Postdoctoral researcher in community-based democratic responses to climate turbulence

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Social Sciences invite applications for a fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the area of climate democracy, including a focus on deliberative assemblies, food and energy systems, disaster and adaptation response, ecological urban design, and/or environmental justice approaches and responses to the climate crisis.

The position is linked to the Finnish Research Council Profi9 support for a project on Climate Democracy, led by Professor of Environmental Politics David Schlosberg. The preferred starting date is January 2027.

The successful candidate will join either the Department of Environmental Sciences in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences or the Discipline of Social and Public Policy in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The position is initially offered for three years, with the possibility of extension depending on project funding and continuation.

About the position

The selected candidate will contribute to the management, coordination, and implementation of a range of project activities, including:
•    Conduct collaborative and independent research on community-based democratic innovations and experiments in response to the climate crisis.
•    Design and carry out assessments, evaluations, and comparisons of such processes with researchers and project partners, both academic and community-based.
•    Coordinate and project-manage multiple researchers and a range of specific research tasks within the climate democracy project.
•    Write peer review publications and preparing competitive grant applications.
•    Prepare and support other project documentation, reports, and articles for both academic and public audiences.
•    Take a leading role in organizing and promoting seminars and workshops in relation to the research (including communication, logistics, finance, and web/social media content).
•    Actively contribute to research seminars and workshops, and to building a larger community of researchers and practitioners at the University of Helsinki and beyond.
•    Teaching responsibilities can be 10 - 20% of annual working time

What we are looking for

We are looking for a collaborative and proactive person with strong project management, writing, and communication skills with a demonstrated interest in democratic and justice-based responses to the climate crisis. We expect the successful candidate to have: 
•    completed a PhD in any area related to climate democracy, broadly defined, including humanities, social sciences, and/or natural sciences (the degree requirement must be met by the beginning of the employment)
•    demonstrated knowledge and an emerging profile in a field(s) related to the climate crises and political and public responses
•    evidence of the ability to conduct independent research and assume responsibility for the development and completion of research projects and publications
•    an emerging track record in academic publications and the potential to develop further research expertise through various projects
•    experience in project management
•    a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively
•    experience in international and/or multidisciplinary settings
•    excellent written and spoken English

Why work for us?  

The University of Helsinki offers an international and inspiring working environment with opportunities to contribute to impactful multidisciplinary research. The project team will stretch across the environmental and social sciences, on both the City Centre and Viikki campuses. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to engage and collaborate with Finnish, European, and international partners and research networks. The Climate Democracy Project is led by Professor David Schosberg, a recognized leader in environmental social science, justice, and democracy, with extensive experience mentoring early career researchers.

Salary and terms of employment

The position is fixed-term for three years, with a preferred start of January 2027, depending on practical arrangements.
 
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 is typically around 3700–4000 euros per month depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience.
 
A six-month trial period will be applied. The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The workplace of the position will be at either the City Center or Viikki campus in Helsinki.

 
How to apply

Please submit your application as a single PDF file in English using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the “Apply now” button.
1.    motivation letter (max. 2 pages).
2.    CV.
3.    relevant certificates or transcripts (e.g., Doctoral diploma).
4.    contact information for 2 references.

 
Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, grant researcher’s contract or visiting researcher’s contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application using the Employee login.

 
If you need help with the recruitment portal, please contact recruitment@helsinki.fi and mention the title of the job in the message subject.

 
The deadline for applications is 16 October 2026 (at 23:59 EEST).

 
For further information about the position, please contact:
Professor David Schlosberg (david.schlosberg@helsinki.fi)

A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.
 
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