University Lecturer in Biochemistry (teaching in Finnish)

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, invites applications for the position of

UNIVERSITY LECTURER IN BIOCHEMISTRY (teaching in Finnish)

Starting January 2025

The candidate is expected to have a strong track record in the field of Biochemistry and to be committed to excellence in undergraduate education, research and research training.  Suitable research fields include protein/lipid/glycan/nucleic acid biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, chemical biology, and related topics linked to basic biology or human disease.  The selected candidate is expected to conduct innovative research, apply for external research funding, and complement the scientific profile of the Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme .

The selected candidate should have a vision and drive to develop teaching of biochemistry, and actively advancing the use of interactive and student-centered education methods. Expected teaching will cover introduction to key concepts of biochemistry, as well as more advanced topics related to biochemical methods, structural biology, enzymology, or chemical biology & molecular biotechnology. Teaching will be carried out primarily as part of the curricula of both the BSc and MSc programmes (see BSc Molecular Biosciences , BSc Biology , and MSc Genetics and Molecular Biosciences ). Student guidance and thesis work supervision also are important part of the duties.

An appointee to the lectureship must have a doctoral degree, high-level scholarly qualifications, and ability to provide top-level research-based teaching and to supervise theses. Evidence of international research network is also considered as a merit. Early-stage independent researchers are also encouraged to apply.

When considering the applicant’s qualifications, attention will be given to scientific publications and their impact in the applicant’s field of research, teaching experience, pedagogical competence, supervision of undergraduate and graduate theses, as well as participation in doctoral education. Skills in blended learning approaches using digital tools is considered an advantage. Furthermore, applicant’s activity in the scientific community, success in obtaining external research funding, and international research experience will be considered. The University of Helsinki has signed the DORA Declaration and applies its principles when assessing the scientific merit of applicants.

The lecturer needs to be able to provide teaching and student guidance in Finnish and in addition to have sufficient skills in Swedish to set and evaluate student assignments.

The starting gross salary for a university lecturer amounts to 4200-5300 euros per month, depending on the appointee’s career stage and scholarly qualifications.

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, language courses, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The International Staff Services office  assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland.

The University of Helsinki is an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. We are committed to the principles and practices of open science. We are an equal opportunity employer and offer an attractive and diverse workplace in an inspiring environment with a variety of development opportunities and benefits.

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences  is Finland’s premier hub for life science research and education. The lectureship is based in the Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme , which is one of the three Research Programmes in the Faculty. Strong research areas of the Programme, which are also reflected in teaching, are cell and developmental biology, genetics and genomics, neurobiology, and structural biology and virology. 

The research and teaching activities at the Viikki Campus are supported by state-of-the-art infrastructures including core facilities for e.g. proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, structural biology (cryoEM and X-ray crystallography), light- and electron microscopy, DNA sequencing and genomics (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-institute-of-life-science/hilife-research-infrastructures ). Within the Research Programme, there is a wide range of laboratory services to support research.

Application procedure. Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English:
1) Motivation letter (max 1 page)

2) CV
3) A report on the applicant’s previous research activities and acquired external funding (over the past 10 years, including the amount of funding, status as PI or co-PI, funding agency, project name), and a plan for how the applicant intends to develop their research and focus their activities in the future. (max. 3 pages)
4) A report (max. 3 pages) of teaching experience and merits which are of relevance for the evaluation of teaching skills.
5) A numbered list of publications in English and other works with which the applicant wishes to demonstrate their competence and merits, with maximum 10 most important publications highlighted with brief explanations. These publications maybe requested as material for the assessors.

6) A statement of the language skills

Alternatively, an academic portfolio maybe provided containing the above documents and information.