Job Description

University Lecturer, Statistics (Computational Statistics and Mathematical Programming)

The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki.

As part of the Faculty of Science, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of the University of Helsinki is the biggest university department of mathematical sciences in Finland. The department offers teaching in several bachelor and master programmes in mathematical sciences and related teacher education. The primary teaching language is Finnish at the bachelor level and English at the master level. The goal of the department is to pursue frontier research in mathematics and statistics and to prepare its students for a variety of challenging career paths in science, industry, and education. In today’s world, this requires strong computational content both in statistics and mathematics. To achieve this goal,

the Faculty of Science invites applications for the permanent position of

UNIVERSITY LECTURER IN STATISTICS (Computational Statistics and Mathematical Programming)

starting from 1 January 2023 or as agreed. The position has a trial period of 6 months.

The university lecturer appointed to this position will teach and develop computationally oriented courses in statistics, mathematics, and mathematics teacher education. In addition to courses in the present curriculum (including topics like Computational Statistics, Bayesian Inference, Programming in Mathematics Education, and Symbolic Computation), the person will contribute to developing and teaching new computational courses. Typically, the course teaching of a lecturer amounts to 20–25 study credits per year. The person will also supervise bachelor and master theses on related topics, serve as a teacher-tutor, and participate in relevant administrative functions like boards and committees. The university lecturer is expected to conduct and supervise cutting-edge international scientific research and, consequently, follow scientific developments and participate in public engagement and in Finnish and international cooperation in the field.

Qualifications

The appointee to a university lectureship shall hold an applicable doctoral degree and be able to provide high-quality research-based teaching and supervise theses and dissertations. A title of docent in a relevant field is an additional merit. When assessing the qualifications of the applicants, attention is paid to scientific publications and other research results of scientific value, teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits, and societal impact and engagement, in each item with particular emphasis on relevance to the field of the position. A teaching demonstration may be requested as part of the evaluation. For the present position, hands-on experience with computational statistics and mathematical programming is required. Possible professional experience involving their applications outside academia is an additional merit. The candidate must be fluent and capable of teaching both in English and Finnish, both oral and written. Skills in Swedish are also considered a merit.

Salary and benefits

The salary is based on the salary system of Finnish universities and depends on individual merits and experience. The typical salary range is from 4000 to 5000 euros per month. The university lecturers’ career model at the University of Helsinki offers the possibility of being later evaluated for promotion to the position of senior university lecturer, associate professor, or professor. This evaluation is based on objective predefined criteria and can be taken at any time after completing the first five years of the university lectureship. However, the university lectureship is not a tenure track position, and taking such an evaluation is voluntary and not a requirement for the continuation of the position.

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including preventive occupational health services and general medical care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The Faculty of Science is an equal opportunity workplace committed to advancing wellbeing and diversity and promoting gender equality in science and education. We support the compatibility of work and family-life e.g. by providing an opportunity for 6 weeks of paid annual leave.

The University assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland and e.g. offers support for language studies to learn Finnish and Swedish. Finland is a family-friendly country with generous parental leaves, affordable state-subsidized day care that is available for all children, as well as world-renowned free primary education and universal healthcare. For more on the University of Helsinki as an employer and living in Helsinki, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers and https://welcome.helsinki/#/.

How to apply

Applications must have the following attachments as one single pdf file (in English):

1. an academic portfolio in the format approved by the Faculty of Science (as described at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-science/faculty/join-us/academic-portfolio) containing a summary of supervision duties of master’s and doctoral theses and a presentation on how the applicant plans to develop their field and its teaching;
2. a list of publications and other relevant documents on competence and merits that the applicant wishes to be taken into account in the selection process.

Please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System. The deadline for applications is 17 November 2022.

For further information please contact:

About the position

• Professor Tuomas Hytönen, tuomas.hytonen@helsinki.fi

About the recruitment process and recruitment system

• HR Specialist Laura Karppinen, laura.karppinen@helsinki.fi