Senior researcher / Postdoctoral researcher, Development of risk-benefit assessments for foodborne exposures – Finnish Food Authority, Helsinki
4.11.2025Apply latest by 3.12.
Job Description
Finnish Food Authority is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to join the Risk Assessment Unit. The position focuses on food safety risk assessment combined with benefit assessment.
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.
Risk-benefit assessment (RBA) is crucial when decisions affecting food consumption may have simultaneous effects on microbiological and chemical hazards as well as on nutrient intake. Conducting comprehensive risk-benefit assessments requires the continuous development of assessment methods, both internationally and in situations specific to Finland. For example, the guidance document of the European Food Safety Authority on risk-benefit assessment of foods only covers chemical risk-benefit assessments. International research is progressing with many RBA applications, from which Finland can also benefit by participating in the development. The work will build on already published assessments where the Risk Assessment Unit of Finnish Food Authority has been a partner.
The postdoctoral researcher will be developing methods for comparing chemical and microbiological risks using DALY metrics and investigating other alternative metrics and approaches for comparison of different types of health effects occurring at different timescales. Inclusion of zoonotic effects can be a possible addition, depending on the field of the postdoctoral researcher’s doctoral thesis. We anticipate that the work will involve comparing and combining top-down (population attributable fraction to effects) and bottom-up (exposure and dose response) assessments in risk comparisons. The postdoctoral researcher will also be responsible for collecting data and applying methods to selected food groups, hazards, risks, and benefits.
Scientific publishing of the developed methods and the assessment results is an essential part of the duties. The postdoctoral researcher is also 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 e/month) + up to 50% personal performance-based supplement (typically 14-20% for new employees).