Senior researcher, Oulanka Research Station, Infrastructure Unit

The University of Oulu is a multidisciplinary, international research university, with about 4000 employees who produce new knowledge based on high-standards research and provide research based education to build a more sustainable, smarter, and more humane world. The University of Oulu community has about 19,000 people in total. Our northern scientific community operates globally and creates conditions for the emergence of innovations. The University of Oulu is ranked in the top 3% of the world’s universities.

We are now looking for

Senior Researcher

to join Oulanka Research Station for a permanent position.

Oulanka Research Station is a regional unit of the University of Oulu, and its main roles are to facilitate high-level research and university teaching. The station is situated in the heart of Oulanka National Park, a region very rich in spectacular nature sites – a rare opportunity to work in the middle of the most beautiful nature! Although Oulanka has a focus and strong history on natural sciences and environmental engineering, the station is open to all kinds of research, also multidisciplinary and arts. This position is a perfect chance to do research and facilitate research of others related to climate science and freshwater ecology and to work together with world-class research groups. Oulanka research station is very strong both in long-term data and experimental work and systems, and each of these strengths covers both running waters and terrestrial environments.

About the job

In the position of Senior Researcher, you would contribute to facilitating research activities by other researchers and research groups at Oulanka in addition to doing your own research at Oulanka. You would also contribute to ongoing and future projects that develop Oulanka infrastructure further. You would also help the station manager by handling a part of administrative duties, including some duties of a superior. You are expected to apply for and gain external funding not only to do your own research at the station but also to help develop the station and its infrastructure both in the short term and in the long term. The position is based at Oulanka and significant remote work is not possible outside a short starting period (if the chosen person has ongoing funding that would necessitate such a starting period). Even during such a period, presence at Oulanka would be required at a minimum of 50%.

What we offer

• We offer you an interesting and versatile position in the field of environmental research and the possibility to work with Oulanka EcoClimate and the upcoming experimental stream flume system, both of which are a state-of-the-art experimental research infrastructures
• Wellness benefit ePassi covering sport, culture, and well-being. Read more about other staff benefits.
• Work-life balance: we don't count Saturdays as holiday periods!
• Development and career options of a big organization.
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes flexibility and work-life balance. Read more about working with us.
• Our Buddy Programme and Spouse Network support you and close-ones in settling into Finland. 
• Your ‘office’ would be in some of the most beautiful natural sites that the northern hemisphere has to offer!

Please see these three informational videos that explain the basics of the EcoClimate research
infrastructure:
• Introduction to EcoClimate
• EcoClimate Carbon Research
• EcoClimate tulevaisuus

Who are you?

In order to succeed and enjoy the position, we expect from you:

• A relevant PhD degree and preferably a completed postdoctoral period.Applicable fields: stream ecology, biogeochemistry, environmental science, environmental engineering  (the last three mainly in relation to climate change research).
• The skills and mindset that enable research and work around the year in remote conditions.
• Strong written and spoken skills in English are required as the work involves close collaboration with international research groups.
• Convincing track record of successful grant applications and other types of external funding (ideally both from academic sources like the Research Council of Finland and from the EU).
• Excellent IT skills and good communication skills.
• The ability to work also with organizations and people outside the academia.
• Strong Finnish language skills. If Finnish is not your native language, we expect the successful candidate to actively develop their Finnish language skills. The goal is to achieve fluency within approximately five years. The university supports this development by providing Finnish language courses.
• A valid driver's license: doing environmental research and living in northern Finland is not possible without one.

We also appreciate:

• The ability to adapt to sometimes quickly changing timetables.
• A dynamic nature of workflow is seen as an advantage.
• Experience working with ecological/environmental long-term data is seen as a benefit, as is experience of working with natural experiments.
• Skills and interests in eDNA methods and/or microscopy are seen as beneficial.
• Demonstrated skills to design and establish field measurements.
• Understanding of data handling and FAIRDATA principles.
• Demonstrated science leadership skills. 

Salary

The position is permanent starting from 1.12.2026 or as agreed.

The salary will be based on the level 6 of the demand level salary chart for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (maximum of 50 % of the job-specific component). Thus, a typical starting gross salary for a position like this will be approx. 4200-4700 EUR per month (before taxes). A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position.

How to apply?

Interested? If yes, please apply by 11.9.2026  (23:59 Finnish local time) through our recruitment system. Please attach four documents:

1. Cover letter (maximum length two pages, A4)
2. CV (max length is two pages, A4)
3. Selected publication list (maximum length is one page, A4)
4. List of the most important external funds and grants you have succeeded in gaining (maximum length is one page, A4) 

Please use a minimum font size of 11. Information exceeding the specified page limits or font will not be considered in the evaluation process.

The eligible applicants fitting best in the profile expected for the position will be invited to an onsite or remote interview. All applicants will be notified during the selection process.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, such as people of different ages, genders and lingual, cultural or minority groups.

Contact Information

If you have any further questions, please contact Senior Researcher (Station Manager) Riku Paavola, during office hours (Finnish time) on weekdays: [email protected] ,  +358401761224.