The University of Helsinki is the largest university in Finland, which seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for the best of humanity. We are one of the best multidisciplinary universities in the world and our community of c. 8 000 employees offers wide ranging career development opportunities in teaching and research as well as in specialist and other support positions (
www.helsinki.fi/en).

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).

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, biotechnology, plant production sciences, and soil and environmental science. The Department is active in society, and has strong collaboration with companies, government agencies, research institutes and other Universities, nationally and internationally (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry/research/...).

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Helsinki invites applications for the position of a

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

for a fixed-term of two years (with a possibility for an extension) from June 2020 onwards (or as agreed) to work in a Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland funded project MULTA (Multi-benefit solutions to climate-smart agriculture) and in HiLIFE Grand Challenge Climsage (Climate-smart Northern Agriculture). MULTA is part of Finnish CarbonAction project (www.carbonaction.org) that aims to implement the international 4permille initiative (https://www.4p1000.org) in Finland. The postdoctoral researcher will join a multidisciplinary team to study soil carbon sequestration and climate impacts of agricultural practices with a strong focus on soil processes of carbon stabilization.

The aims of the consortium are to 1) design climate-smart agricultural solutions that are widely beneficial to food systems, 2) test their practical application, 3) understand C stabilization processes and develop a verification system for the carbon sequestration and other climate impacts to be used in policy and markets, and 4) develop economic measures and policies to promote the implementation of these solutions in Finland and abroad.

Do you want to be part in solving the questions about stable carbon in soils? Tasks of the postdoctoral researcher will be 1) to plan and participate in state-of-the-art laboratory and field experiments on C sequestration and development of soil C analytics, 2) to analyze data, report and present scientific findings, and 3) to take an active role in group work and supervision of students to guarantee direct interplay between the experimental work and modelling.

We are seeking a highly motivated researcher with a Ph.D. in the subject area in biogeochemistry, chemistry, soil science, or other relevant fields. We value experience in using and developing methods for stable carbon indicators in the soil as well as willingness to utilize new tools to evaluate carbon stabilization processes. Also, experience in supervising MSc and/or PhD students, an excellent publication record and the ability to work independently as part of a multidisciplinary research group are essential.

This project has tight collaboration with consortium partners at the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Natural Resources Institute Finland and belongs to the HiLIFE (Helsinki Institute of Life Science) Grand Challenge “Climate-Smart Northern Agriculture (Climsage)”, and it is linked to recently funded new infrastructure project on Climate-smart Northern Agriculture (INAR RI Agriculture) of the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR). We offer an internationally competitive package and access to state-of-the-art infrastructures (such as INAR RI Agriculture, ICOS, Integrated Carbon Observation System, https://www.icos-ri.eu/).

The salary of the appointee will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. The starting salary will be between 3200-3600 eur/month, depending on the qualifications and experience of the candidate. Occupational health care services and standard Finnish pension benefits are provided for University employees. There is a six-month trial period for the position.

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents (please compile all documents as a single pdf file):
1) CV
2) motivation letter
3) publication list, and
4) a minimum of two references

Please submit your application through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the link Apply for the position. Applicants who are employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via the SAP HR portal.

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2020. The position can be filled in June 2020, or as soon as suitable for the appointee. The duration of the funding period is 24 months with a possibility for an extension.

For additional information, please contact Associate Professor Mari Pihlatie, mari.pihlatie(at)helsinki.fi or docent Jussi Heinonsalo, jussi.heinonsalo(at)helsinki.fi.

Further information on the recruitment process may be obtained from HR Coordinator Sari Aaltonen, sari.aaltonen(at)helsinki.fi.

More about working at the University of Helsinki
www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university

Why Finland is a great place to live and work
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/careers-at-the-university-of-helsi...

Finnish way of life
www.helsinki.fi/en/university/enjoy-the-finnish-way-of-life