Postdoc­toral Re­searcher or Doc­toral Re­searcher in Ana­lyt­ical /​ Bioana­lyt­ical Chemistry

The University of Helsinki is an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities in Europe and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world.

The Faculty of Pharmacy is located at Viikki Campus in Helsinki and provides good access to local and national research infrastructures including biobanks. It has about 200 employees, out of which 15 professors, and about 800 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate students with well-organized doctoral school programs.

The Faculty of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, invites applications for the position of a

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER OR EXPERIENCED DOCTORAL RESEARCHER

We are looking for an expert in analytical/pharmaceutical/environmental chemistry, preferably a Postdoctoral Researcher, but advanced/experienced candidates with MSc-level degree will also be considered for Doctoral Researcher.

The initial appointment is for 2 years, with possible extension depending on the candidate’s interests and research funding. The preferred starting date is tentatively in June 2022, but latest in August 2022 (negotiable). The position will be filled with a probationary period.

The appointment is at the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology. The work mostly comprises of quantitative analysis method development and validation by liquid chromatographic (LC) techniques in combination with different detectors (UV, fluorescence, mass spectrometry), for the purposes of in vitro drug metabolism research. The in vitro models include both cell-based and subcellular (microsomal) assays for human and fish liver.

The employee will contribute to several ongoing, national and international research projects of the Faculty of Pharmacy (e.g., SUDDEN and PREMIER), by developing methods for quantitation of drugs and/or their metabolites in these in vitro matrices. Depending on the candidate’s previous experience, he/she may also participate to the in vitro experimentation that focuses on improving the performance of vitro models to assess human drug-drug interactions and/or environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals (drug metabolism in fish).

Requirements for a successful candidate

• minimum of MSc degree (or PhD degree) in analytical, pharmaceutical or environmental chemistry, biochemistry or equivalent
• strong skills in instrumental bioanalysis, particularly the combination of LC with different detectors, including experience in bioanalytical method development and validation
• excellent written and verbal communication skills (in English)
• strong problem-solving skills and unprejudiced approach
• ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team
• previous experience on one or more of the following fields is considered a significant merit: optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, (mammalian) cell culturing techniques, metabolomics, proteomics, or bioinformatics

Minimum degree requirements, must be met by the beginning of the employment at the latest:

• Postdoctoral Researcher: PhD degree
• Doctoral Researcher: a Finnish second-cycle (master’s) degree or a foreign degree that makes you eligible for doctoral education in the country where the degree was completed

The duties of the Postdoctoral Researcher include conducting research in the project framework, participation to the maintenance of the laboratory safety and quality practices, supervision of MSc and PhD students, and other discipline-specific teaching in pharmaceutical chemistry. The teaching duties will cover ca. 5 % of the total working hours.

The duties of the Doctoral Researcher include conducting research in the project framework with the aim of achieving doctoral degree in accordance with the degree requirements of the University of Helsinki. The appointee will also participate in maintenance of the laboratory safety and quality practices and supervision of undergraduate students and other discipline-specific teaching in pharmaceutical chemistry. The teaching duties will cover ca. 5 % of the total working hours.

Salary and benefits

The salary is based on the salary system of Finnish universities. The monthly salary of a Postdoctoral Researcher will be between 3 300–3 800 €, depending on qualifications.

The starting gross salary of a Doctoral Researcher is typically about 2 300 – 2 400 € per month, but raises gradually toward even 3 200 € per month, as the PhD work progresses (i.e., after initiation of publishing and after reaching the midpoint of the experimental work required for the doctoral degree, judged by the supervisor who estimates the proximity of the public defense).

The University of Helsinki invests in the welfare of its employees by offering preventative occupational health services and general medical care. Read more about the employee benefits at the University of Helsinki and why the University of Helsinki is an excellent career choice: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers and https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome .

Application to the position

Please submit your application, together with the required attachments as a single pdf file, through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the button Apply for the position. Applicants who are employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via SAP Fiori https://msap.helsinki.fi (recruiting: job postings). You may fill in only the mandatory fields (*) and where you found about this job opportunity in the Recruitment System.

The application should include

• a motivation letter, including brief overview of past experience in LC techniques (max 1 page)
• a complete CV with full contact details, education/previous degrees obtained, prior work/research experience, and list of possible publications and theses with links to their online versions (if available)
• copy/copies of the diploma(s) of previous degree(s)
• recommendation letter(s) and contact information of one or more previous supervisors, employers, or other references

The closing date for applications is May 10, 2022 (23:59 EET).

Right to pursue a doctoral degree (Doctoral Researcher only)

The appointee must obtain the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki and approval by a suitable doctoral programme by the end of the 6 month probationary period of the employment, if not already having the study right. Alternatively, the Doctoral Researcher may be hired as a Research Assistant until admission to a doctoral programme (if it does not seem possible to obtain the study right to doctoral degree within 6 months because of application periods); the salary will be similar to a Doctoral Researcher position. Suitable doctoral programmes include Drug Research (DPDR), Materials Research and Nanosciences (MATRENA), and Chemistry and Molecular Sciences (CHEMS). The research plan and other application material will be prepared together with the PhD supervisor(s) in the beginning of the employment period.

Further information:

For Doctoral Researchers

Due date

10.05.2022 23:59 EEST