Senior researcher or doctoral researcher

The Faculty of Social Sciences, INVEST Flagship Research Centre at the University of Turku invites applications for contract-based, fixed term senior researcher or doctoral researcher position from 1.11.2025 to 31.8.2029. Employment starts on 1.11.2025 or as agreed.

The position will be in the project “Parental Leave in Context: Social Drivers of Sharing Care” (SHARELEAVE) funded by the Finnish Research Council.

Job description

The research project aims to explore socioeconomic disparities in the use of family leaves: how parents share leave and how their social environments influence their leave-taking. The project investigates both typical and atypical parental leave usage across different population groups and how the use of leave has changed over time and in various social environments: workplaces, residential areas, and extended family networks. The project comprises three work packages examining (1) how different families have used parental leave and which families have chosen atypical arrangements, (2) how different social environments have changed regarding the use of parental leaves since the 2000s, and (3) how parents' social environments influence parental leave use.

The primary research data consists of Finnish administrative register data covering the entire population. The project utilises advanced statistical methods such as multilevel models (mixed models), fixed-effects models, cluster analysis, and sequence analysis. The selected researcher is expected to participate in research deploying these methods in collaboration with other team members. Independent mastery of these methods is not required at the application stage, however, and the division of responsibilities will be negotiated based on expertise and interest. The research group is international and the working language is English. Work package 2 also involves international collaboration.

A Senior Researcher (postdoctoral level) will have primary responsibility for research tasks in work packages 1 and 3, as part of the research team, and will participate as needed in research for work package 2.

A Doctoral Researcher will be primarily responsible for writing three scientific articles as part of their doctoral dissertation and will, if needed, contribute modestly to other research tasks within the team.

The position includes a teaching responsibility of up to 5% of total working hours.

The primary workplace is the University of Turku, with the possibility for partial remote work in Finland.

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Who we are looking for

Requirements / Qualifications / You should have

According to University of Turku rules of procedure section 36 a person selected for the post of senior researcher is required to have a doctoral degree and the ability to do independent scientific work.

According to section 38 A person selected for the post of doctoral researcher is required to have a right to pursue a doctoral degree. In addition, when acquiring their degree or otherwise, they are required to have demonstrated the ability to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan.

For the Senior Researcher (Postdoc Level):

  • A doctoral degree in sociology, social policy, economics, other social sciences, or another relevant field.
  • Good skills in scientific writing.
  • Good knowledge of statistical research methods (at minimum, linear regression (OLS) and logistic regression, as well as familiarity with some advanced methods).
  • Proficiency with statistical software (e.g. R, Stata).
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a research team.
  • Good command of the English language.

For the Doctoral Researcher:

  • A Master's degree in sociology, social policy, economics, other social sciences, or another relevant field.
  • Good knowledge of statistical research methods (at minimum, linear regression (OLS) and logistic regression, as well as familiarity with some advanced methods).
  • Proficiency with statistical software (e.g. R, Stata).
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a research team.
  • Good command of the English language.

The eligibility requirements for the position must be fulfulled by the end of the application period for the position.

Desirable qualifications

The following will be considered an asset:

  • Previous research experience, particularly in topics related to the project.
  • Experience working with register data, panel data, or other complex datasets.
  • Skills in advanced statistical methods and motivation to learn them.

A researcher who does not yet have the right to pursue doctoral studies may also be considered for the position. In that case, the title of the position will be Project Researcher. The selected Project Researcher is required to apply for the right to doctoral studies and to conduct doctoral research within the Inequalities, Interventions and the New Welfare State doctoral programme (DPINVEST, https://invest.utu.fi/dpinvest/).

We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Benefits

 We offer you responsible and interesting tasks and the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a versatile operating environment. You get a professional and inspiring team to support your work. We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with the help of flexible working hours and our well-being services.

  • Possibilities to develop your expertise – We encourage our personnel to develop their professional expertise by offering versatile training and competence development possibilities which employees can take advantage of during their working hours. Also, the course offering of Open University is free of charge for our personnel.
  • Your well-being is important to us! – In addition to comprehensive occupational health care, our own well-being services monitor, support and develop the well-being of our personnel. You are entitled to use the CampusSport’s services at a personnel price.
  • We support your work-life balance – Flexible working hours and extensive remote work options help you balance work and leisure time. You also have access to long annual leaves.
  • An inspiring and supportive work community – We encourage each other and value working together!

Please read more about University of Turku as an employee from our Come work with us! pages.

The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research quality label. The label is a token of the University's commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers. 

The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:

The University of Turku is among the top of the world’s universities in most rankings and among the best universities in the world in certain fields. Our high-quality basic research, a multidisciplinary research profile and close cooperation in research infrastructures creates the basis for international top research. Read more about University of Turku in international university rankings.

The University of Turku has several high-quality research infrastructures required for cutting-edge research. Learn more about the roadmap of research infrastructures and how the research infrastructure and expert teams offer tailored solutions for businesses and organizations.

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. The job requirement level for the senior researcher is 4-5 (2775,28-3 293,89 €/month) and for the project researcher 2-4 (2225,83-2775,28 €/month). In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance is paid. Typically, at the beginning of the employment this percentage is 10-17%.

The position is subject to a six (6) months trial period.

The position is to be filled by agreement from November 2025 or, at the latest, by January 2026. The employment relationship will end in August 2029.

Interviews will be held between 15 and 24 October 2025.

How to apply

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 22.9.2025 at 16.00.

Provide your application and attachments in English.

Attachments:

  • Motivation letter (max 2 pages)
  • CV (max 2 pages)
  • List of publications (with brief description of the applicant’s role in each publication)
  • “Job market paper” (a published article or a manuscript) that best describes the applicant’s qualifications for the position and how she or he has contributed to the scientific literature. Applicants seeking the doctoral researcher position can include their master thesis.
  • Copies of diplomas (if the degree / degrees have not been completed at the University of Turku)
  • For those in the process of defending their thesis, a statement from the supervisor regarding the estimated date of the dissertation defence
  • Contact information for recommendations, contact information from two prior academic supervisors or persons acquainted with the applicant and their work

Further information

For further information about the position, please contact: Senior Research Fellow Satu Helske, satu.helske@utu.fi

With questions about the application process, please contact: HR Specialist Laura Nieminen, laura.nieminen@utu.fi, +358 29 450 4987         

INVEST Research Flagship Centre

Think, Question, Get Inspired – New Welfare State

The research flagship Inequalities, Interventions, and New Welfare State (INVEST) aims at providing a new model for the welfare state that is more equal, better targeted to problem groups, more anticipatory as well as economically and socially sustainable. The existing research indicates that the Nordic welfare states are efficient in reducing the negative outcomes that are related to many of the structural family disadvantages, such as parental low education, unemployment or poverty. Despite this, children and youth are still particularly vulnerable when negative life course events take place unexpectedly or when many disadvantages accumulate to the same families. The growth environments can strengthen these negative effects. 

The flagship has been funded by the Academy of Finland and is implemented in cooperation with the University of Turku and the Institute of Health and Welfare (THL). The multidisciplinary project combines sociology, social policy, demography, psychology and psychiatry, in addition to the other connected fields of sciences.

The University of Turku is an inspiring and international academic community of 25,000 students and staff in Southwest Finland. We build a sustainable future with multidisciplinary research, education, and collaboration. With us, your work will have a significant impact and relevance in the changing world.

See our open vacancies

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Senior researcher or doctoral researcher

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