Associate Professor, AI Technologies and Industrial Applications

The Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, Department of Technical Physics; Kuopio; On-site; EUR 59,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible multi-location work

Professional development opportunities

Extensive occupational health care

Staff training

Lunch discounts on campus restaurants

Job summary

The University of Eastern Finland invites applications for the position of Associate Professor (Tenure Track) of AI technologies and industrial applications at the Department of Technical Physics, Kuopio campus. The post will begin 1 February 2027 and runs for four years, with probationary terms.

The candidate will drive AI research for planning and optimization in industrial contexts, secure funding, publish widely, and contribute to teaching and supervision in an international research

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree required.
• Demonstrated research expertise in AI technologies and industrial applications.
• Strong teaching and supervision experience.

Responsibilities

• Acquire external research funding and manage projects.
• Publish high-quality research and supervise students.
• Engage in international collaboration and networking.
• Contribute to societal outreach and industry interactions.

Skills

Teaching skills

English proficiency

Education

Doctoral degree

Job description

Associate Professor, AI Technologies and Industrial Applications

The Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, Department of Technical Physics

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for the post of Associate Professor (Tenure Track) of AI technologies and industrial applications at the Department of Technical Physics of the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled from 1 February 2027 (or as agreed).

Please find more information below and submit your application no later than 11 November 2026.

Role and salary

At the Department of Technical Physics (website) , research and education are organized around four main focus areas: medical physics and engineering, aerosol physics, computational science and engineering, and materials engineering). The department hosts several research groups and is involved in research conducted in two Research Council of Finland’s Centre of Excellence Programmes and three Research Council of Finland’s Flagship Programmes. The degree programme in Technical Physics was launched in autumn 2023, and the department will launch a new Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Engineering together with the School of Pharmacy in 2027. The Department of Technical Physics is ambitious and growing unit.

The research and teaching field of the Associate Professor is AI technologies and industrial applications. The person to be appointed to the post is required to have expertise and demonstrated achievements in, e.g., AI solutions related to the planning of industrial equipment, processes and services and user-oriented applications, and in their optimisation. The key research and teaching themes of the role will also be developed by utilising the views and needs of companies operating in the region.

The duties of the Associate Professor include the acquisition of external research funding, the launching and management of research projects, high-quality publishing activities, and teaching and supervision duties related to the field. The Associate Professor will also be responsible for international research cooperation and networking in the field of research. The post also includes societal expert and interaction activities.

The post of Associate Professor will be filled for a four-year term as of 1 February 2027 (or as agreed). The post is filled for a fixed term due to it being a Tenure Track position. A probationary period is applied to all new members of the UEF staff.

The criteria, objectives and results to be achieved during the term, which are required for progression to the next level of the tenure track (Professor), shall be agreed in detail with the person appointed as Associate Professor at the time of signing the employment contract. Fulfilment of the agreed criteria is a prerequisite for promotion to the permanent professorship through the tenure track.

External expert evaluation will be used in this recruitment. Expert statements are part of the overall evaluation process for the position. Interviews related to the filling of the position will be arranged separately.

The salary of the post is based on the salary system of Finnish universities. The salary is based on level 7 (EUR 4,525 /month) of the job requirement level chart of the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition to the job-related salary element, the salary is supplemented with a personal salary element, which can be a maximum of 50% of the job-related salary element. At the beginning of the employment, the total salary will be approximately EUR 5,255 – 5,520 / month.

Our requirements and expectations

• hold a suitable doctoral degree
• have good teaching skills
• have good skills in spoken and written English. The language of instruction in the position may be English
• demonstrated research expertise in the research area of the position.

Fulfil the qualification requirements of a Professor by the end of the Tenure Track term. The evaluation will be launched no later than six months before the end of the term, unless otherwise has been agreed upon with the party concerned.

Teaching skills are evaluated based on the documents submitted by the applicant. The evaluation of teaching skills focuses on your teaching and supervision experience, as well as on your views related to the planning and implementation of teaching, as presented in your teaching portfolio (see the required attachments of the application).

The following will be considered an advantage

• experience in industry collaboration
• a track record in industrial AI research and/or applications
• a proven track record of successfully securing research and project funding
• experience in conducting industry-driven research in the field.

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• excellent opportunities for professional development and continuous learning
• extensive occupational health care
• a broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services

You will have an opportunity to work inan interesting, meaningful and diverserole as part of our international, creative,participatoryand inclusive academic community.

Enjoyyourlife in Finland!Knownfor its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safecountry to work in.Please visit theLife in Finland section on our website to learn more.

Type of employment: Temporary position

Contract type: Full time

First day of employment: 1 February 2027 (or as agreed)

Number of positions: 1

Questions?

For further information, please contact Head of Department, Professor Petro Julkunen, e-mail: [e-mail], tel. [phone] or Deputy Head of Department, Professor Arto Koistinen, e-mail: [e-mail], tel. [phone].

The Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology operates on the Kuopio and Joensuu campuses of the University of Eastern Finland. The mission of the faculty is to carry out internationally recognised scientific research and to offer research-education in the fields of natural sciences, forestry and technology. The faculty invests in all of the strategic research areas of the university. The faculty’s environments for research and learning are international, modern and multidisciplinary. The faculty has approximately 2,650 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and some 440 postgraduate students. The number of staff amounts to 650.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 17,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone.Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en .Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees .