Two Postdoctoral Researcher/Project Researcher positions in Energy Law are now open for applications. These positions will be hosted by the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (CCEEL) at the UEF Law School on the Joensuu campus, starting on 1 January 2025, or as agreed. Please find more information below and submit your application by 7 October 2024.

Roles and Salary

The Researcher positions will be filled at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies and hosted by the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (CCEEL) at the UEF Law School. CCEEL is an internationally recognized center for climate, energy, and environmental law research, employing over 100 researchers.

The Researchers will work as part of the INTEL and FOUNDATIONS projects, funded by the prestigious European Research Council and the Research Council of Finland. The team will develop the general doctrine of energy law in a European context. Unlike other established legal disciplines, energy law lacks a comprehensive doctrine. This doctrine consolidates the foundations of a discipline and guides legislators, courts, and lawyers in identifying, valuing, and interpreting legal norms. The team will construct and analyze the concepts, principles, and theories that emerge from the evolution of EU energy law, from EU legal sources, and from the way legal professionals perceive doctrine. The research conducted in these projects will advance the field of energy law by bringing coherence and predictability to the legal system governing energy and strengthen methodological diversity in legal research by creating a novel technique for constructing a general doctrine.

The duties of the Researchers include:

• Conducting legal research on the themes of the project;
• Participating in key missions, publishing activities, and stakeholder work within the project;
• Assisting in the coordination of the project and in the management of the junior staff members of the team.

The Postdoctoral Researcher/Project Researcher positions will be filled for a 2–5-year term starting on 1 January 2025, or as agreed. These positions are filled for a fixed term due to being project-based. A probationary period applies to new staff members.

The salary of the posts is based on the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. The salary consists of a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. The job-related salary element is based on level 5 of the job requirement level chart (EUR 3,213.55), and the personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element.

Minimum Requirements

• A background in law
• A doctoral degree in an applicable field (law, political science, or similar) by the time employment begins. If the doctoral degree has been awarded less than five years ago, the post will be one of a Postdoctoral Researcher. If the doctoral degree has been awarded more than five years ago, the post will be one of a Project Researcher. In this context, five years refer to a net period of time, which does not include parental leaves or military service.
• An excellent command of English (both for writing and general communication purposes)
• An affinity for various research methods, especially experience in using qualitative data collection and analysis methods and/or co-creation, or, secondarily, an interest in developing one’s competencies in empirical research methods.

Expectations

• An independent and productive approach to working
• Interest in developing skills in conducting legal research
• A background in energy law or, alternatively, in climate or environmental law with a strong emphasis on and understanding of jurisprudence. Applicants with a more general energy and social sciences background may also be considered.

Advantages

• A strong track record of carrying out research in the area of climate, energy, or environmental law, jurisprudence, or general EU law
• Experience in collaborative interdisciplinary research and working as part of a team

What We Offer

• An interesting position in an international, creative, participatory, and inclusive university community
• The opportunity for flexible multilocation work
• The opportunity for international collaboration as part of a research team
• The staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, extensive provision of staff training, affordable lunch in our campus restaurants, and Sykettä sports services.

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website. 

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

The application needs to be submitted no later than 7 October 2024 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+3) using the electronic application form. Please clearly indicate whether you are applying for the Postdoctoral Researcher position or the Project Researcher position.

Please note that if the applicant does not yet have their doctoral degree, any employment offer is conditional on the applicant first formally obtaining their doctoral degree.

Required Application Appendices:

• A free-form application containing a presentation of the applicant’s research interests and orientation as well as previous research merits (up to five pages)
• CV (Template for CV, TENK web page)
• A list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland web page)
• Copies of academic certificates/diplomas and of certificates/diplomas relating to the applicant’s language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas
• Other documents with which you wish to demonstrate your merits for the position

Questions?

For more information on the positions, please contact Associate Professor Kaisa Huhta, tel. +358 50 59472 71, kaisa.huhta@uef.fi. For more information on how to apply and on the application process, please contact HR-Specialist Airi Leppänen, tel. +358 29 445 5171, airi.leppanen@uef.fi.

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