"Doctoral researcher in forest planning"

Doctoral researcher in forest planning

starting from February 2026, or as agreed. The doctoral researcher will be offered a full-time contract for an initial 1 year, with the possibility for extension to the end of August 2029, corresponding with the possible extension of the ForTran (fortran.fi/en) Strategic Research Council funding. The selected appointee will be informed of the possible continuation as soon as a decision is made by the RCF. There will be a trial period of 6 months at the beginning of the employment.

Position description:

The successful candidate will work in the project “ForTran - Forests in systemic transition – balancing efficiency with fairness and resilience.” funded by the Research Council of Finland. The work will be conducted in a transdisciplinary group of researchers, including anthropologists, ecologists, business and management scientists, systems scientists and forest scientists.

This position will prioritize the developing a clear method to identify and quantify the ecological and societal boundaries of forest use. This research will enhance tools used in forest planning, use of forest simulators through a simulation and optimization framework. The research can focus on how to improve the use of decision support tools by private forest owners; focus on the trade-offs and synergies between sustainability of timber harvesting and other ecosystem services; focus on how to integrate uncertainty to quantify and assess the robustness of the sustainability of forests.

Skills, expertise and or qualifications:

• A master’s degree in forest sciences, environmental sciences, applied mathematics or closely related field.
• Knowledge of the forest system
• Strong motivation to conduct high quality research and participate in transdisciplinary research
• Proficiency with computer programming languages (Python, R or related language)

The selected appointee must enroll as a PhD student at the University of Helsinki. The appointee should either already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki by the start of the appointment or apply for the right and obtain it within six months of their appointment. If the appointee does not already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki, it must be applied for separately, please see: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/research/doctoral-education/the-application-process-in-a-nutshell

The workplace is primarily at Viikki campus of the University of Helsinki (with flexible hybrid and remote working options within Finland).

Contract and salary

The salary is defined in accordance with the University’s salary system for teaching and research personnel. The starting salary is based on level 2-4 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee shall be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. The Doctoral Researcher’s starting salary is approximately 2500 euros/month depending on the qualifications and experience of the candidate. The salary will increase as the PhD work progresses.

How to apply

Please submit your application, which includes the following documents in English.

• A motivation letter describing why you are interested in this position and how you are qualified (max. 1 page)
• A curriculum vitae showing the applicants education, completed qualifications, work experience, potential list of publications and contact information of 2 references.
• Certificates/diplomas: scanned copies of diplomas and transcripts of relevant previous degrees.

External applicants, please submit your application through the University of Helsinki’s recruitment system via the Apply Now button.

Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username, and a valid employment/grant/visitor contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via the Employee login button.

The closing date for applications is 15 January 2026.