Tenure Track Assistant or Associate Professor or Full Professor in Spatial Resilience Research Methods - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

We are now looking for a

Tenure Track Assistant or Associate Professor or Full Professor in Spatial Resilience Research Methods

to join us in Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT) Research Programme at the University of Oulu (Finland).

The programme forms a part of our national profiling actions supported by the Academy of Finland.

Located on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia in Northern Finland with 15,000 students and 3,600 employees, the University of Oulu is one of the Nordic countries’ largest universities and is a global leader in studies of Northern environments and peoples. The University has recently launched a new multi-faculty strategic research programme, “Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience”, which focuses on changing human-environment relations and challenges to cope and adapt with that change. This programme will aim to ground-breaking transdisciplinary research on resilience and how to ‘Adapt for Our Future’ in the Arctic and elsewhere on the planet. The programme involves cutting-edge research to advance the existing frontiers of knowledge on the systemic changes needed for resilience planning and governance, and for finding solutions to the wicked problems of resilience across the social and environmental sciences. The programme focuses on international top-level collaborative and transdisciplinary research on socio-economic and socio-ecological resilience in different scales across social and environmental sciences, supported by the new Resilience Academy. By bringing together international, national and University of Oulu-based scholars from across disciplines, and encouraging effective public communication of science, Frontiers of Resilience (https://www.oulu.fi/en/projects/frontiers-arctic-and-global-resilience) will promote inter- and transdisciplinary and citizen-engaged studies of the environment and raise the University’s profile as an international leader in addressing the challenges of humans in change and human impacts and dependency on environment.

Position

Spatial Resilience Research Methods

For this Spatial Resilience Research Methods position, we are looking for an internationally oriented scholar conversant in research methods and indicators used for (or applicable to) inter- or transdisciplinary resilience studies at different spatio-temporal scales in social sciences and humanities. Specific resilience focused research areas can be related to a range of topics, such as sustainable development (and SDGs); environmental and climate change mitigation and adaptation; political ecology; natural resource management; community aspects; mobilities and evolutionary economic geography, with an active emphasis on developing research methods, measurements and data uses in resilience studies. Geoinformatics and/or public-participation GIS methods are specifically valued. Furthermore, knowledge or experience in citizen science, engaged research or big data utilization applied to resilience research are considered valuable. The successful candidate is expected to develop resilience research methodologies, geospatial methods and analyses by designing and advancing a vigorous research program, publish scholarly work at high international level, network and write proposals for external funding, teach graduate and undergraduate geospatiality courses, advise graduate and undergraduate students and engage with academic and societal service.

About the job

As an Assistant/Associate/Full Professor, you will:

• develop and sustain research, scholarly and creative activities leading to academic publications and public-facing outreach initiatives
• establish research partnerships across disciplinary boundaries in Finland and internationally
• collaborate in service to FRONT programme, faculty, and university
• active participation in the development and activities of Resilience Academy of Oulu (RAO)
• communicate research results to academic community, user groups and general public
• develop and teach undergraduate and graduate level courses
• supervise undergraduate and graduate students
• act inter-sectorally to develop the impact of research

What we offer?

We offer you a supportive academic environment in a community of committed scholars and the possibility to make use of funding opportunities to generate new research ideas and build an innovative programme that will attract international scholars. The University of Oulu offers flexible working hours, an excellent work-life balance and provides a range of occupational healthcare services. Our competitive salaries include paid leave and an additional holiday bonus in the summer. Read more about working with us and our other staff benefits.

The position includes a generous start-up package that comes with funding for research expenses and hiring e.g. Postdoctoral Researcher (3 years) and Doctoral Researcher (4 years) or two Doctoral Researchers (4 years). The start-up package details are based on negotiations with appointable candidates. If you are moving from abroad, we offer comprehensive relocation packages to support your smooth relocation to Oulu.

Finland is one of the most livable countries in the world, with a high quality of life, safety, excellent education system, and competitive economy. Oulu is a city known for its stunning natural surroundings, vibrant cultural life, and friendly, easy-going atmosphere. Residents of Oulu enjoy Finland’s high standard of living combined with affordable housing and lower living costs compared to larger cities in the south. The Oulu region is home to over 200,000 people, making it the largest urban centre in northern Nordics and one of the fastest growing regions in Finland. Read more about living in Oulu.

What we expect?

Our tenure track (Assistant and Associate Professor) is positioned for exceptionally talented researchers with a high potential to advance in their careers. The Professor position is targeted for experienced and highly qualified candidates who have already advanced in their careers. The top candidates will undergo an evaluation by external, international experts and are required to reach top scores (5-6 on a scale from 1 to 6 for scientific activity and as the overall score) in order to qualify for the position.

You are expected to hold a Doctoral Degree. in a relevant field. Because this is a transdisciplinary position, depending on the position level, we value vision (assistant) or demonstrated experience (associate/full professor) in transdisciplinary approaches in research. Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills are necessary for all levels.

The general criteria for each career level are as follows:

Qualifications for a tenure track Assistant Professor position: You must demonstrate the ability to work independently and have proven teaching skills. In order to be eligible for a position as Assistant Professor, you must have received your doctoral degree not more than ten years ago (at or later than 2013).

Qualifications for a tenure track Associate Professor position: You must demonstrate evidence of scholarly research work and relevant teaching skills. You must have the ability to lead research as well as have experience in acquiring external research funding. We also expect you to have sufficient and relevant experience in international scientific work and evidence of international cooperation.

Qualifications for a Professor position: You must demonstrate high-quality academic qualifications and experience of leading research. You are able to provide high-quality teaching based on research, and also supervise thesis work. You are expected to show evidence of international cooperation and should already be an academic leader in your field.

Salary

Those hired at Assistant or Associate level will be tenure track positions with five-year terms at each level. The Professor position will be a permanent, tenured position.

In Assistant or Associate Professor positions, the salary is based on levels 5-7 and in the Professor position, on levels 8-10 of the demand level chart for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (maximum of 50 % of the job-specific component). In EUR terms, the salary will likely be between 3500-5500 for an Assistant or Associate Professor and 6000-7200 for a Professor. A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position.

How to apply and evaluation process

Interested? If yes, please apply by 10.04.2023 (23:59 Finnish local time) through our recruitment system.

The application should be written in English and include the following:

1. Cover letter, stating the career level on which you would like to be evaluated at
2. CV following the guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (max. 5 pages)
3. List of publications following the guidelines of the Academy of Finland (with the ten most important ones marked)
4. Brief account of research merits (max. 2 pages)
5. Brief account of teaching merits or teaching portfolio (max 2 pages)
   1. Teaching philosophy, teaching strategies and methods
   2. Practical experience in teaching and efforts to improve teaching
   3. Description of educational material (curricula, handouts, assignments, workbooks)
   4. Professional development as a teacher
   5. Evaluation from teaching (student evaluations, peer evaluations, awards and assessed test lectures)
   6. Future teaching goals and plans for development, especially in relation to the teaching
6. Details regarding acquisition of research funds
7. A brief research and action plan (max. 5 pages)
8. Contact information of 2 persons available for recommendation

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, such as people of different ages, genders and lingual, cultural or minority groups.

The selection process follows the University of Oulu´s recruitment guidelines. The process is carried out by a recruitment committee and the candidates are subjected to publication analyses based on their publication lists. The candidates that are considered most suitable by the recruitment committee will also undergo an expert evaluation assessing the following merits:

• Research activities and their reflection in the candidate’s publication record, scientific presentations and other recognitions, e.g. awards and patents
• Teaching activities and their evaluation (teaching portfolio; including students’ evaluation)
• Supervision of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students
• Successful acquisition of competitive research funds
• International scientific activities (research, keynotes, workshops, conferences) and networks
• Academic community and administrative services
• Academic and public relevance of research activities

The eligible candidates fitting best in the profile expected for the position will be invited to an on-site or remote interview. All applicants will be notified during the selection process.

Contact Information

Further details are available from the FRONT coordinator Dr Lotta Haukipuro lotta.haukipuro@oulu.fi, phone: +358 44 0661 683 or Prof. Jarkko Saarinen jarkko.saarinen@oulu.fi

^{Edited March 21st, 2023: Application deadline extended to April 10th. Original deadline was March 24th.}