The University of  Jyväskylä  is a human-centered environment of 2,500 experts and 14,500 students. Our goal is to create wisdom and wellbeing for all. We cultivate the skills, knowledge and passion needed to live wisely for the benefit of humanity. An open dialogue between research, education and society is our driving force. We cherish this balance and believe it is essential that each member of the community thrives and has opportunities to develop and grow. Our naturally beautiful campus is located in the heart of the city of Jyväskylä. The University of Jyväskylä is the third largest employer in Central Finland.

The Faculty of Mathematics and Science   is currently seeking candidates for

Assistant / Associate Professor position in Chemistry, tenure track,  starting on 1 July 2020 or as soon as possible  thereafter,  for  a fixed term of five years with potential for promotion.  

The Department of Chemistry is a key  actor  in the University of Jyväskylä's  core areas of natural phenomena and mathematical thinking. The research areas of the department are chemical nanoscience, functional molecules and materials, chemistry in circular economy and chemistry education. The Department of Chemistry is part of the Ylistönrinne  campus of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science, which houses high-quality laboratories suitable for chemical analysis, in addition to laboratories in the fields of biological and environmental sciences, physics and  nanosciences. Our laboratory staff is professional and highly motivated. The Assistant Professor has access to a diverse research environment as well as a circular economy research ecosystem consisting of several research teams. 

Responsibilities of the Assistant / Associate Professor include research and teaching related to his/her own research area. The person appointed to the position is expected to carry out internationally high-level research. Primarily we are looking for a person, with excellent track record, who’s research field focuses on analytics and extraction of organic compounds from biomass, in particular wetland biomass. Further refinement of extracted organic compounds to high-valued chemical products is also of interest. Especially for the period of first three years, the tasks are linked to the goals of VAPO refinery project, funded by Business Finland. In line with the research profile of the chemistry department, we are looking for a person, who carries out strong basic research and from that basis develops new methods for analysis, extraction and refinement of valuable organic compounds.

Teaching responsibilities include lectures and other courses from basic to advanced level, related to the Department of Chemistry. Additional tasks include advising students and supervising theses at the bachelor, master and post graduate levels.  Responsibilities include also continuous development of teaching, as well as administrative duties.

Candidates should have an excellent record of conducting and publishing scientific research, establishing international networks, obtaining funding and teaching. Collaboration and networking with industry is considered advantageous.  Please see  the general requirements of the position.  The qualification requirements should be met before the closing time of this call.  

The University and the Department will support the formation of the research team and the implementation of the research plan both financially and by addressing needed technical support for the new group.  We support your success in the tenure track-path, please read about  the tenure track at the Faculty of Mathematics and science.  

A position of Assistant Professor is defined for a fixed-term of 3 to 5 years and a position of Associate Professor is defined for a fixed-term of 5 years,  (according to the tenure track model).  At the conclusion of each fixed-term assignment, there will be an evaluation procedure to assess the employee's qualifications for promotion.  

Salaries are based on the job demands and employees’ personal performance in accordance with the Finnish University Salary System. A holiday bonus is paid to all employees.   

We offer a wide range of staff benefits, such as occupational health care, flexible working hours, excellent sports facilities on campus and several restaurants and cafés on campus with staff discounts. Finland provides one of the most advanced and comprehensive social security in the world. It includes for example sickness benefits, various family benefits and a comprehensive healthcare system. Please read more about  working at the  University of Jyväskylä, the City of Jyväskylä and living in Finland.  

There is a trial period of six months at the start of the period of employment.   

For further information, please contact Professor, Head of the Department Mika Pettersson,  mika.j.pettersson@jyu.fi  or Professor Ari Väisänen, ari.o.vaisanen@jyu.fi.

The application should include:

1. A cover / motivation letter  
2. Curriculum vitae, including personal ORCID iD. (A template from  The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity is preferred.) The CV should not exceed two (2) pages.  
3. A numbered list of all scientific publications and other publications showing the applicants ability and merits  
4. A  maximum of five (5) main publications, numbered in accordance with the list of publications  
5. A short (2-4 pages) description of the applicant’s previous academic research. Scientific merits and research leadership merits, including a clarification on received external funding and responsibilities in externally funded research projects should be included. Description of experience in applying research results and collaboration with industry on product development should be provided.   
6. A short (2-4 pages) plan, how applicant is going to develop research, teaching and societal interaction in chemistry in circular economy. In particular, we hope to have views on how the applicant will promote the research on wetland biomass . 
7. A short (1-3 pages) description of the applicant’s pedagogical training and teaching merits (e.g. teaching portfolio)  

Please submit your application 27 March 2020 at the latest using the online application form.