"University Instructor of German"

The University of Helsinki Faculty of Humanities invites applications for the position of University Instructor of German for a fixed term from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2028.

The appointee will teach German language and culture to students who have no previous knowledge of the subject. The position is part of the national SARAVE project of Finnish universities and located at the University of Helsinki’s Department of Languages in Helsinki. The appointee’s teaching will be attended also by German language and culture students from other universities participating in the SARAVE project. For this reason, teaching will be remote.

Focusing on the basics of German, the teaching duties will significantly include planning and designing new courses. In addition to basic language skills in German, the teaching encompasses study and interaction skills, student guidance and language proficiency assessment.

The appointee will also contribute to the project’s teaching collaboration coordination, pedagogical development, public engagement, report drafting and reporting on project results.

Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications

In accordance with the University of Helsinki Regulations, the appointee must hold an applicable master’s degree and have teaching experience relevant to the position. Particular attention will be paid to pedagogical training and the ability to teach beginners, coordinate teaching and produce learning material.

The appointee must have excellent oral and written skills in German. Teaching requires experience in the use of educational technology. Coordination duties and public engagement in the SARAVE project require collaboration skills.

The assessment of applicant merits considers university-level teaching experience in German as a foreign language, knowledge of the field, pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning material suited to university education, and versatile teaching skills. The appointee should be an experienced teacher in a range of learning environments and willing to contribute actively to the development of beginner-level language teaching.

Holders of teaching and research positions at Finnish universities must be proficient in the language in which they provide instruction, in this case Finnish, Swedish and German. To successfully perform their duties, the appointee will also require excellent English skills. Further information on language skills and the demonstration of language proficiency is available on our website.

What we offer

For the position of university instructor, the salary will be based on level 5 of the job requirement scheme 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 performance. The appointee’s gross monthly salary will range from €3,800 to €4,200, depending on their qualifications and experience. There will be a six-month trial period for the position.

Application instructions

The application, together with the required attachments, must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through the SAP Fiori portal; see instructions.

Please attach the following to your application:

1. A short cover letter
2. A curriculum vitae
3. A report (max. 5 pages, e.g., a teaching portfolio) on your teaching expertise
4. A numbered list of publications and other works with which you wish to demonstrate your competence and merits

All of the above-mentioned documents must be submitted in Finnish, Swedish or English. No other attachments, such as letters of recommendation or certificates, are required at this stage. After the application period, the appointment committee may ask the top candidates to attend an interview and, if necessary, provide a separate report on their teaching qualifications and demonstrate their teaching skills.

Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Leena Kolehmainen (leena.kolehmainen@helsinki.fi). For enquiries about the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Jenni Syväoja (jenni.syvaoja@helsinki.fi). Further information about the SARAVE project: https://sites.app.jyu.fi/sarave/en.

The application deadline is 17 March 2026.