The Water-Food Futures project aims to identify solutions that reduce water overuse and pollution while ensuring food security and the economic viability of food production. We study how tailored transition from rainfed to nature- and technology-based water management systems can be used to safeguard profitable, sustainable, resilient, and regenerative primary production in the pressure of global changes and challenges.

Bioeconomic models are used to study cost-effective adaptation measures under climate change and market-related risks with a particular focus on irrigation, climate-related external factors, input prices, and externalities to waterbodies. Some of the modelled adaptation measures will be tested in field experiments. We will test rainfed and irrigated system combined with diversified crops and cropping system. Soil water and temperature will be monitored, above ground and below ground of crops will be measured. Crop yield and its quality will be analysed. These results will help to develop approaches to provide better understanding of means to tackle water-related challenges caused by climate change, improve yield stability, and decrease the environmental impact of food production.

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher and Doctoral Researcher.

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER (Water-Food Futures)

The postdoctoral researcher will be appointed for a fixed-term of 17 months (start date: 1.4.2026 or as negotiated) to work in a national project entitled: “The Navigating the Route to Sustainable Water-Food Futures”.

The postdoctoral researcher will study the soil-plant interaction under different cropping systems and act in close collaboration with the bioeconomic modelling group.

We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled researcher with a PhD degree and experience in crop physiology or related field.

A successful candidate should be able to

• Design, conduct, and publish research within the scope of the project
• Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate student supervision and teaching within the departments
• Contribute to preparing grant applications
• Engage with the scientific community, research partners and the wider public through scientific publications and conference presentations

The candidate is expected to have

Education, experience and technical skills

• A relevant PhD degree with previous experience with crop physiological methods, plant-soil water dynamics, and chemical analyses, for example total micro- and macro-elements. The doctoral degree must be granted before the beginning of employment.
• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills. Working Language is English
• Experience with an analytical tool (R is the preferred language but equivalent languages are also fine).

Personal attributes and competencies

• Excellent analytical and innovative research planning skills.
• Rigor and precision are central to the experimental work planned.
• Ability to plan and carry research in the field environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Experienced in working within multicultural and multidisciplinary teams is a plus.
• High motivation for academic research, having initiative and capability of working independently as well as in team environments.
• Willingness to continuous improvement based on constructive evaluation, self-reflection and learning.

We offer

• to join a group tackling research questions in crop physiology, soil science, crop management and cropping systems
• a supportive and collaborative environment
• opportunities to develop your academic network
• opportunities for career development (supervision of graduate students, teaching experience, project development and opportunities to apply for own funding)

The salary of the postdoctoral researcher is based on level 5 of the requirement level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a personal salary component. The monthly salary in a full-time postdoctoral researcher position is usually about 3 700 – 3 900 euros/month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience.

A six-month trial period will be applied. The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The workplace of the position is at Viikki campus in Helsinki.

DOCTORAL RESEARCHER (Water-Food Futures)

The doctoral researcher will be appointed for a fixed-term of 48 months (start date: 1.3.2026 or as negotiated) to work in a national project entitled: “The Navigating the Route to Sustainable Water-Food Futures”.

The doctoral researcher will study the soil-plant interaction under different cropping systems and act in close collaboration with the bioeconomic modelling group.

We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled researcher with a MSc degree and experience in crop physiology or related field.

A successful candidate should be able to

• Design, conduct, and publish research within the scope of the project
• Contribute to undergraduate and graduate student supervision and teaching within the departments
• Contribute to preparing grant applications
• Engage with the scientific community, research partners and the wider public through scientific publications and conference presentations

The candidate is expected to have

Education, experience and technical skills

• A relevant MSc degree with previous experience with crop physiological methods, plant-soil water dynamics, and chemical analyses, for example total micro- and macro-elements.
• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills. Working Language is English.
• Experience with analytical tool (R is the preferred language but equivalent languages are also fine).

Personal attributes and competencies

• Excellent analytical and innovative research planning skills.
• Rigor and precision are central to the experimental work planned.
• Ability to plan and carry research in the field environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Experienced in working within multicultural and multidisciplinary teams is a plus.
• High motivation for academic research, having initiative and capability of working independently as well as in team environments.
• Willingness to continuous improvement based on constructive evaluation, self-reflection and learning

We offer

• to join a group tackling research questions in crop physiology, soil science, crop management and cropping systems
• a supportive and collaborative environment
• opportunities to develop your academic network
• Opportunities for career development (supervision of graduate students, teaching experience, project development and opportunities to apply for own funding)

Please note: the project is funded by the Maa- ja Vesitekniikan Tuki ry and the doctoral researcher is paid a personal grant of 2 700 euros/month.

How to apply

Please submit your application as a single pdf file in English using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System.

The application should consist of:

1. A concise cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for the research work.
2. Curriculum vitae showing the applicant's education, completed qualifications, work experience (max 3 pages), list of publications and recommendation letter or contact information of at least two persons for references
3. Copies of degree certificates and official transcripts of the records, and their translations, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English.

Please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply Now button. Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher's contract or a visiting researcher's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application by using the Employee login.

The closing date for applications is the 15.1.2026 at 23:59 EET.

Further information

• For questions regarding the project: Prof. Pirjo Mäkelä, pirjo.makela(at)helsinki.fi and Prof. Kari Hyytiäinen, kari.hyytiainen(at)helsinki.fi
• For questions regarding the recruitment system: HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen, mirkka.juntunen(at)helsinki.fi

• Viikki Campus: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/campuses/viikki-campus
• Support for international staff: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome and https://ihhelsinki.fi (International House Helsinki)

About us

The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki. The University of Helsinki is an equal employer.

Work will take place at the department of Agricultural Sciences (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry/research/agricultural-sciences) a part of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry), nationally unique faculty with a high international standing. 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.

The appointee will be affiliated with the group of crop science (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/crop-science).

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