Postdoctoral Researcher in Biodiversity Science

The Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher in biodiversity science for a fixed term of 2 years. The position is located at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikki Campus, Helsinki.

About the position

The post doc position is part of the Research Centre for Ecological Change (REC) and is funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. PIs of the Centre are prof. Anna-Liisa Laine, prof. Tomas Roslin, prof. Marjo Saastamoinen and prof. Jarno Vanhatalo. There is some flexibility in the starting date, but the candidate selected should start as soon as possible and ideally by late 2026.

The overreaching aim of REC is to generate a coordinated analysis of long-term ecological data to understand the drivers and consequences of global change on biodiversity. To unravel how populations, interactions between species in natural communities and their effects on ecosystem functioning are responding to ongoing environmental change, the project takes advantage of the unique long-term datasets collected in Finland. REC also develops state-of-the-art methodology for analysing long-term spatially structured data sets within a joint species distribution modelling framework.

The person we are looking for

We are now seeking a postdoctoral researcher to assess how patterns of species co-occurrence are shifting with global change. We are particularly interested in how shifts in temporal occurrence (phenology) and spatial occurrence (range shifts at different scales) combine into generating new species assemblages at any given time and place. The successful candidate will contribute to developing the specific research questions. To this aim, we seek candidates who have completed a PhD in ecology, biostatistics or a related field, have strong conceptual and statistical skills, and experience of working with large and complex datasets. The degree requirement must be met by the beginning of the employment. The position requires the ability to analyse diverse field-collected biodiversity data sets, a solution-oriented mindset, and enthusiasm for research. Excellent written and verbal communication skills (as documented by first-authored papers), independence, and creativity are required, alongside the ability to conceive, execute, and complete research projects. The postdoc will work as part of a collaborative team at the Centre, and strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential. 

Salary and how to apply for the position

The salary of the successful candidate 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 will be ca. 3700 euros/month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience. There will be a trial period of six months in the beginning of the employment.

The application should include the following documents as a single pdf file, all written in English:

• motivational letter outlining why you are the right person for this task (max 1 page)
• CV (max 2 pages)
• list of publications
• contact information of two persons who are willing to provide a reference letter by separate request. 

External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the ‘Apply Now’ button.

Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher's contract, a visiting researcher's or visiting professor's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the employee login.

The deadline for submitting the application is October 19 (at 23:59 EEST).

For more information, contact by email

Professor Tomas Roslin (tomas.roslin(at)helsinki.fi), Professor Jarno Vanhatalo (jarno.vanhatalo(at)helsinki.fi); please address both at the same time.

If you need support with the recruitment portal, please contact recruitmen(at)helsinki.fi and mention the title of the job in the message subject.