Professor/Assistant/Associate Professor, governance of food security and pharmaceutical preparedness

About the opportunity

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and the Faculty of Pharmacy invite applications for the position of Professor or Tenure Track Assistant / Associate Professor in Governance of Food Security and Pharmaceutical Preparedness. The position may be filled as a full professor or tenure track assistant professor or tenure track associate professor depending on the candidate’s merits and career stage, with the goal of advancing to a permanent professor position. The field lies at the intersection of economics and business administration with a systems-analytical perspective, aiming to understand interdependencies to strengthen food security and pharmaceutical preparedness through public-private collaboration. Research focuses on optimal regulation, incentives, supply chain risk management, and cost optimization. The appointee will supervise theses, contribute to teaching across Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral programmes, and engage in management teams. The position is based at the Ruralia Institute’s Mikkeli unit.

Salary and benefits

• Gross annual salary varying between 75,000 and 96,000 euros for the professor position, and between 60,000 and 72,000 euros for the assistant/associate professor position, depending on qualifications and experience.
• Comprehensive occupational health care and wide-ranging, low-cost UniSport services.
• Flexible work arrangements to support employee well-being.
• Professional development support including versatile staff training and mentoring.
• Support in acquiring necessary Finnish language skills, including time included in the annual working plan.

Who can apply?

• For Assistant/Associate Professor: A doctoral degree, the ability to conduct independent scholarly work, teaching skills required for the position, the ability and motivation to pursue an academic career demonstrated by publications, a dynamic and future-oriented research plan, and a strong ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.
• For Professor: A doctoral degree, high-level academic qualifications, experience in leading scientific research, ability to provide research-based teaching and supervise dissertations, evidence of international cooperation in the research field, academic leadership skills, a dynamic and future-oriented research plan, and a strong ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.
• The doctoral degree requirement must be met by the end of the application period.
• Proficiency in Finnish and at least satisfactory spoken and written skills in Swedish are required by government decree, though foreign citizens or those not educated in Finnish/Swedish may be exempted (with an expectation to acquire intermediate Finnish skills within a reasonable time after appointment).
• Good English skills are required to successfully attend to the duties.

Required documents

• CV
• A short motivation letter and report on how the applicant intends to develop research and focus activities (1-2 pages)
• Report on research activities including scientific community activities, research funding acquisition, and international scholarly work (max. 5 pages)
• A numbered list of publications
• A report on pedagogical expertise

When to apply

• The closing date for applications is 6 October 2026 at 23:59 EEST.

How to apply

• Prepare all required application documents in English compiled into a SINGLE PDF file named using the format food security_ lastname_firstname.
• Submit the application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System using the 'Apply Now' link for external applicants, or via the Employee Login for internal applicants with a valid contract or affiliation.

Additional information

• There is a six-month trial period in the position.
• The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki.
• Shortlisted applicants may be requested to submit 5-10 publications of their choice and may undergo an aptitude evaluation.