The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences is currently seeking to recruit staff for the position of

Assistant or Associate Professor in Sport Sciences (tenure track), in the field of sports coaching science, as of 1 March 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. The Assistant Professorship is filled for a fixed term of three to five years and the Associate Professorship for a fixed term of five years.

The University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences is the only faculty in Finland to provide education and research in sport sciences. The faculty features two main lines of study – sport sciences and health sciences – and the following four thematic areas: competence in teaching and coaching, physical activity and performance capacity, functional ability in older age, and the changing individual and society. The faculty applies a multidisciplinary approach to the study of physical activity and health as well as their mutual relationship and promotion. The activities aim at increasing health, functional ability and wellbeing across the human lifespan. Teacher education in PE and health education, as well as in health sciences, is among the key national responsibilities of the faculty. The research infrastructure is also unique and versatile. In addition, the cooperation with KIHU (Research Institute for Olympic Sports) and the Central Finland Central Hospital complements the excellent research and testing conditions. The conditions for research will be further improved by the new sport and health laboratory that is being planned at the University of Jyväskylä. The faculty plays a central role in the core field of physical activity, health and wellbeing defined by the university.

Sports coaches need diverse competences and skills today. In addition to having knowledge and skills related to specific sports, coaches must be familiar with human body functioning and exertion, as well as performance testing, from the perspectives of biomechanics and exercise physiology. Furthermore, coaches must have sufficient understanding of motor skills learning and teaching as well as sport psychology. They also need interaction and networking skills plus pedagogical and leadership skills. Moreover, the utilisation of different digital and measuring devices and data collected on sports are an essential part of coaching today.

The sports coach education offered by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences is part of the national education path for coaches. We cooperate with the Finnish Olympic Committee, KIHU, training centres, sports federations and academies in providing the education. Besides education, the faculty contributes to multidisciplinary research on competitive and world-class sports.

The field of the Assistant/Associate Professor – sports coaching science – is based on biomechanics, exercise physiology and motor learning. However, sports coaching science as a discipline is seen as a broader entity that utilises competence from various disciplines close to coaching, such as psychology, pedagogy and leadership science. Sports coaching science is located especially within the following two thematic areas of the faculty: competence in teaching and coaching and human mobility and performance.

The Assistant/Associate Professor is in charge of leading and developing multidisciplinary research on competitive and world-class sports as well as education based on it. The tasks include coordination and implementation of sports research, teaching and guidance in the sports coach programme, and the development of societal interaction.

The selected candidate is expected to have strong evidence of expertise in research and education related to sports coaching science. The position requires independent research activity utilising the research infrastructure provided by the faculty and field-specific networks. The Assistant/Associate Professor is to engage in societal interaction within the area of expertise. In addition, the position includes research leadership tasks, acquisition of quality-based competitive research funding, education development activities, and demanding expert tasks in the field. For success in the position, practical familiarity with the field, such as experience of sports coaching, is regarded as an advantage.

The person selected for the position of Assistant Professor is expected to have evidence of independent research activity and potential to conduct high-quality international research, develop multidisciplinary research, acquire research funding, and deliver research-based teaching. 

The Associate Professor position requires excellent evidence of the ability to conduct and publish international scientific research. The selected person must have an active international cooperation network and experience of the supervision of doctoral dissertations, acquisition of research funding, leading research activities, and research-based teaching. Applicants are expected to have the potential to lead a top-level research group with a realistic possibility to succeed in seeking competitive research funding (e.g. EU, ERC and the Academy of Finland).  

For more information on the general requirements for the position. The qualification requirements must be met before the application period ends.

The Assistant Professor is recruited for a fixed period of three to five years and the Associate Professor for five years (see Te­nu­re track for pro­fes­so­rs).  For an employee appointed to a fixed-term position, an evaluation procedure will be initiated before the end of the fixed term, in which the employee’s eligibility for the next step on the tenure track will be evaluated. 

The salary is based on the job demands level and the employee’s personal performance, in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. 

The position will begin with a trial period of six months.

For further information, please contact: Professor, Dean Ari Heinonen, ari.o.heinonen@jyu.fi, +358 40 805 3551; Associate Professor Timo Jaakkola, timo.jaakkola@jyu.fi, +358 40 805 3949, or Head of Faculty Administration  Heikki Herva, heikki.herva@jyu.fi, +358 50 443 2400.

The applicants are to evaluate their own eligibility based on the aforementioned criteria and decide whether to apply for the position of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, and specify this on the online application form. The applicants are considered only for the position they specify.

The following shall be attached to the online application in English as PDF files: 

1) A curriculum vitae (CV), composed according to the responsible conduct of research and, where possible, considering the template for a researcher’s curriculum vitae by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK)

2) A numbered list of all the scientific and other publications that the candidate wants to use to demonstrate eligibility and merits for the position.
 The publication list must be drawn up according to the guidelines of the Academy of Finland.

3) A brief (2 to 3 pages) written account of the applicant’s scientific research, merits related to scientific activity and research leadership, including the acquisition of research funding and the responsibilities in research projects implemented with this funding

4) A brief (2 to 3 pages) written account of pedagogical training and teaching merits (teaching portfolio)

5) A brief (2 to 3 pages) written account of the applicant’s societal interaction and international cooperation

6) Maximum ten (10) principal publications, numbered according to the list of publications

7) A brief (2 to 3 pages) description of how the applicant intends to promote research and education related to the field of the position at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences 

The application is to be submitted by 31 December 2020 using the online application form. 

At the University of Jyväskylä, everyone can find their place. Our naturally beautiful campus, located at the heart of the city of Jyväskylä, offers a human-centred environment for 2,500 experts and 14,500 students. JYU is the third largest employer in Central Finland. 

Our goal is to create wisdom and wellbeing for all. It is essential that each member of the JYU community thrives and has opportunities to develop and grow. We cherish openness of thinking as well as the balance between research and education.