications and their significance in the applicant’s field of research, teaching experience and skills and pedagogical competence, ability to produce teaching materials, supervision of undergraduate and graduate theses, as well as participation in doctoral education. The applicant is expected to develop and teach courses on urban pollution and restoration and urban ecotoxicology.
Furthermore, account shall also be taken of the applicant’s activities in the scientific community, success in obtaining external research funding, international research experience and positions in international organizations. The assessment will be conducted in accordance with the applicant’s career stage. The University of Helsinki has signed the DORA Declaration (https://sfdora.org) and applies its principles when assessing the scientific merit of applicants.
The starting annual gross salary for assistant/associate professors typically amounts to 65,000 -75,000 euros and for full professors to 75,000 – 95,000 euros, depending on the appointee’s career stage and scholarly qualifications. In addition to the facilities and research infrastructure that are currently available, the faculty will provide a startup package to the appointee.
The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The International Staff Services office (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university) assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland (see: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/information-arriving-international-staff). Finland is a very family-friendly country with generous parental leave, affordable daycare for all children and high-quality free primary, secondary and tertiary education as well as public healthcare. See, e.g., https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/information-arriving-international-staff.
The University of Helsinki is an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. We are committed to the principles and practices of open science. 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 Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-biological-and-environmental-sciences) is Finland’s premier hub for environmental and life science research and education. The position is based in the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, which is one of the three Research Programmes in the Faculty. Focal research areas of the Programme include the Arctic, marine & freshwater, and urban (see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-biological-and-environmental-sciences/research/ecosystems-and-environment).
Research and teaching activities at the Viikki Campus in Helsinki are supported by state-of-the-art infrastructures including core facilities. The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences also has three research stations for ecologically and environmentally oriented work (Tvärminne, Lammi and Kilpisjärvi).
Application procedure. Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English:
1) CV
2) A report on the applicant’s previous research activities and acquired external funding (total funding, broken down over the last 10 years, status as PI or co-PI, funding agency, project name), and a plan for how the applicant intends to develop their research and focus their activities in the future (max. 4 pages with first 2 pages on past record and 2 pages on future plan).
3) A report on experience and merits which are of relevance for the evaluation of teaching skills (max. 3 pages).
4) A numbered list of publications in English and other works with which the applicant wishes to demonstrate their competence and merits, with a maximum of 10 most important publications highlighted with brief explanations.
Alternatively, an academic portfolio may be provided containing the above documents and information.
Applications must be submitted 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 SAP Fiori. The deadline for application is 17 August 2025.
Further information can be obtained from Professor Sirkku Juhola (sirkku.juhola@helsinki.fi).
Technical support for using the recruitment system: rekrytointi (at) helsinki.fi