Postdoctoral Researcher in Functional Community Ecology​/Meta-Ecosystems

Organisation/Company UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Research Field Biological sciences Environmental science Geosciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Final date to receive applications 10 Feb 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country Finland Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN FUNCTIONAL COMMUNITY ECOLOGY / META-ECOSYSTEMS

The Ecological Synthesis Group (ESG), led by University Researcher
Dr. Caio Graco-Roza
, invites applications for a
Postdoctoral Researcher
to join the research group at the
Lammi Biological Station
, University of Helsinki, Finland.

The position will start
at the earliest in March 2026
, or as agreed. The postdoctoral researcher will be offered a
full-time fixed-term contract for two years
. A trial period of six months will apply.

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are increasingly shaped by interactions across ecosystem boundaries, yet the mechanisms linking terrestrial and aquatic communities remain poorly understood. This postdoctoral position is part of the
TRACE – Trait Responses Across Connected Ecosystems
project (2025–2028), funded by the Research Council of Finland.

The TRACE project investigates how functional traits related to
tolerance, movement, and interaction
structure communities across connected forest–lake ecosystems. By integrating multi-taxa field data, trait-based ecology, experiments, and
advanced statistical analyses
, TRACE aims to uncover how ecological processes propagate across blue–green boundaries and shape biodiversity patterns at local to regional scales.

The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in the project, contributing to
data synthesis, statistical analyses, and manuscript writing
, while also participating in field-based experiments and supervision of students. Research will be conducted primarily at the
Lammi Biological Station
, the
largest university research station in Finland
, located approximately
100 km from the University of Helsinki main campus
. The station provides exceptional access to long-term study lakes, well-equipped laboratories, experimental infrastructure, and a vibrant international research community, offering a highly collaborative and scientifically stimulating working environment.

The postdoctoral researcher will:

• Lead and contribute to
  trait-based and community-level analyses
  across aquatic and terrestrial taxa
• Apply
  advanced statistical and multivariate analytical approaches
  to analyse complex ecological data
• Contribute to the
  integration and synthesis
  of experimental and observational datasets
• Take a leading role in writing
  high-quality peer-reviewed publications
• Participate in and help coordinate
  field campaigns and experiments
  in forest–lake systems
• Co-supervise
  MSc students and interns
  , and contribute to mentoring within the research group
• Actively engage in
  national and international collaborations
  linked to the TRACE project

The exact balance between analysis, fieldwork, and supervision can be adapted to the postdoctoral researcher’s expertise and interests.

Applicants should hold a
PhD degree
in ecology, biology, aquatic ecology, environmental sciences, biogeography, or a closely related field by the start of the appointment.

The successful candidate is expected to have:

• A strong background in
  community ecology, functional traits, and/or biodiversity research
• Solid experience with
  statistical data analysis
  and reproducible research workflows
• Proficiency inRfor ecological data analysis
• Demonstrated ability to
  publish scientific research
  in international peer-reviewed journals
• Good communication skills in
  spoken and written English
• Willingness to work in a
  field-based research environment
  in Lammi, Finland

• A
  full-time postdoctoral position for two years
• A stimulating and supportive research environment at the Lammi Biological Station
• Competitive salary based on the
  Finnish university salary system
  (typically job demands level 4–5, depending on experience)
• Flexibl…