Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Mobility Analytics in the Field of Regional and Urban Geography

The Department of Geosciences and Geography at the Faculty of Science is the leading research and education unit in its field in Finland. In addition to research in geology, geophysics and geography, research into seismology and official duties in the field of seismology is carried out at the department.

The Faculty of Science invites applications for the position of
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER in human mobility analytics in the field of regional and urban geography for a fixed-term employment starting from 1 February 2024 until 31 May 2026.

There will be a six-month trial period for the position and it will be filled as soon as the suitable candidate is found.

Position description

The successful candidate will join the interdisciplinary research group Digital Geography Lab (DGL) and work in two different, yet related Horizon Europe projects together with Academy Research Fellow Olle Järv. The first part (14 months) focuses on regional-level mobility flow analytics in the MOBI-TWIN project – “Twin transition and changing patterns of spatial mobility: a regional approach” and the second part (14 months) focuses on individual-level mobility analytics in the upcoming project WinWin4WorkLife – “Healthy, inclusive and sustainable remote work futures as a Win-Win for employees and employers in urban, rural and cross-border areas”.

In both interdisciplinary research projects, human mobility is the focus of the analysis to understand current changes in the society. The Mobi-Twin project aims to map various mobility flows by mobility form (permanent, short-term, circular) between the EU regions and examine how various drivers influence spatial mobility of people. Ultimately, this helps to understand the effects of green and digital transitions on both future mobility flows and on regional attractiveness in the EU. The WinWin4WorkLife project aims to provide comprehensive understanding how remote working arrangements influence daily travel behaviour and a healthy work-life balance from various contexts based on survey and a custom smartphone application (GPS) data. The project helps to forecast potential residential and workplace relocation in Europe, and what kind of spatial and environmental impacts remote working arrangements will have.

The successful candidate will work with the following topics in the Mobi-Twin project: mapping origin-destination mobility flows between NUTS 2 regions in Europe regarding various mobility types (e.g., permanent migration, student exchange abroad, seasonal working, long-distance & cross-border commuting, multilocality); 2) investigating drivers (e.g., socio-economic, environmental and cultural) affecting spatial (im)mobility flows; 3) providing insights on mobility flows to develop a new regional attractiveness index for the EU regions. In the WinWin4WorkLife project, the work topics include: 4) analysing the changes in daily out-of-home activities and spatial travel patterns of individuals; and 5) forecasting the impact of remote working arrangements on environmental exposure (air quality, noise) by transport mode. The successful candidate is expected to present research findings and publish articles in top-level international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

In addition to project research, the duties include teaching and other tasks. Teaching tasks account for around 5% of the annual working time and take place in the context of the Master’s programs in Geography, Faculty of Science. Other tasks may include contributing to on-going projects in the research group as well as preparing grant applications.

Qualifications

The successful candidate holds a doctoral degree (or will have the doctoral degree by the time of starting in the position) in a field related to quantitative human geography, regional studies, geoinformatics, computational social science, spatial data science, computer science, data science, urban studies, or a related field. We are looking for an enthusiastic, innovative, and open-minded team player with strong technical knowledge and skills to join our interdisciplinary research team.

The successful applicant is expected to have:

1. strong fluency in programming (Python, R) and automation;
2. experience in working with large-scale quantitative datasets (e.g., register data, mobile phone data, social media data, SQL databases);
3. experience in advanced spatial analytics (e.g., network analysis, spatial regression, time series) and spatial data visualization;
4. an excellent command of oral and written English as demonstrated by published studies in peer-reviewed journals and active participation in research community; and
5. high motivation to pursue an academic career. Prior theoretical knowledge on regional development, remote working, multilocal living, cross-border and travel behaviour research is an asset.

Salary and benefits

The starting salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be ca. 3700 – 4000 euros/month before taxes, depending on the appointees’ qualifications and experience. The successful
candidate is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. Furthermore, the University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.

The project is affiliated with the DGL research group at the Department of Geosciences and Geography, which is part of the university-wide networks URBARIA – Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies and HELSUS – Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science. The DGL research group, led by prof. Tuuli Toivonen, comprises 20+ international researchers with diverse backgrounds in geoinformatics, human geography, regional planning, linguistics, and sustainability science. Our research is supported by an excellent computational infrastructure.

Finland is a member of EU, has high quality free schooling (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the happiest country in the world. Finland and the Helsinki region possess top expertise in sciences in terms of a vibrant talent pool, leading research, strong support services and functioning collaboration networks. For more information about working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland.

How to apply?

You are welcome to submit your application with following required attachments in English:

1. A curriculum vitae.
2. The PhD degree certificate (or documentation of public defence permission).
3. A list of publications (please highlight up to five most important publications relevant for the position).
4. A statement letter (max 2000 words) explaining the applicant’s motivation to apply for the position, including a short description of how the applicant’s research interests fit with the position, how his/her expertise (skills and prior work) would productively contribute to the project.

Deadline for applications is 8 January 2024, but please note that the position will be filled as soon as the suitable candidate is found.
The selection for this position will happen in two phases. First, a shortlist of candidates will be created based on the supplied documents for the interview round. Second, a ranking will be made based on interviews with shortlisted candidates.

Further information

For more information about the position and potential fit, please contact Academy Research Fellow Olle Järv, olle.jarv(at)helsinki.fi.

In case you need support with the recruitment system, please contact hr-kumpula@helsinki.fi.

We welcome applicants with a variety of gender identities, and linguistic and cultural backgrouds.

The University of Helsinki is a multidisciplinary research university that ranks among the best in the world and the top 1% of the European universities. The University is the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland that seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for the best of humanity and environment. Currently, an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers.