Three Doctoral Researchers in the FRONT research programme

We are now looking for

Three Doctoral Researchers

to join us in the PROFI7 Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT) research programme at the University of Oulu. The doctoral researcher positions will be placed in the Oulu Business School, Faculty of Education and Psychology, and Faculty of Science.  

The FRONT research programme forms a part of our national profiling actions supported by the Research Council of Finland. FRONT focuses on changing human-environment relations and challenges to cope and adapt with that change and aims 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. FRONT’s international top-level collaborative and transdisciplinary research on socio-economic and socio-ecological resilience in different scales across social and environmental sciences is 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, FRONT promotes 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. 

Job description

Position 1: Resilient Organizations and Business Networks 

This position is in Oulu Business School which is an AACSB-accredited international research and training unit. For this position focused on Resilient Organizations and Business Networks, we are looking for a candidate who has a master’s degree in marketing or other relevant fields and who is interested in pursuing work across traditional disciplinary boundaries on the resilience theme. The focus is on how radical shifts and crises impact organizations and business networks, and how these entities can cope with transitions needed. The specific research focus could include but is not limited to, topics such as human and organizational characteristics and resources that enable organizations and business networks to cope with unexpected change, strategies and practices that allow organizations and business networks to transform management and operations to meet with turbulence or resilience related to sustainable development, entrepreneurship or digitalization. The doctoral researcher’s project is led and supervised by Assoc. Professor Hanna Komulainen, Oulu Business School, Department of Marketing, Management and International Business.  

In this position, as a doctoral researcher, you will focus on research themes related to resilience emerging in organizations and business networks, collect and analyze data based on which you will write scientific articles together with senior researchers, participate in possible teaching tasks, and collaborate in service to FRONT programme, faculty, and university. 

Position 2: Socio-ecological resilience 

This position is in the Faculty of Education and Psychology which is a multidisciplinary expert organisation for training, research, and development in the fields of education and psychology. We are looking for a candidate who has a Master's degree in psychology, educational psychology, education, or sustainability science. The doctoral researcher’s project is led and supervised by Professor Maria Ojala.  

In this position, as a doctoral researcher, you will work in a transdisciplinary subproject in the socio-ecological resilience team with the aim to identify sources of anxiety, hope, and hopelessness concerning global sustainability problems, like climate change, among young people. You will identify resilience factors that can help young people to become active citizens around these issues, without compromising mental well-being and learning, collect both quantitative and qualitative data (surveys and interviews), analyze this data, and possibly already collected data, with the help of multivariate statistics and qualitative methods, write articles together with senior researchers, collaborate in service to FRONT research programme, faculty and university and contribute to teaching tasks.  

Specific qualifications: experience in both quantitative and qualitative data analysis (shown by, for instance, the master’s thesis, completed courses, and/or earlier work experience), knowledge about and interest in climate change and other sustainability issues (shown by, for instance, the master’s thesis, completed courses, and/or earlier work experience), and knowledge about and interest in research about emotions, resilience factors and implications for, for example, education, active citizenship, and mental wellbeing (shown by, for instance, the master’s thesis, completed courses, and or earlier work experience). 

Position 3: Spatiotemporal dynamics of socio-ecological resilience 

This position will be in the Faculty of Science, Geography Research Unit. We are looking for a candidate who develops and applies geospatial methods to study how resilience changes over time in socio-ecological systems and how communities and societies interact with social and environmental changes. The focus is on geospatial method development for assessing spatial patterns of past changes and forecasting possible future trajectories, and analyzing how different factors, including policy decisions and governance, drive the changes. The scope of the research can be either in rural or urban areas and be related e.g. to disaster risk or natural resources management. The analysis can include the utilization of quantitative geospatial data (e.g., participatory GIS, statistical data, environmental GIS) and qualitative data, and statistical or other modeling methods. 

In this position, as a doctoral researcher, you will collect and analyze quantitative geospatial and qualitative data about factors relevant to socio-ecological resilience, utilize of state-of-the-art geospatial modeling methods, work in a transdisciplinary research group focusing on socio-ecological and environmental research, write articles together with senior researchers, collaborate in service to the FRONT programme, faculty, and university and participate in possible teaching tasks. 

Specific qualifications: a master’s degree in geography, geoinformatics, environmental science or related field, excellent GIS and quantitative research methods skills, and a good understanding of qualitative research methods, capability or willingness for transdisciplinary environmental research. 

General qualification requirements 

1. The chosen Doctoral Researchers are expected to apply for doctoral study rights at the University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS). See the requirements of UniOGS. 
2. A master's degree or equivalent degree (e.g. licentiate), (see the position-specific qualifications above). The candidates must have achieved a good grade in their degree (i.e. at least 60 % of the maximum grade in both taught courses and the master's thesis). 
3. Ability to demonstrate good English language skills in speech and writing that are sufficient to follow doctoral studies. 

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. 
• Development and career options of the big organization.
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes flexibility and work-life balance. Read more about working with us.
• Our Buddy Programme and Spouse Network support you and close-ones in settling into Oulu.
• We have an HR Excellence in Research -quality label which is a recognition awarded by the European Commission for the development of researchers’ working conditions and careers. 
• Finland is one of the most livable countries in the world, with a high quality of life, safety, an excellent education system, and a competitive economy. Read more about living in Oulu.

Position and salary

Doctoral researchers selected for these positions will be offered a fixed-term four-year full-time employment contract as of the 1st of September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

The salary will be based on levels 2-4 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 (a maximum of 50 % of the job-specific component). The starting gross salary will be approx. 2500-2800 € per month (before taxes). A trial period of 6 months is applied for the position.

How to apply

Please apply by the 15th of May 2024 (23:59 Finnish local time) through our recruitment system.

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

1. A cover letter (max. 2 pages) summarizing the applicant’s research experience, research method skills, relevant work experience, and career plans describing why the applicant is interested in this position. 
2. CV following the guidelines of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK. 
3. Certificates/Diplomas Scanned copies of the original relevant Master’s degree certificates and transcript of records and, when necessary, official translations to Finnish or English. 
4. A preliminary research plan of 3-6 pages, see the instructions https://www.oulu.fi/en/research/graduate-school/admissions (a more detailed plan is discussed with the supervisor)   
5. Contact information of two persons available for recommendation 

Please indicate in your cover letter which doctoral researcher position (1-3) you are applying for. 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. 

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

Further Information

Position 1: Resilient Organizations and Business Networks, Associate Professor Hanna Komulainen, Oulu Business School, Department of Marketing, Management and International Business, hanna.komulainen@oulu.fi, tel. +358442970599. 

Position 2: Socio-ecological resilience, Professor Maria Ojala, Faculty of Education and Psychology, maria.ojala@oulu.fi or Professor Elina Lehtomäki, elina.lehtomaki@oulu.fi, tel. +358505633684. 

Position 3: Spatiotemporal dynamics of socio-ecological resilience, Associate Professor Aleksi Räsänen, Faculty of Science, Geography Research Unit, aleksi.rasanen@oulu.fi, tel. +358503719512. 

General information: Coordinator Dr Lotta Haukipuro, lotta.haukipuro@oulu.fi, tel. +358440661683.