Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in plant community ecology

About the opportunity

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate (DC9) position within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP. The successful candidate will investigate response diversity in boreal forest and tundra ecosystems, evaluating the capacity of different response diversity metrics to explain and predict the temporal stability of plant communities under environmental change. Based at the Northern Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning research group at the Viikki Campus, the researcher will use field experiments and greenhouse mesocosm studies to produce an article-based PhD thesis.

Salary and benefits

• Estimated gross salary of approximately 4,100 – 4,600 € per month (before taxes, depending on family allowance eligibility).
• 36-month, full-time doctoral position.
• Planned secondments of 4 months in total: 2 months at Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and 2 months at Cardiff University (CarU).
• Access to ReDiLEEP network training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning, AI for ecologists, visualization, and science-policy communication.
• University of Helsinki employee services, including occupational health care and access to sports facilities.
• Support from the International Staff Services office for employees moving to Finland.

Who can apply?

• Must hold a Master’s degree in ecology or a closely related field (completed before employment start).
• Must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• Must be eligible for enrollment in a doctoral programme at the University of Helsinki.
• Mobility Rule: Must not have resided or carried out main activities (work or studies) in Finland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the recruitment date (exceptions apply for compulsory national service, refugee status, and temporary protection).
• Must be able to work full-time and exclusively for the ReDiLEEP project.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

Required documents

• Cover letter (max 1 page) describing motivation, relevant experience, and fit with the project.
• Curriculum vitae including a list of publications and manuscripts in preparation.
• Copy of Master’s degree certificate and transcripts of study records, including an explanation of the grading system and weighted average (GPA).
• Short statement confirming MSCA mobility-rule eligibility for Finland (listing countries of residence, work, and study for the previous 36 months).
• Contact details of two referees.

When to apply

• Application deadline: 18th September 2026 at 23:59 EEST.
• Employment start: First half of 2027.

How to apply

• Submit the application in English as a single PDF file through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system.
• Current employees of the University of Helsinki must apply via the SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews in English, planned for the first half of October.