Åbo Akademi University is an internationally acknowledged research university with an extensive responsibility for providing education in Swedish in Finland. With its strong Nordic ties, Åbo Akademi University has an acclaimed and recognized position within research and education both nationally and internationally.
Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) invites applications for a Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor in Marine Ecology at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, starting 1 January 2026 or as agreed. The location of work is Turku, Finland.
The position is part of the study programme in Biosciences. The programme consists of two main subjects: Cell and Molecular Biosciences and Environmental and Marine Biology. The position is located in the Environmental and Marine Biology unit. The research in Environmental and Marine Biology focuses on marine coastal ecology, encompassing expertise in behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, stress ecology, functional marine biodiversity, food web ecology, and marine spatial planning. The unit runs two marine research stations in the Archipelago and Åland Sea. The unit has a leading role in ÅAU’s research profiling area, The Sea, and runs the center of excellence, the Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science (SOS).
The recruitment is encompassed by the ÅAU tenure track system. Depending on the experience and competence, the employee can be appointed as professor, associate professor (Level 2), or assistant professor (Level 1) within the tenure track system. Employment as associate professor or assistant professor is fixed term (four and three years, respectively) and offers the appointee an opportunity to advance to the following tenure track level and permanent employment as a professor.
WORK DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFICATIONS
The field of activity for the position is Marine Ecology. The successful candidate will conduct scientific research and teach in the field of environmental and marine biology.
The candidate shall contribute to the development of the activities in accordance with the profile of the subject and the overall mission of the degree programme. The tasks include obtaining research funding and participating in national, Nordic, and international cooperation within the field of activity, as well as contributing to the faculty's overall research environment. The tasks include project management and responsibility for the development of teaching within the field of activity, supervision at all levels of education, and administrative tasks. The focus of the tasks depends on the career level of the employment. An Associate Professor or Assistant Professor within the tenure track system is usually required to contribute to teaching and supervision no more than one-third of the total working time.
In the Regulations on Personnel at ÅAU is generally stated a professor’s duties and tasks. A professor shall carry out and oversee scientific research, provide research-based tuition, follow developments in science, participate in societal interaction, and in national and international cooperation within one’s field of responsibility in accordance with the Universities Act (558/2009).
- In addition to a doctoral degree, Professors are required to possess solid scientific competence along with the ability to provide qualitative, research-based instruction and supervision, the ability to lead research projects and to raise funding for research, as well as experience in international research and collaborative and leadership skills.
- An Associate Professor (Level 2) is required to hold a doctoral degree as well as to possess solid experience in research, the potential to lead research groups and raise funding for research and experience in international research. Moreover, teaching skills are required.
- An Assistant Professor (Level 1) is required to hold a doctoral degree. As a rule, the time elapsed since receiving the doctoral degree should not exceed four years. In addition, teaching skills are required.
Detailed information about the position, the qualification and evaluation criteria, as well as the recruitment process are found in the appointment plan.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
The language requirements at ÅAU are defined in Section 78 of the University Act (558/2009) and in § 1 and 2 of the Åbo Akademi University internal language instructions (25.2.2010).
For teaching positions, native Finnish citizens are required to have excellent proficiency in Swedish (written and oral) and sufficient proficiency in Finnish.
Foreigners and non-native Finnish citizens can be exempted from the requirement to have knowledge of Swedish and Finnish. Knowledge of Swedish is considered an asset. As the administrative and teaching language of the university is primarily Swedish, the person appointed is expected to acquire such knowledge of Swedish during their employment, so that they will be able to successfully participate in teaching in Swedish and administrative tasks in the future. The university offers active support for learning Swedish.
Applicants who have not yet received a certificate of their Swedish language skills can demonstrate their skills and, if necessary, take a language test arranged by the ÅAU Language Board. Please see the instructions regarding demonstration of (Swedish) language skills (in Swedish).
Oral and written knowledge of English is necessary for managing the duties of the position successfully.
SALARY AND WORKING TIME
The salary for professors is set on levels 8-11, for Associate Professors (Level 2) on levels 6-7, and for Assistant Professors (Level 1) on levels 5-6 of the job requirement levels for teaching and research staff in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid. Please see the salary chart for teaching and research staff.
Teachers and researchers have a total working time of 1,612 hours per year. A trial period applies to new employees.
APPLICATION
Submit your electronic application via the ÅAU recruitment system. The closing date for applications is on 2.5.2025 at 15:00 (Finnish local time). Please see the guidelines on the electronic application.
The application should include the following enclosures in English:
- A cover letter (max. 1 page)
- A curriculum vitae (CV) in compliance with the TENK model (The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity), including a complete list of publications (please see guidelines)
- A separate list of no more than 10 publications that the applicant has chosen to demonstrate their competence. The list should include a brief justification for the choice of publications, as well as information about the applicant's contribution in the case of a co-publication. The publications should be available electronically. The applicant will provide links to the publications in the list of publications or upload them to a separate system for file transfer.
- A teaching portfolio (please see guidelines)
- A research plan (max. 2 pages)
- A description of the applicant’s view on the position and the future development of the Environmental and Marine Biology unit (max. 2 pages)
- Copies of Doctor’s degree certificate and language certificates
- Contact details to three referees, whom the recruitment committee may contact if necessary
INFORMATION
For questions regarding the position, please contact Professor Christian Pansch-Hattich (christian.pansch-hattich[a]abo.fi). For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Sabina Ringvall (sabina.ringvall[a]abo.fi).
Please find more information about ÅAU as employer on our website.
Application period starts: 2025-03-07 14:00. Application period ends: 2025-05-02 15:00
