"Postdoctoral Researcher, Atmospheric Aerosol Physics and Chemistry"

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position in the field of Atmospheric Aerosol Physics and Chemistry at the Department of Technical Physics on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a fixed term of two years as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed).

Please find more information below and submit your application no later than 2 March 2026.

Role and salary

We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of Atmospheric Aerosol Physics and Chemistry at the Department of Technical Physics of the University of Eastern Finland. The work of the Postdoctoral Researcher will be implemented within the Finnish Centre of Excellence (FCoE) in Anthropocenic Chemical Ecology of Forests (ACE-Forest) funded by the Research Council of Finland. The ACE-Forest project will explore chemically mediated intra- and interspecific interactions in forests. The project will aim to advance understanding of the chemical ecology of forests in the Anthropocene. The Postdoctoral Researcher may choose either one of the two research topics or both: i) characterization of biogenic VOCs and SOA chemistry, or ii) characterization of SOA particle deposition and fluxes onto forest vegetation.

As our new Postdoctoral Researcher, your main responsibilities will include:

• identifying new stress-induced volatile organic compounds (VOC) precursors from vegetation
• studying the kinetic formation of SOA from these VOCs
• characterizing chemistry of SOA particles, or determining SOA and VOC fluxes onto vegetation
• carrying out experiments in atmospheric simulation chambers
• participating in field campaigns or model SOA formation and deposition processes.

The main duty of the Postdoctoral Researcher is to conduct research related to the project and to report results in international scientific publications and conferences. The position may also include teaching duties within the discipline, in line with the candidate’s area of expertise.

The research will be conducted in the Aerosol Physics Research Group. The research group has an excellent international reputation in the field of atmospheric and aerosol related studies. The main research topics of the group are formation and properties of secondary organic aerosols (SOA), aerosol-cloud interactions, anthropogenic-biogenic interactions and representation of aerosols in climate models. The group is part of the Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center (ACCC), a Finnish Flagship. The recruited Postdoctoral Researcher is expected to work closely with other research groups in the ACE-Forest consortium and with international collaborators. Embedded within the ACE-Forest Centre of Excellence, all researchers have great potential for building networks and conducting collaborative research.

The position will be filled for a fixed term of two years as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed). The position will be filled for a fixed term due to it pertaining to a specific project task. A trial period is applied to all new members of staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. For a Postdoctoral Researcher, the job-related salary element is based on level 5 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff. The personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. At the beginning of the employment, the total salary will be approximately EUR 3,825 - 4,020 /month.

Our requirements and expectations

Requirements

• a doctoral degree in physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, chemistry or a related field. The person to be appointed as a Postdoctoral Researcher must have completed their doctoral degree less than five years ago at the time of starting in the position (a net period of time, which does not include parental leaves, military service etc.)
• good skills in spoken and written English
• motivation for research work in aerosol physics or chemistry.

Please note that the applicant must fulfil the stated requirements by the end of the application period.

The following will be considered as advantage

• prior experience with the measurement and analysis of biogenic volatile organic compounds and secondary organic aerosol using mass spectrometer techniques, such as proton transfer reaction – time of flight – mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS), or chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS)
• prior experience with the measurement and analysis of gas & aerosol fluxes
• prior experience in working with atmospheric simulation chambers or flow tube reactors
• competence with data analysis with MATLAB or Igor programs.

Your benefits

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• excellent opportunities for professional development and continuous learning
• extensive occupational health care
• a broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services
• affordable sports services

How to apply?

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 2 March 2026 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+2).

Please note that you must include the following appendices in your application

• a CV (Template for CV, TENK website)
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland website)
• copies of your academic degree certificates / diplomas, and copies of certificates / diplomas relating to your language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas
• a motivation letter (maximum of one page) in which you describe your interest in the position and research areas, your background, as well as your career aspirations
• other documents to demonstrate the your merits for the position.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Senior Researcher Jorma Joutsensaari, e-mail: jorma.joutsensaari@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 4453010 and Staff Scientist Liqing Hao, e-mail: hao.liqing@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 4453361.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Iiris Korhonen, e-mail: iiris.korhonen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8161 or HR Specialist Noora Hämäläinen, e-mail: noora.hamalainen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8302.