Project researcher, UEF Bioinformatics Center

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is inviting applications for a Project Researcher position in the Institute of Biomedicine, Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a two-year term starting as soon as possible. Please, find more information below and submit your application by 03 November 2025.

Role and salary 

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented Bioinformatician or Computational Biologist (PhD or MSc) interested in a career path as a core facility expert to join the UEF Bioinformatics Center (website). The goal of the UEF Bioinformatics Center is to contribute to research excellence through standard and customized omics data analysis, as well as to implement innovative machine learning, data integrative and multimodal solutions. The Center is located in the School of Medicine of the University of Eastern Finland's, Faculty of Health Sciences, on the Kuopio campus. The Center is also part of Biocenter Finland (website).

The Project Researcher will specialize in single-cell omics analyses and will develop biomedical and multimodal data analysis solutions for partner companies and UEF Research Communities focusing on common public health diseases, such as cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The Project Researcher will participate in two projects. The first is the Living Biobank – Cancer Laboratory SYLI project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The SYLI project aims to establish a novel and comprehensive research and service infrastructure in which biobank cancer samples are processed and analyzed using state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing, high-resolution microscopy imaging, and data science methods. The second project focuses on providing service packages for single-cell and spatial omics research, as well as multimodal data analysis. This project is funded with roadmap funding granted by the Research Council of Finland for Biocenter Finland.

As part of these two projects, the Project Researcher will play an important role in developing advanced data analysis services for (spatial) single-cell omics and multimodal data. The position offers a chance to work across diverse data modalities and to build expertise in integrating omics data with imaging, clinical, and other measurement data.

The Project Researcher will join the growing local network of bioinformaticians and collaborate closely with professionals from UEF Single-cell genomics and Biomedical imaging core facilities. They will have access to the local high throughput computing environment of the UEF Bioinformatics Center (website) and the  Finnish national computational infrastructure of CSC (website).

The main responsibilities of the Project Researcher include:

• pre-processing and analyzing various spatial and single-cell omics and multimodal data,
• developing state-of-the-art workflows, and
• collaborating with single-cell omics and biomedical imaging experts

The position will be filled for a fixed term of two years, starting as soon as possible but no later than on 1 January 2026 and ending on 31 December 2027. The positions will be filled for a fixed term due to them pertaining to a specific project task. A probationary period is applied to all new members of the staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two elements: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In this position, the job-related salary element as a PhD is based on level 5 (EUR 3,293.89) and as a MSc level 3–4 (EUR 2,506.10-2,844.66) of the job requirement level chart. In addition to the job-specific salary element, a personal performance-based salary element will be paid, amounting to a maximum of 50% of the job-specific element.

Our requirements and expectations

We welcome highly motivated applicants with a background in bioinformatics or data science and a strong interest in biomedical data analysis.

Requirements

• The person to be appointed as a Project Researcher must hold a PhD or MSc in bioinformatics, computational biology, data science or a related field. Applicants with a PhD or MSc degree from other fields must have substantial demonstrated experience in bioinformatics data analysis.
• Several years experience in omics data analysis,
• A good understanding of machine learning methods used in the single-cell data analysis,
• Experience or extensive studies in the analysis of single-cell transcriptomics or epigenetics datasets,
• Strong skills in R programming, Linux shell scripting and Python or another relevant scripting language,
• Excellent written and spoken English skills.

The following will be considered an advantage:

• experience in multimodal data analysis,
• experience in performing bioinformatics workflows, the use of containers and version control,
• experience in developing research services or infrastructures or the commercialization of research services,
• familiarity with cancer research,
• good communication skills and a high degree of independence and initiative.

We offer 

• a unique opportunity to play a key role in developing cutting-edge research and service infrastructure,
• the support of a skilled and dedicated team of experts,
• a fixed-term position for the duration of the project, with the possibility of extension depending on future funding.

Your benefits

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

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• 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

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website. You will have an opportunity to work in an interesting, meaningful and diverse role as part of our international, creative, participatory and inclusive academic community.

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.

How to apply?

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 03 November 2025 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+3).

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

• a CV (Template for CV, TENK website), please include the contact information of at least two referees who can vouch for your professional skills and experience.
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland website) (non-mandatory)
• 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

If your diploma is not in English, Finnish or Swedish, an official English translation must be provided. All translations must be issued either by the awarding educational institution or an authorised translator. Each page of the official translation must bear the translator’s stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be accurate translations of the original documents. Translations made by the applicants themselves are not accepted.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Research Manager Virpi Ahola, virpi.ahola@uef.fi, +358-50-5687597 or visit UEF Bioinformatics Center (website)

For further information on the application procedure, please contact: Human Resources hrbiomed@uef.fi