Professor or Assistant / Associate Professor in Forest Planning
The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry invites applications for the position of
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR / PROFESSOR IN FOREST PLANNING
from 1.2.2025 onwards or as agreed. The position may be filled as a tenure track assistant professor, tenure track associate professor or full professor depending on the candidate’s merits and career stage. Information about our tenure track system: University of Helsinki tenure track. The goal of the tenure track is to advance to a permanent professor position.
The field of the assistant professor / associate professor / professor is the development of multi-objective forest planning and decision support systems, including the uncertainties, risks and values of forest resource and natural resource planning information. The person selected for the professorship must have a broad understanding of the following key research themes:
1) consideration of forest owners and other interest groups in forest planning, above all private forest owners,
2) multi-objective (e.g. economy, biodiversity, climate goals, energy and landscape) in forest planning,
3) simulation, optimization, and uncertainty related to forest planning.
The candidate for the position must have their own, in-depth research evidence on at least one of the themes above. Placement of the research in several themes, as well as the transfer of research information to practical forestry, as well as societal interaction related to the field, are considered an advantage. The professorship focuses on forest planning of boreal forests. Knowledge of Finnish and Nordic forestry is essential for the job.
The assistant professor / associate professor / professor of forest planning maintains and strengthens the teaching resources of the Department of Forest sciences by participating in teaching and supervising students in all three degree programs of the department (BSc, MSc, PhD). In the curricula of the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Forest Sciences, forest resource management and geoinformatics form a field of specialization, within which one can focus on e.g. for forest planning. The professorship of forest planning also supports the planned new master's programs, e.g. master's program in the technology of sustainable use of renewable natural resources.
The appointee will also engage in public discussions on the future of the field of the position. Active networks and collaboration with the business sector are appreciated.
REQUIREMENTS
An appointee to the position of assistant professor or associate professor in the tenure track system shall have
- a doctoral degree
- the ability to conduct independent scholarly work
- the teaching skills required for the position
- the ability and motivation to pursue an academic career, as demonstrated by publications and other means
An appointee to the position of professor shall have
- a doctoral degree
- high-level academic qualifications
- experience in leading scientific research
- the ability to provide research-based teaching and supervise dissertations and theses
- evidence of international cooperation in the research field they represent
- academic leadership skills
When considering the candidates’ qualifications, attention shall be given to scientific and teaching merits. In addition, the candidates’ leadership and interaction skills, as well as activity in the scientific community and public engagement shall also be taken into account.
Scientific merits include
- scientific publications and other research results of academic value
- success in obtaining external research funding
- international research experience
- international elected positions
Teaching merits include
- teaching experience
- pedagogical training
- the ability to produce learning material
- other teaching merits
- a teaching demonstration (if necessary)
- participation in doctoral education
According to the Government Decree on Universities, tenure track associate/assistant professors must be proficient in Finnish. They must also have at least satisfactory spoken and written skills in Swedish. Foreign citizens, non-native Finnish citizens or citizens who have not been educated in Finnish or Swedish may be exempted from this requirement without a separate application. If the appointee is not proficient in Finnish, they are expected to acquire intermediate level skills (CEFR level B2; https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills) within five years after the appointment. The University will support the appointee in acquiring the necessary Finnish language skills and time for language studies can be included in annual work plan. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must have fluent English skills.
WHAT WE OFFER
We offer an interesting opportunity to work in a diverse research environment. At the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry you will carry out research-based teaching at the highest level in the field in Finland and have the opportunity to take part in internationally valued, first-class research activities. The position is also an opportunity to develop your own professional skills in a multidisciplinary work community of the faculty. Your work will be supported by the research and teaching staff of the department and the faculty as well as the administrative and technical staff at Viikki campus.
The professor’s salary will be based on levels 8−10 and the assistant/associate professor’s on level 7 of the job requirement scheme 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 work performance. The professor’s gross annual salary varies between 70 000 and 96 000 euros and the assistant/associate professor’s between 55 000 and 72 000 euros, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience.
Furthermore, the university takes care of your well-being by flexible work arrangements, comprehensive occupational health care and wide-ranging, low-cost UniSport services. Professional development is supported in different ways, i.e. by offering versatile staff training, mentoring etc.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications a SINGLE PDF file that includes the following documents in English:
1) CV
2) A short motivation letter and report on how the applicant intends to develop his or her research and focus his or her activities, if appointed (1-2 pages)
3) Report on the applicant’s research activities (including activities in scientific communities, the acquisition of research funding and international scholarly work) (max. 5 pages)
4) A numbered list of publications
5) A report on pedagogical expertise (see the instructions via the link below under University portfolio – Teaching and supervision)
For more detailed instructions on the application documents, please see
Applications with the above attachments must be submitted in a single PDF file, which is named:
forest planning_lastname_firstname. Other attachments are not required.
The Faculty may request shortlisted candidates to submit 10 publications of their choice to be sent to external assessors via the electronic recruitment system after the application deadline. In the case of shortlisted candidates, aptitude evaluation may be used as part of the recruitment process.
External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply Now link.
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 University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders and linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
The closing date for applications is 12.8.2024 at 23:59 EEST.
- Further information can be obtained from the Director of the Department, Professor Markus Holopainen, markus.holopainen(at)helsinki.fi, +358 2941 58181
- Further information on the recruitment process may be obtained from HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen, mirkka.juntunen(at)helsinki.fi, +358 294157583
About us
The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is located on the Viikki campus. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in biosciences and business, able to meet the needs of both the business sector and society at large. www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry
www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry
The Department of Forest sciences is a unit of the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, where approximately 140 people work: 22 professors or assistant professors, 8 university lecturers and 100-110 researchers and doctoral students. The department conducts internationally respected forestry research and provides top education based on it. The main research areas of research and teaching are forest ecology, forest resource management, and forest bioeconomy business and policy. The aim of the multidisciplinary activity is the teaching of sustainability and sustainable use of forests, scientific research and social influence. The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry grants Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Forestry as well as doctoral degrees in the university's doctoral programs. Approximately 350 undergraduate and 60 postgraduate students study in the department's education programs. The Department of Forest sciences is active in its social activities, and has good and long-term cooperation with research institutes in the field, other universities, administration and companies nationally and internationally. https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/maatalous-metsatieteellien-tiedekunta/tutkimus/metsatieteet
WHY FINLAND AND HELSINKI
Finland is a member of the EU, has high quality and inexpensive childcare, free schooling and tertiary training (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families. Finland repeatedly tops the World Happiness Report (https://toolbox.finland.fi/life-society/finland-the-happiest-country-in-the-world).
- Why Finland is a great place to live and work: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-finland
- 10 reasons to work in Helsinki: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-helsinki
- Support for international staff: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome
- International House Helsinki: https://ihhelsinki.fi
- Welcome to Helsinki: https://welcome.hel.fi/