Research assistant for the Digiretki project

The Software Engineering Unit (SwEng) of the Department of Computing is looking for a fixed-term Research Assistant to work on a project called Digiretki. The work will start towards the end of March 2025 or according to mutual agreement, and ends 28.2.2026. The position is primarily full-time, but part-time work is also possible, especially during study periods. 

The aim of the project is to integrate the Virma hiking data (Virma Kartta), which is maintained for the region of Southwest Finland. Virma data is to be imported into the national outdoor recreation service, and additionally the project’s purpose is to improve the capacity of operators of hiking trails and destinations in Southwest Finland to use the services.  At the same time, the Virma data will be enriched with new data content made possible by the luontoon.fi service. The project will develop the digital capacity of municipalities and associations in Southwest Finland to maintain their own data directly in the Lipas system and improve the visibility of nature tourism businesses in the Visit Finland DataHub database. 

You can read more about the project at: https://tt.utu.fi/sweng/digiretki/ 

The project’s implementation is open, and changes will be published on the Lounaistieto GitHub: 

The University of Turku is responsible for a sub-task in the project: technical development and related studies, reporting and documentation. 

The research assistant will participate in stakeholder work and data processing as part of the project team. The research assistant's tasks include programming and planning the technical implementation together with the project team. 

Apply between and

Who we are looking for

What we require: 

  • Good programming skills 
  • Good verbal and written communication skills in Finnish and English 
  • Initiative and ability to work independently 
  • Interest in geodata 

In addition, we consider it an advantage for the candidate to have good or competent knowledge of the field of software development: 

  • Experience using command-line based systems, especially Linux based server systems 
  • Understanding of the structure and operation of software systems (front-end, back-end, communication) 
  • Previous research experience (including theses) 
  • Experience with the following technologies 
    • Geoserver  
    • PostgreSQL + PostGIS  (SQL-queries)  
    • Node.js / Python  
    • REST API usage 


Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. For a research assistant the salary will be in the beginning of the employment around 2220–2350 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills. The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared.  

The position is subject to a trial period, the length of which depends on the start date of the employment. 

 

How to apply

Applications must be submitted no later than 28 February 2025 (16:00) via the University's online recruitment system. The link to the system is at the beginning of this announcement ("Apply for this position"). The job advertisement is available at: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/come-work-with-us/open-vacancies 

Attachments: CV (including links to any previous programming projects/portfolio), study transcript and a short motivation letter. 

For further information, please contact Project Researcher Lauri Koivunen (lamkoi@utu.fi) or Associate Professor Tuomas Mäkilä (tuomas.makila@utu.fi). 

Benefits

Please read more about University of Turku as an employer 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 logo. The logo 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: 

Department of Computing

The Department of Computing educates professionals for the modern digitalised society. Central themes of teaching and research include Digitalisation, Machine Learning, Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, Cybersecurity and Health Technology. 

The Faculty of Technology is the newest faculty of the University of Turku, it was established in the beginning of 2021. The Faculty consists of the Department of Computing, Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. We have more than 2,000 graduate and postgraduate students and circa 400 employees, 50 of whom are professors. Our faculty is an international, multicultural and diverse work community.

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

HR Excellence in Research Logo

Homepage LinkedIn Facebook Youtube Instagram

Information for the applicant

The application form cannot be saved as a draft. However, after submitting you can return to edit your application via the link you receive by email. The application can be edited until the application deadline.

You have 6 hours to complete your application before the timeout.

Instructions for submitting a job application

Logo

Research assistant for the Digiretki project

Are you sure you want to withdraw this application?

Back to form
Saving changes
Saved!