Assistant/Associate Professor of Saami Culture

We are now looking for

Assistant/Associate Professor of Saami culture

to join us in Giellagas Institute at the Faculty of Humanities

The Saami Culture discipline is part of the Giellagas Institute (https://www.oulu.fi/giellagas) of the Faculty of Humanities. The Giellagas Institute employs a professor, an associate professor, four university lecturers, five university teachers and temporary university teachers.

About the job

The Giellagas Institute has been very successful in international evaluations of the quality of research. Currently, the key research areas of Saami culture are contemporary Saami culture, -art and -society, the history of the Saami people and the passing on and reviving of cultural heritage, the Saami cultural environment, and autonomy of the Saami people and the related interactions with the rest of society, especially in the Nordic countries. The Saami society and culture are studied even more broadly from the perspective of the other northern cultures and indigenous peoples.

The job consists of scientific research, research-based teaching and its development, postgraduate education and thesis guidance, international and national cooperation, societal influence and other university community tasks within a total working time of 1,612 hours and an annual working time plan to be agreed upon. The research and teaching tasks are related to both the Saami culture and Saami languages.

What we offer?

• The support of an experienced and enthusiastic team where you can share your expertise and grow as an expert.
• Wellness benefit ePassi covering sport, culture and well-being. Read more about other staff benefits.
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes flexibility and work-life balance. Read more about working with us.
• Finland is one of the most livable countries in the world, with a high quality of life, safety, excellent education system, and competitive economy. Read more about living in Oulu.

Who are you?

You should have excellent potential for a successful scientific career. We expect you to provide evidence of Sámi research and knowledge of Sámi society and culture.

The top candidates undergo an evaluation by external experts and the selected person is required to reach top scores (5–6 on a scale from 1 to 6 for scientific activity and as the overall score). Find out more about our tenure track system, entry criteria, evaluation procedure and advancement on our careers website.

In order to succeed and enjoy the position, we expect from you

as an Assistant Professor:

• Doctoral degree in applicable research field;
• 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 least B2 proficiency in one of the Saami languages spoken in Finland. https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/level-descriptions;
• Good command in Finnish and English is required.

as an Associate Professor:

• Doctoral degree in applicable research field;
• You must demonstrate evidence of scientific research work and relevant teaching skills;
• You must have the ability to lead research and experience of acquiring external research funding;
• We also expect you to have sufficient and relevant experience in international scientific work and evidence of international cooperation;
• At least B2 proficiency in one of the Saami languages spoken in Finland. https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/level-descriptions;
• Good command in Finnish and English is required.

Salary

The position is fixed-term for 5 years as of 01.03.2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The salary will be based on the levels 5–7 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). Starting gross salary will be approx. 3600–5000 € per month (before taxes). A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position.

How to apply?

Interested? If yes, please apply by 30.09.2024 (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 narrative hybrid model 

3. List of publications preferably including DOI-codes 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. 4 pages);

a) Philosophy behind teaching. A description of yourself as a teacher and a performer of teaching

b) Practical experience gained in teaching and the development of teaching.

c) Production and use of study materials

d) Maintaining your teaching competence

e) Feedback from teaching (student reviews, peer reviews, awards and approved teacher work samples)

f) Vision for developing teaching (you briefly explain your plans for the development of your own teaching and teacher work in the near future).

6. Details regarding acquisition of research funding;

7. A brief research and action plan (max. 1 page);

8. Contact information of 2–4 persons available for recommendation.

The eligible applicants 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.

The selection process follows the University of Oulu tenure track 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.

Contact Information

If you have any further questions, please contact Director of the Giellagas Institute Sigga-Marja Magga sigga-marja.magga(at)oulu.fi, tel. +358 505685326 and Dean Paula Rossi paula.rossi@oulu.fi, tel. +358 50 350 6609.

Call for applications in the Saami languages:

North Saami

Inari Saami

Skolt Saami