Postdoctoral Researcher in Data Science/Evolutionary Biology

The Finnish Museum of Natural History invites applications for a 

Postdoctoral Researcher in Data Science/Evolutionary Biology 

a fixed-term employment for two years starting between January—April 2025. The work will be based at the Finnish Museum of Natural History, Helsinki, Finland.

About the position

The postdoctoral researcher will join the project “PhenoBees: a knowledgebase and integrative approach for studying the evolution of morphological traits in bees” funded by the Research Council of Finland.

The main goal of the project is to develop a semantic data workflow to integrate comparative information from different phylogenetic datasets and address hypotheses about the evolution of the mouthparts of bees. The research will result in a knowledgebase of phenotypic traits of bees (PhenoBees) and new tools to analyze comparative semantic data.

The postdoctoral researcher will work under the supervision of Diego S. Porto (https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/diego-sasso-porto, https://diegosasso.github.io/) to develop a workflow for processing and analyzing comparative phenotypic data employing a common framework based on semantic data and computational ontologies. The workflow will be a core component in the development of the PhenoBees knowledgebase (for more details, see: https://github.com/diegosasso/PhenoBees/wiki).

The main tasks of the postdoctoral researcher will include developing and testing a workflow to input, process, and output semantic descriptions of organismal phenotypes (e.g., morphological traits of bees). The workflow will be based on a newly developed computer language to describe organismal phenotypes: Phenoscript (for more details, see: https://github.com/sergeitarasov/PhenoScript/wiki). 

Additionally, the candidate will have the opportunity to supervise master’s students and participate in teaching, if desired. However, no more than 5 % of annual working time is used for teaching, and it is recommended that teaching is linked to the individual’s own research interest when possible.

Qualifications

• The appointee to the position of postdoctoral researcher shall hold a doctoral degree. The default assumption is that the degree requirement must be met by the beginning of employment.
• The ability to conduct independent scholarly work as well as possess the teaching skills necessary for the position.
• Experience with the development and/or application of computational tools for working with biodiversity data..
• Knowledge of semantic data models and semantic web technologies and/or experience with ontological engineering is highly regarded.
• Clear motivation to perform the work in the team.
• Excellent communication skills in English.

In addition, the ideal candidate would have previous experience in any of the following fields: taxonomy, phylogenetics, ecology, or evolutionary biology.

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to be capable of working both independently and collaboratively to achieve the main goals of the project, in addition to taking part in writing manuscripts and attending international conferences. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research project, the candidate should be open to learn new skills from different fields of science (e.g., taxonomy/phylogenetics, computer sciences) and communicate effectively with researchers with different backgrounds.

What we offer

The salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The starting salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be ca. 3500-3800 euros/month, depending on the appointee's qualifications and experience. A six-month trial period will be applied.

The project includes a diverse team of international collaborators with different expertise, ranging from hymenopteran anatomy, evolutionary biology, ecology/conservation, statistical modeling, and computer science. Thus, the candidate will have the opportunity to network with different research communities and establish connections in various domains of science. If successful, the efforts of the postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the advance of an exciting emerging research program integrating data science and evolutionary biology: onto-phylogenetics.

The University of Helsinki invests in the welfare of its employees by offering preventive occupational health services and general medical care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. For further information please check: Staff benefits. Luomus is an equal opportunity workplace committed to advance wellbeing and diversity and promote gender equality in science and education. We welcome applicants from a variety of gender identities, and linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities.

The appointee is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The University assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland. Finland is a member of the EU, has high quality free schooling (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare. Read more about why the University of Helsinki is an excellent career choice working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland.

How to apply?

The application should include the following documents in English as a single pdf called “lastname_firstname_app_phenobees”:

1. Motivation letter (max 1 page).
2. Researcher´s CV (max 4 pages). Please follow these instructions: TENK.
3. List of publications. Please, also indicate the 5 most relevant publications for the position.
4. Contact information of two persons who can provide a reference letter based on request.

Please submit your application via our recruitment system by 31.10.2024 (23.59 EET). External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via Apply Now button. Employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through the SAP Fiori portal: https://msap.sap.helsinki.fi

About LUOMUS

The Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS is an independent institute of the University of Helsinki and the national museum in the field of natural history in Finland. The museum’s duties are to amass, maintain and display its collections, and to conduct related research, particularly in the field of species-level biodiversity. The collections serve research, teaching, and public education in biology, geology, and biodiversity, and form part of the international network of natural history repositories. The Finnish Museum of Natural History has five units: Botany and Mycology, Zoology, Earth Sciences, Biodiversity Informatics and Public Engagement. It has about 250 staff members, from which the Zoology Unit has a staff of about 85 persons, including both permanent and temporary employees.

Further information

Further information about the position can be obtained from Dr. Diego S. Porto: diego.sassoporto(at)helsinki.fi.

Further information about the recruitment process can be obtained from HR: hr-erla(at)helsinki.fi