The Space Research Laboratory (SRL) at the Department of Physics and Astronomy is seeking a laboratory engineer for a permanent position. The position will begin on May 1, 2026, or as agreed.
SRL is one of Europe’s leading developers of space-borne particle radiation instruments. Its research focuses on the physics and observation of solar energetic particle eruptions and the space radiation environment. The laboratory is part of the Research Council of Finland’s Centre of Excellence in Space Resilience (2026–2033) and one of the expert groups of ESA’s distributed Space Radiation Expert Service Centre (R-ESC).
SRL plays a key role in multiple spacecraft missions related to particle radiation. It holds primary responsibility for the ERNE instrument on the ESA/NASA SOHO mission (1995–), the SIXS-P particle detector on the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission (2018–), and the PATE detector on the national Foresail-1P satellite (2025–). Additionally, SRL is involved in delivering the REPE instrument for ESA’s HENON mission and contributes to the preliminary design of the EPE instrument for ESA’s Plasma Observatory probe (M7 mission candidate).
The laboratory is also actively engaged in projects developing future solutions for space radiation monitoring within ESA programs and the Centre of Excellence in Space Resilience. SRL participates in several EU-funded projects, including as a consortium coordinator.
Job description
The selected candidate’s research will support the laboratory’s satellite instrument development work. The laboratory engineer will participate in instrument design, manufacturing, assembly, performance simulation, testing, calibration, and documentation. When necessary, they will also serve as a project manager for instrument projects, tracking the progress of the project. They will be responsible for the infrastructure used in hardware construction and testing, such as cleanrooms and test laboratories. Additionally, they will contribute to maintaining the Department’s computational infrastructure and the data distribution and analysis services managed by SRL. They will supervise students in space-technology-related theses and topical projects, including in Finnish if needed. The position also includes limited teaching duties.
Who we are looking for
The successful candidate must hold a doctoral degree in experimental space physics or space technology. They should have extensive experience in the development of spacecraft instruments, as well as experience in coordinating instrument projects. We value long-term professional experience in space technology and physics, particularly in electronics design, as well as academic research demonstrated through publications in the field.
We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.
