The Faculty of Mathematics and Science and its Departments of Physics and Department of Chemistry (shared position) are seeking to recruit a candidate for the position of

Assistant or Associate Professor in Nanoscience, tenure track

The position starts on the 1^st of August 2021 or as soon as possible after that. Assistant Professor’s position 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.

Tasks and qualifications

The Assistant / Associate Professor is responsible for research and teaching tasks related to his/her research area. We are looking for a talented individual carrying out internationally high-level nanoscience research on scanning probe based atomic resolution microscopy. We are particularly interested in developing optical spectroscopy methods towards atomic scale resolution combining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques with optical spectroscopy. Thus, experience in combining these techniques is considered as an advantage. Further experience could include for example, but is not limited to, tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy, infra-red spectroscopy and scanning near-field optical microscopy. In the recruitment, we emphasize connections with the existing research directions in the University of Jyväskylä Nanoscience Center (NSC), but the recruited Assistant/Associate professor should also bring something new to the research lines of the NSC. The position will strengthen research of the Laserlab-NSC, which is one of the core facilities of NSC. We highly appreciate the candidate’s vision of where the research at the Laserlab-NSC or NSC should be directed in the future and expect to see it in the application documents.

An Assistant / Associate Professor’s duties include teaching tasks at the basic, subject and advanced level of the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics. The continuous development of teaching and administrative tasks related to education and other academic responsibilities are also part of an Assistant / Associate Professor’s duties. The Assistant/Associate professor supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate theses and acquires external funding to maintain a research group.

We expect excellent evidence of international level scientific research and publishing, international networking, fundraising, and teaching. Learn more about the general conditions for the position of Assistant / Associate Professor.

What do we offer? 

The university supports the beginning of the assistant/associate professorship in forming a research group and implementing the research plan. It also supports the group in its infrastructure needs related to the acquisition of the scanning tunneling microscopy equipment, the tools for optical spectroscopy as well as the technical support required for setting them up. In addition, the existing cleanroom at NSC provides outstanding facilities for nanofabrication.

We actively support success on the career path, see the tenure track career path steps and criteria in the Faculty of Mathematics and Science website

We offer a wide range of staff benefits, such as occupational health care, flexible working hours, excellent sports facilities on campus and several restaurants as well as cafés on campus with staff discounts. Finland provides one of the most advanced and comprehensive social security in the world. It includes 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.

The Faculty is committed to fairness, consistency and transparency in selection decisions and undertakes the recommendations for the responsible evaluation of a researcher in Finland. We appreciate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

A competent and prosperous scientific community

At the University of Jyväskylä, you are a respected member of the university community. You get the opportunity to learn from your colleagues and meet high-level researchers from the full spectrum of science and humanities. Here the barriers between disciplines are low and we encourage our employees to cross them in their daily work. We offer you a meaningful career where you can make a real impact not only in your field, but also to society.

You will become part of our international and multidisciplinary community where the wellbeing of everyone is important. We provide a good setting for a mobile and healthy lifestyle on and around campus. The Jyväskylä region offers an excellent balance between ambitious work and opportunities to relax after work, with beautiful nature and various sport and cultural activities within close distance from home and work. Take a closer look at the workplace by watching Faculty video in YouTube!

Salary

Salaries are based on job demands and employees’ performance following the Finnish University Salary System. A holiday bonus is paid to all employees. There is a trial period of six months at the start of the period of employment.

How to apply

The application should include:

(the name of the applicant must always be mentioned in the file name, all the documents should be on PDF format.)

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 four (4) 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 brief written description of the applicant's merits related to research, research management and research funding, as well as the research plan and vision related to the task, how the applicant's activities complement the activities of the Nanoscience Center (NSC) and Laserlab-NSC (total max. 4 pages).
6. Portfolio of teaching credits following the structure according to the instructions (max. 3 pages).

Applicants are kindly asked to submit their applications using the online application form by 31.3.2021.

For further information, please contact Professor Tero Heikkilä, the Scientific Director of the Nanoscience Center, tero.t.heikkila@jyu.fi, phone +358 40 805 4804.

The main areas of research at the Department of Physics are materials physics and subatomic physics. In materials physics, the core research fields are nanophysics and quantum technologies, non-equilibrium physics, superconductivity, low-temperature physics, computational materials physics and physics of complex materials. The research fields in subatomic physics are nuclear structure, especially the physics of exotic nuclei, nuclear models, double beta decay, ion source physics, applied accelerator-based research, physics of the strong interaction and ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions, particle cosmology and neutrino physics. Experimental research at the Department is conducted in the Accelerator Laboratory, the multidisciplinary Nanoscience Center (NSC), Tomography Laboratory, and in foreign research centers such as CERN and GSI.

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä focusses on advancing scientific frontiers through fundamental research, which also provides a foundation for innovations. We train highly qualified personnel with strong chemistry skills from undergraduate students to post-doctoral research fellows. In research, we value open-minded curiosity and interdisciplinary co-operation. The Department of Chemistry’s diverse research interests are categorised into four Core Research Areas — Functional Molecules and Materials, Chemical Nanoscience, Circular Economy and Chemistry Education — which go beyond the traditional sub-disciplines of chemistry. Our Principal Investigators and their research groups are active in more than one Core Research Area, thereby efficiently using our broad research infrastructure. Collaboration with other Departments and Faculties is also fostered, primarily through joint research projects in nanoscience, bioresources and circular economy. Many of our research actions are carried out with national and international partners and our Department frequently hosts visiting students, trainees and researchers. We focus our research efforts on areas with relevance to a broad range of real-world challenges and value the role of fundamental research in advancing scientific frontiers and providing the foundation for many innovations.

The Departments of Chemistry and Physics are part of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science

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.