University Lecturer in Crop science

Job description

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry invites applications for the permanent position of University Lecturer in Crop science . The appointee is expected to demonstrate strong research expertise in crop science. Particular merit will be given to a systems-oriented research approach that integrates the measurement and analysis of plants’ internal and external characteristics and metabolic processes in the study of yield quantity and quality formation in field crops. The field of research of the university lecturer in crop science focuses on the sustainable improvement of the quantity and quality of field crop yields. The research emphasizes plant hormonal regulation, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and the partitioning of these resources within plants. The aim is to advance understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant growth and yield formation at both the individual plant and crop canopy levels. The appointee is required to have strong expertise in crop physiology of field crops as well as experience in the application of metabolomics and phenomics in research. The position emphasizes the ability to integrate these approaches in system-level studies of plant and crop growth, yield formation, and the quality and nutritional value of yield. Expertise in statistics, soil science, and food chemistry will be considered an advantage. Experience in dynamic plant modelling will also be regarded as a merit. The university lecturer must have the readiness to acquire research funding. The duties of the University Lecturer in Crop science include research and teaching in the Bachelor's and Master's Programmes in Agricultural Sciences ( and ) The position involves teaching at the Bachelor's and Master's levels, supervising theses, and participating in the supervision of doctoral researchers. The duties also include developing teaching and pedagogical practices in collaboration with colleagues and actively contributing to the development of both discipline and higher education teaching. The appointee will serve as the responsible teacher for the following courses: AGRI-241 Field Crop Quality, Lectures and Practicals AGRI-249 Crop Ecological Physiology AGRI-245 Crop Science and Horticulture Practicals In addition, the university lecturer will have teaching responsibilities and participate in teaching on other courses. The appointee will participate in the management of degree programmes, joint teaching, and other related tasks. The appointee gets to develop teaching and research of the field as a member of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Viikki campus and the University of Helsinki together with relevant stakeholder groups. The position offers a possibility to teaching and research with new and future technologies in agriculture and utilisation of digital methods in teaching and research. The appointee must have the necessary pedagogical skills for teaching and motivation for renewing and developing research and teaching. The responsibilities of the university lecturer also include participating in collaboration with other educational institutions in their field, student marketing for the bachelor's and master’s programmes, as well as engaging in societal interaction. According to the University of Helsinki Regulations university lecturers must hold an applicable doctoral degree and be capable of providing high-quality, research-based teaching and supervising theses. The assessment of applicant merits considers scholarly publications and other research outputs of scholarly value, teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration. The degree requirement (doctoral degree) must be met by the end of the application period. In this position, the teaching and supervision responsibilities will be conducted also within Finnish-language degree programmes. Success in this role requires command of both spoken and written Finnish. For those who have received their basic education in Finnish, a satisfactory proficiency in Swedish is also required (virkamiesruotsi). If you do not yet speak Finnish or Swedish, we expect you to achieve intermediate language proficiency within a reasonable time after being selected for the position in either language. The University provides support for language learning and time for language studies can be included in annual work plan. Successfully performing the duties of the position requires good spoken and written English skills as the position includes teaching in an English-language MSc programme and active participation in international research collaboration. WHAT WE OFFER We offer an interesting opportunity to work in a diverse research environment. At the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry you will carry out research-based teaching at the highest education level in the field in Finland and have the opportunity to take part in internationally valued, first-class research activities. The position is also an opportunity to develop your own professional skills in a multidisciplinary work community of the faculty. Your work will be supported by the research and teaching staff of the department and the faculty as well as the administrative and technical staff at Viikki campus. The salary will be based on levels 5-7 of the requirements level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. Monthly gross salary for a university lecturer varies between 3 800 and 5 500 euros depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience. Occupational health care services and standard Finnish pension benefits are provided for University employees. There is a six-month trial period in the position. The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The workplace of the position is at Viikki campus in Helsinki. HOW TO APPLY Applicants are requested to submit their applications in ONE SINGLE PDF file including the following documents (in Finnish or English): Motivation letter for the position in question (max 1 page) A curriculum vitae (CV) A numbered list of scientific and other publications (please use the Ministry of Education and Culture classification of publication types: Research and scientific activities (max 3 pages) Involvement in administrative duties Other activities which you wish to bring to the attention of the faculty. Please submit the description of your teaching qualifications via a separate e-form at: General guidelines on application documents: Applications with the above attachments must be submitted in a single PDF file, which is named: crop science_lastname_firstname. Other attachments are not required. External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply Now button. Applicants who have a username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher's contract or a visiting researcher's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the Employee login. The deadline for applications is 12.10.2026 (at 23.59 EEST) FURTHER INFORMATION Further information about the position is available from Department Head Leena Rantamäki-Lahtinen ( leena.rantamaki-lahtinen(at), tel +358 2941 58279) Further information on the recruitment process may be obtained from HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen ( recruitment(at), tel. +358 2941 57583) ABOUT US The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is located on the Viikki campus. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in agriculture and food and forest sectors. The Department of Agricultural Sciences is one of the units of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The department conducts internationally recognized research, related to agricultural sciences and the bio-economy, and provides the highest-level education based on the research. The aim is to carry out research and teaching on plant production in agriculture and horticulture, animal production, and technologies and environmental effects pertaining to them, as well as to yield societal impact through research. The main research fields of the department are agrotechnology, animal science, plant production sciences, and soil and environmental science. The number of Department’s personnel is about 100 and the department provides BSc and MSc study programs. The Department is active in society, and has strong collaboration with companies, government agencies, research institutes and other Universities, nationally and internationally. WHY FINLAND AND HELSINKI Why Finland is a great place to live and work: 10 reasons to work in Helsinki: Support for international staff: International House Helsinki: Welcome to Helsinki: A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions. Click this link to read about accessibility and inclusivity at our University. JOIN US TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD – TOGETHER! #HelsinkiUniCareers