Professor or Assistant/Associate Professor of Financial Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the Faculty of Science of the University of Helsinki invites applications for an

PROFESSOR OR ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS

Position description

The call is open for candidates with research expertise in financial mathematics. We are looking for candidates who have demonstrated potential for research and leadership at the highest international level, relative to their current career stage.  In addition to striving towards excellence in research, the appointee is expected to lead and develop the study track of Insurance and Financial mathematics in the Master’s programme in Mathematics and Statistics (MAST) and to take advantage of national and international funding opportunities to establish and maintain a new research direction and a research group at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Helsinki.  Appointments from this call are made at Professor or Assistant/Associate Professor (tenure track) level.  

The appointee will also be expected to participate in teaching and development of courses in stochastic analysis and financial mathematics in the master’s program MAST and supervision of master’s theses in the study track of Insurance and Financial mathematics.  We encourage all candidates to include in their Academic portfolio (see below) a description how their previous experience and qualifications support this. The expected amount of lecturing is 20 ECTS credits (15-20 ECTS credits for Assistant/Associate Professors) per year, where 5 credits typically correspond to one lecture course having 28 hours of contact teaching. 

The appointee will also need to carry out standard duties related to their position at the department, such as administration and tutoring. Collaboration with industry is encouraged.

Qualifications

We seek talented candidates with a doctorate degree, post-doctoral experience, and recent demonstration of excellence in research in financial mathematics as well as teaching experience in accordance with their career stage. The degree requirement must be met by the end of the application period.

The successful candidate may be appointed to either a professorship or an assistant or associate professorship (tenure track), depending on their qualifications and career stage. The successful candidate at the assistant professor level shows potential to be a future research leader and is expected to develop an independent, externally funded line of research in financial mathematics. At the associate level, significant evidence of these achievements is already required.  Professors must possess top-level scholarly qualifications, experience in leading research, the ability to provide research-based teaching and supervise theses, evidence of international collaboration in their research field, and be recognised as having a significant influence on their field. For more information on the tenure track model and the assessment criteria, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/academic-careers/tenure-track.

Candidates must be fluent in written and oral English. While proficiency in Finnish and Swedish is not mandatory in this position, it is considered an advantage, and we encourage our community members to learn the local languages to support integration and better prepare for future leadership roles at the University. To assist with this, the University offers a range of resources, such as a structured language learning path for those interested in improving their Finnish and Swedish skills. Good co-operation and interaction skills are considered an advantage for the applicant.

What we offer

The University will offer the appointee an attractive career opportunity in top-level research and research-based teaching, possibilities for international collaboration, and, for assistant/ associate professors, prerequisites to grow into full professorship. The contracts for assistant and associate professors have a fixed term of 3–5 years, towards the end of which an evaluation is made concerning possible promotion to the next level. Assuming a successful evaluation at the end of the associate professorship, a promotion to a permanent full professorship will ensue.

A typical starting gross salary for a newly appointed professor is 84000–98000 euros/year. For assistant and associate professors, starting gross salaries are 68000-74000 euros/year and 76000-82000 euros/year, respectively. The selected person will also get a startup package to set up a research group.   

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including preventive occupational health services and general medical care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The University is an equal opportunity workplace and we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions. We support the compatibility of work and family-life e.g. by providing an opportunity for 6 weeks of paid annual leave.

The University assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland and e.g. offers support for language studies to learn Finnish and Swedish. Finland is a family-friendly country with generous parental leaves, affordable state-subsidized day care that is available for all children, as well as world-renowned free primary education and universal healthcare. For more on the University of Helsinki as an employer and living in Helsinki, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers and https://welcome.hel.fi.  

How to apply

Applications must have the following attachments as one single pdf file (in English):

1) A cover letter describing the candidate’s suitability for the position and motivation to apply for it (1–2 pages).
2) An academic portfolio, including a list of publications, following the guidelines at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-science/faculty/join-us/academic-portfolio. In particular, please outline your near-term research plans and broader research goals as part of the section “Research statement” of the portfolio, and as part of the section “Teaching qualifications” outline your vision in developing study track of Insurance and Financial Mathematics in the master’s program MAST.

Please upload the PDF file to the slot reserved for CV.

Please submit your application through the University of Helsinki's recruitment system. The deadline for applications is May 17, 2026 (call closes at 23:59 (UTC+3)).

External applicants, please submit your application via the Apply Now button.

Internal applicants, who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment/grant/visitor contract, please submit your application via the Employee login button.

Further information

For further information, please contact:

• About the position and the working environment: Head of Department, Professor Pekka Pankka, pekka.pankka(at)helsinki.fi
• About the recruitment process and recruitment system: recruitment(at)helsinki.fi 

***
The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki.

As part of the Faculty of Science, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of the University of Helsinki is the biggest university department of mathematical sciences in Finland. Its multifaceted research has received the highest points in numerous assessments. The Department collaborates actively with other higher education institutions and with several government research institutes both in Finland and abroad.