Senior researcher / Postdoctoral researcher, The risk of vector transmitted animal diseases and plant pests in a changing climate – Finnish Food Authority, Helsinki
4.11.2025Apply latest by 3.12.
Job Description
Finnish Food Authority is looking for a postdoctoral researcher at the Risk Assessment Unit to address the risk of vector transmitted animal diseases and plant pests for Finland, at present and in the future climate.
This postdoc position is part of Postdoctoral Programme for Research Institutes in Finland. The Programme is funded from the Finnish long-term research and development (R&D) plan. The Programme recruits 85 new postdoctoral researchers to 12 Finnish government research institutes between 2025 and 2028. The aim of the Programme is to strengthen R&D competence in areas important to society and business. Postdoctoral researchers will drive impactful, high-level research bridging science, industry, and administration. The Programme supports postdoctoral researcher’s networking and mobility between sectors.
Climate change is likely to widen the potential geographical range of several insect and mite species that transmit animal diseases or plant pathogens or that are plant pests as such. Also, the potential of vector transmitted animal diseases and plant pests to cause damage in Finland is likely to increase due to climate change.
To prepare for these risks, we need to assess the likelihood of spread of these organisms to Finland and the suitability of the Finnish climate to them, both at present and in the future climate. The postdoctoral researcher will work on these assessments, and the work will contribute to research-based contingency planning for vector borne animal diseases and plant pests.
The work can be partly done using existing models (such as CLIMEX and MoPSi). However, also method development is needed, especially related to the parametrisation of the models based on uncertain and diverse information.
Scientific publishing of the developed methods and the assessment results is an essential part of the duties. Also, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to co-operate with risk managers (i.e. the users of the project outputs) throughout the project, and to contribute to the application of further research funding.
Salary
Demand level 9 (€4111.95/month) + up to 50% personal performance-based supplement (typically 14-20% for new employees).