University lecturer in Urban greening
The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry invites applications for the position of University lecturer in Urban greening, from 1.10.2025 onwards or as agreed. The permanent position will be located at the Department of Agricultural Sciences.
The field of the position is urban greening. The university lecturer is expected to conduct and promote research related to urban greening, within the focus areas of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, and to provide research-based teaching in the area within the Bachelor's and Master's programmes in Agricultural Sciences, as well as in doctoral education (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education). The lecturer is also expected to supervise theses and develop teaching in collaboration with other teachers and stakeholders. The applicant's research can broadly focus on urban greening, with an emphasis on studying urban green infrastructure and its biodiversity, considering aspects such as plant materials, habitat types, and the development of sustainable urban agriculture. Experience in interdisciplinary research that offers innovative, decision-supporting solutions for the sustainable use of natural resources and the enhancement of biodiversity in built environments is considered an asset. Teaching duties include in-person, online, and field-based teaching in topics such as urban vegetation, the design and ecology of constructed green spaces, ecosystem services provided by urban greenspaces, and urban agriculture. The university lecturer teaches approximately three courses of five credits each per academic year.
The appointee must have the necessary pedagogical skills for teaching and motivation for renewing and developing research and teaching. The responsibilities of the university lecturer also include participating in collaboration with other educational institutions in their field, student marketing for the bachelor's and master’s programmes, as well as engaging in societal interaction.
Requirements:
The appointee to the position shall hold an applicable doctoral degree and be able to provide high-quality teaching based on research and to supervise theses and dissertations. When assessing the qualifications of the applicants, attention shall be paid to scientific publications and other research merits of scientific value and their proven ability to receive external research funding. In addition, teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration.
According to the Government Decree on Universities, university lecturers 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 working plan. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must have good 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 education 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 University of Helsinki has a university lecturer's career model in use https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/academic-careers/career-model-university-lecturers-and-clinical-instructors.
The salary will be based on levels 5-7 of the requirements 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 work performance. Monthly gross salary for a university lecturer varies between 3 500 and 5 500 euros depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience. Occupational health care services and standard Finnish pension benefits are provided for University employees. There is a six-month trial period in the position.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are requested to submit their applications in ONE SINGLE PDF file the following (in Finnish or English):
- Motivation letter for the position in question (max 1 page)
- A curriculum vitae (CV)
- A numbered list of scientific and other publications (please use the Ministry of Education and Culture classification of publication types: https://koodistot.suomi.fi/codescheme;registryCode=research;schemeCode=Julkaisutyyppiluokitus
- Research and scientific activities (max 3 pages)
- Involvement in administrative duties
- Other activities which you wish to bring to the attention of the faculty.
- Please submit the description of your teaching qualifications via a separate e-form at: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/124406/lomake.html
General guidelines on application documents:
Applications with the above attachments must be submitted in a single PDF file, which is named:
viherala_lastname_firstname. Other attachments are not required.
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 or a visiting researcher's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the Employee login.
The deadline for applications is 18.8.2025 (at 23.59 EEST)
The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants of any gender and age, linguistic or cultural background, or minority group.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Further information about the position is available from Head of Department Professor Pekka Uimari (pekka.uimari(at)helsinki.fi, tel. +358 2941 59510)
- Further information on the recruitment process may be obtained from HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen (mirkka.juntunen(at)helsinki.fi, tel. +358 2941 57583)
ABOUT US
The Department of Agricultural Sciences is one of the units of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The department conducts internationally recognized research, related to agricultural sciences and the bio-economy, and provides the highest-level education based on the research. The aim is to carry out research and teaching on plant production in agriculture and horticulture, animal production, and technologies and environmental effects pertaining to them, as well as to yield societal impact through research. The main research fields of the department are agrotechnology, animal science, plant production sciences, and soil and environmental science. The number of Department’s personnel is about 100 and the department provides BSc and MSc study programs. The Department is active in society, and has strong collaboration with companies, government agencies, research institutes and other Universities, nationally and internationally. www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry/research/agricultural-sciences
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
WHY FINLAND AND HELSINKI
- 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/