YMAL

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YMAL is the Assessment and Modelling Unit in the Department of Environmental Health in the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Although this page could contain descriptions of the unit in general, it is currently focussed on the question about the profile of the future unit head after the retirement of the current head, Matti Jantunen.

Strategy of YMAL.ppt

Profile of the new YMAL unit head

Scope

What is a good profile and expertise requirement for the new unit head, such that

• the focus of the unit stays on public health, and especially environmental health,
• the main objective of the unit stays on the provision of useful scientific information to societal decision-making,
• the future work of the unit will start from the current expertise and work, but develop as necessary,
• the unit head is capable of successfully leading the unit,
• the unit head is capable of promoting high-level science in the area?

Result

THL is hiring a leader for the Unit of Assessment and Modelling. The objectives of the position are to

• do high-level scientific research and impact assessments on public health and especially environmental health,
• provide useful scientific information about environmental health to societal decision-making,
• develop methods for improving the research and information provision mentioned above,
• successfully lead and manage the unit, including fund-raising.

Some facts about the position:

• The position is permanent and it is located in the Department of Environmental Health, Kuopio, Finland.
• The position will be filled before summer 2010. The work will start in September, 2010.
• The current personnel of the Unit of Assessment and Modelling is 1 research professor, 2 senior researchers, 5 post-docs, 4 PhD students, 1.5 IT managers, and 1 secretary.
• The current personnel of the Department of Environmental Health is ca. 130 people; the other units cover toxicology, environmental epidemiology, environmental microbiology, environmental chemistry, and water.
• The unit funding from the THL budget is in the order of XX €/a, excluding salaries.
• Ca. XX % of the current unit budget comes from external sources (mainly research projects).
• The salary will be XX-YY €/month depending on the qualifications of the employee.

Qualification of the applicants:

• A PhD on a relevant area.
• Research expertise in environment and/or health.
• Proven skills/experience about leadership and management.
• Fluent skills in English, Finnish is preferable but not necessary.

Rationale (Definition)

Please participate in the discussion! We want to ensure that a good person is looked for and found.

Key competencies

• team leadership
• active academic research with strong international collaboration network
• capability to obtain and maintain external funding
• teaching and doctoral training of junior researchers
• project management

Education

• Ph.D. in environmental, engineering or health sciences, or in economics or social sciences with significant applications in environmental health;
• preference in applied sciences in comparison to basic sciences.

Research themes of historical relevance

• air quality, exposure assessment; modeling, monitoring
• risk assessment, impact assessment, open assessment
• statistical analysis
• policy evaluation and development

Ministry of Social Affairs -linkages

• THL is a sectoral research organization that maintains a substantial body of scientific expertize that is available for the Ministry for reaching its key objectives both in cases of large scale international accidents (e.g. Chernobyl), national accidents (e.g. Nokia water case), in development of efficient public health and health protection policies (e.g. air pollution) and solving local scale controversies (expert statements related to industrial sites, waste management etc.). Scientific expertize and international networking is a mandatory prerequisite for responding to these expertize needs set by the Ministry. Nonquestionable fluency in spoken, listened, written and read English is essential; French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and/or Russian is a significant bonus (each one), but also domestic (after all, it is not English) languages, Finnish/Swedish, are considered asset that are useful for understanding the national policy documents, the media content related to events that require and obtain public attendance, and correspondence between national stakeholders.

Other requirements

• Successful applicant will need to be able to commit her/himself to the job for at least a five-year horizon. Especially the responsibilities related to obtaining and maintaining the external funding and researcher training cannot be successfully assumed for a substantially shorter period.
• Ability as a public performer and skills in giving oral presentations.
• A demonstrated interest for promoting public health.
• Good interpersonal and supervisory skills, as judged by former subordinates and colleagues.