University Lecturer in Church History
The Faculty of Theology invites applications for the position of
UNIVERSITY LECTURER
in church history for a fixed-term appointment from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2030.
The university lecturer will teach church history in the Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes in Theology and Religious Studies, provide other teaching and supervision, and contribute to the development of teaching in the field and more generally at the Faculty. The appointee will also carry out independent scholarly research, supervise and examine theses, and complete other jointly agreed administrative and other duties. The position focuses on teaching.
Church history encompasses both history and theology. The research field explores churches and religious movements as forces that are both changing and driving change. Research examines how society is shaped by churches and religious communities as well as their opponents.
Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications
According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, appointees to university lectureships must hold an applicable doctoral degree and have the ability to provide high-quality research-based teaching and supervise theses.
Pursuant to the Government Decree on Universities (770/2009), appointees to teaching and research positions at the University must be proficient in the language in which they provide instruction, i.e., Finnish or Swedish. The language of instruction in the present position is Finnish. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must also have satisfactory skills in Swedish and good skills in English. Applicants from a different language background or who have not been educated in Finnish or Swedish may be exempted from the requirement for Swedish skills without a separate application. Further information on language skills and the demonstration of language proficiency is available on the University website.
When assessing the qualifications of applicants, attention will be paid to scholarly publications and other research results of scholarly value, teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration. Good cooperation and interaction skills are considered an advantage in the overall evaluation of applicants.
What we offer
The University of Helsinki offers the appointee a first-class research and teaching environment as well as the conditions required for international cooperation ( https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-university-helsinki).
The salary for the position will be based on levels 5–7 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research staff in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The appointee’s gross annual salary will range from €42,000 to €56,000, depending on their previous experience and qualifications. The position includes a six-month trial period.
The University of Helsinki provides its staff with occupational health and fitness services as well as professional development opportunities ( https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-university-helsinki/staff-benefits). International staff are supported in relocating to Finland ( https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/node/350).
Application instructions
Applications must be accompanied by PDF files containing the following documents:
- A curriculum vitae and doctoral degree certificate
- A full list of publications
- A report on teaching experience (maximum length 1 page)
- Development plan, in which the applicant must present how they would develop teaching and research in their field as a university lecturer (maximum length 1 page).
Other attachments, such as letters of recommendation or certificates, are not required at this point.
Candidates from outside the University must apply through the University’s recruitment system by clicking on ‘Apply now’. Candidates with a helsinki.fi user account and a valid employment contract or a contract for grant-funded researchers, visiting researchers or visiting professors at the University of Helsinki must apply by clicking on ‘Employee login’.
The closing date for applications is 5th of February 2025 at 23.59 (local Helsinki time).
The University of Helsinki is committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in all its operations. We welcome applicants from a variety of gender identities, linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Further information about the position is available from Dean Antti Räsänen, antti.rasanen@helsinki.fi, +358 2941 23710, and about the recruitment process, from HR Specialist Reeta Korhonen, hr-teoltdk@helsinki.fi.
The University of Helsinki Faculty of Theology (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-theology) is the largest of the three academic theology units in Finland. In addition, it is one of Europe’s largest units in the field of theology and religious studies in terms of student numbers. The Faculty is an academic community unaffiliated with any religion or spiritual belief.
The mission of the Faculty is to conduct research on religion and its manifestations, provide teaching based on research, and engage in national and international social debate. International assessments have found that the research conducted at the Faculty is of a high quality, and the Faculty cooperates actively with equivalent top-level research units.