Research Technician

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Research Technician position in the field of Chemical Ecology and Plant Ecophysiology at the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 December 2028.

Please find more information below and submit your application by 2 March 2026.

Role and salary

The new Research Technician will work in the Environmental Ecology Research Group (EERG) (website), in the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology. The work will support research in the fields of Environmental Science, Pollutant Analyses and Chemical Ecology.

The Research Technician will work for the Centre of Excellence in Anthropocenic Chemical Ecology of Forests (ACE-Forest) funded by the Research Council of Finland (website). ACE-Forest explores chemically mediated intra- and interspecific interactions with spatial and temporal resolution and focuses on understanding the chemical ecology of forests.

As our new Research Technician your main responsibilities will include

• being responsible for the maintenance of equipment
• developing new infrastructure for field and laboratory research
• testing equipment for safety and efficiency
• helping to establish experimental infrastructure
• programming devices and developing novel solutions for making environmental measurements
• installing infrastructure into a mobile laboratory
• maintaining large equipment, including controlled environment chambers, vehicles, and trailers.

The position of Research Technician will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 December 2028, due to it pertaining to a specific project task. A possible extension will be agreed upon separately. A trial period is applied to all new members of staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In this position, the job-related salary element is based on level 8 (EUR 2.857,26) of the job requirement level chart for other expert and support staff. The personal salary element ranges from a minimum of 6% to a maximum of 50% of the above-mentioned sum. Depending on the personal salary element, the salary will be approximately EUR 3,300–3,400 /month at the beginning of employment.

Our requirements and expectations

Requirements

• appropriate qualifications in a branch of engineering, preferably with documented qualifications and competence in electrics
• ability to implement designs from technical drawings, create product documentation and records, test electronics for problems, and propose solutions for the development of equipment
• ability for creative thinking and problem solving
• a good command of Finnish and English language; the candidate should be able to communicate in spoken and written forms in both languages
• a driving license (category B), as well as the willingness to obtain a BE license and drive with trailers.

Please note that the applicant must fulfil the stated requirements by the end of the application period.

The following will be considered an advantage

• experience providing technical support for scientific research
• experience with equipment for analysing volatile organic compounds, such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry or proton‑transfer‑reaction time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry
• experience in servicing vehicles or outfitting vehicles
• experience in calibrating devices, such as analysers for air pollutants
• any technical skills or proficiencies that pertain to establishing infrastructure in laboratory or field settings.

Your benefits

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

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• excellent opportunities for professional development and continuous learning
• 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 a meaningful 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 2 March 2026 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC +2).

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

• a CV (Template for CV, TENK website)
• 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 (max. 1 page) in which you describe your interest in the position, your background, as well as your career aspirations
• other documents to demonstrate the your merits for the position.

If your degree certificate is not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official English translations of your degree certificate documents. All translations must be issued by the awarding educational institution or an authorized 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 will not be accepted.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Professor James Blande, e-mail: james.blande@uef.fi, tel. +358 40 3553210 or Senior Researcher Delia Pinto Zevallos, e-mail: delia.pinto@uef.fi, tel. +358 41 7232439.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Noora Hämäläinen, e-mail: noora.hamalainen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8302 and HR Specialist Iiris Korhonen, e-mail: iiris.korhonen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8161.

Haemme Itä-Suomen yliopistolle tutkimusteknikkoa. Tehtävä liittyy Suomen Akatemian rahoittamaan Antroposeenin ajan metsien kemiallisen ekologian tutkimuksen huippuyksikköön (ACE-Forest) ja se sijoittuu luonnontieteiden, metsätieteiden ja tekniikan tiedekuntaan ympäristö- ja biotieteiden laitokselle Kuopion kampukselle. Tehtävä täytetään määräajaksi ajalle 1.4.2026 – 31.12.2028 (tai aloitus sopimuksen mukaan). Tässä tehtävässä tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasolla 8. Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävässä edellytetään hyvää suomen ja englannin kielen taitoa.​

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävistä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 2.3.2026.