University lecturer in law (5 positions)

The Faculty of Law invites applications for five university lectureships to be filled on a permanent basis at its Helsinki unit from 1 May 2025, or as agreed. The positions are broad-based in that we expect applicants to be able to teach in at least two fields of law under the Bachelor’s Programme in Law at the University of Helsinki.

The appointees’ duties include the provision of undergraduate instruction in their teaching fields as well as the supervision of theses in the Bachelor’s Programme in Law and in one or more of the Faculty’s master’s programmes. The teaching duties also include teaching under the Open University brand. The appointees’ duties include independent research, in addition to which they are expected to apply for research funding and potentially lead a research group of their own. While the location of the university lectureships is in Helsinki, they include teaching duties at the Faculty’s Vaasa Unit of Legal Studies.

The appointees’ immediate work community will consist of the staff of the thematic entities of the Bachelor’s Programme in Law and/or the Faculty’s international degree programme. The appointees will contribute to the planning of teaching and degree programme operations and may also have administrative responsibilities in the organisation of teaching or the operations of the University community.

One appointee will provide English-language teaching at the faculty, particularly in the field of private law in the broader sense. While the language of instruction in this position is English, the appointee must be able to obtain a level of proficiency in Finnish that enables them to read administrative documents and assess completed studies within two years of assuming the position. Proficiency in Finnish and Swedish will be considered an asset.

The positions are subject to the provisions on annual workload of the collective agreement of Finnish universities. Typically, teaching and related administrative duties consume between 50% and 70% of the working hours of university lecturers.

In addition to applicant qualifications, particular attention in filling the positions will be paid to the comprehensive scope of the appointees’ teaching skills with regard to the Faculty’s disciplines.

Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications

According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to a University Lecturer position shall hold an applicable doctoral degree and have the ability to conduct independent scholarly work as well as to be able to provide high-quality teaching based on research, develop teaching on the basis of research and supervise theses and dissertations.

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. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must also have good English skills. If the appointee does not speak Finnish, they must obtain a level of proficiency in Finnish that enables them to read administrative documents and assess completed studies within two years of assuming the position.

Further information about language skills and their demonstration can be found on our website.

When assessing applicants’ qualifications, attention will be paid to both scholarly and teaching merits. Scholarly qualifications include scholarly publications and other research results of scholarly value. Teaching qualifications include teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration. In filling the positions, particular emphasis will be placed on the ability to provide teaching in several disciplines, diverse teaching experience and qualifications in the development of teaching.

What we offer

The salary for the position will be based on levels (5-)6-7 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 performance. The gross annual salary is 50,000–57,000 €.
There will be a six-month trial period for the position.

How to apply

The application must be accompanied by the following documents in PDF format:
•    A curriculum vitae
•    A report (max. 5 pages, for example a university portfolio) on the applicant’s teaching qualifications
•    A report (max. 3 pages) describing the applicant’s research activities, such as activities in the scholarly community, success in obtaining research funding and international research
•    A list of publications, with the 10 most significant publications clearly marked

Further information about academic portfolios is available on our website.

Other attachments, including letters of recommendation or certificates, are not required at this point.

Applications must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the Apply now -link. Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal. The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities.

Further information about the position can be obtained from Dean Johanna Niemi (johanna.niemi(at)helsinki.fi). Further information about the recruitment process can be obtained from HR Specialist Rosa Beckmann (hr-oiktdk(at)helsinki.fi).

The Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki is the leading Finnish institute of legal education. Some of the degrees awarded by the Faculty are completed at its bilingual Vaasa Unit of Legal Studies. The Faculty’s mission is to train qualified, ethically responsible legal professionals for both the Finnish and international markets through research of an international standard and research-based teaching. The Faculty offers undergraduate degrees in Finnish, Swedish and English as well as a bilingual degree in Swedish and Finnish. The Faculty has a teaching and research staff of around 120 people and 2,400 undergraduate and postgraduate students.