Are you all about science and technology? Would you like to work in a meaningful role with real responsibility and excellent learning opportunities? Do you want to join us in solving future sustainable energy questions with our customers and work with superb colleagues who are experts in their field? VTT might be just the place for you.  
 

VTT is one of the leading applied research organisations in Europe. What unites us are curiosity, a passion for learning and a purpose: to solve the biggest challenges of our time and turn them into sustainable growth and well-being. Our cross-disciplinary community of over 2000 brilliant minds is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation.  Get to know us further by exploring VTT’s research infra at VTT World.
 

We are now looking for three Master’s Thesis Workers to join our Material processing and circular solutions research team. Join us - and let’s make an impact together!
 

As a Master’s Thesis Worker, you will be involved in the European research project TREASoURcE, which is about systemic transition to circular economy. The goal for the theses is to create an overview of operational environment including a state-of-the-art review, regulatory review and stakeholder interviews for three value chains: recycling plastics, reuse of electric vehicle batteries as energy storage, and bio-based side and waste streams for biogasification, composting and circular nutrients. For the plastics thesis, it might be possible to also incorporate experimental work to the thesis as well based on the applicant’s background.

TREASoURcE will innovatively circulate by refurbishment, reuse and recycling currently incinerated, exported, landfilled, underutilized or dumped CEAP-listed plastic, batteries and biobased side and waste streams by deploying systemic circular economy solutions. The overall objective of TREASoURcE is to initiate systemic change by implementing sustainable systemic circular economy demonstrations that significantly increase product and material circulation of highly consumed and waste generating plastics, batteries and biobased side and waste streams in the Nordics and Baltic Sea Region together with companies, societies (including citizens, consumers, communities and regional actors) and experts in the field. The combination of the cities and regions will enable large reach and bigger impact and boost the replicability and scalability potential of the CE solutions.

Each value chain will have a dedicated Master’s Theses Worker (1. Plastics, 2. Batteries, 3. Bio-based side and waste streams). Each theses will follow the same methodology, but from their specific value chain perspective. The Master’s Theses Workers are expected to create a small research theses group that will spar each other and in the end, come together to synthesize possible lessons learnt and scalability between the value chains to enhance circularity.

Ideally, the starting date would be on 15.8.2022, but it’s negotiable. In August, there will be a 3-day kick-off in Helsinki for the EU project, which would be beneficial for the theses workers to participate. The theses work will begin by creating thesis plans and structuring the work, which is further followed with literature reviews (state-of-the-art, best practices, regulatory framework), data gathering, and interviews of stakeholders. The aim is that the theses would be ready within a 6-month period.
 

As Master’s Thesis Worker you will: 

• Carry out the reviews with the guidance of VTT and other leading research organisations and companies from the project consortium.
• Create an interview plan and carry out the interviews, analyse interview data.
• Formulate the current operational environment review for their specific value chain and generate suggestions to further develop the operational environment to support transition to circular economy.
• Become a circular economy expert, develop systemic thinking and deepen understanding of technology development and scale-up, and further, how operational environments can inhibit, and facilitate and promote implementation and uptake of technological solutions.
• Participate in the project work and meetings when relating to the thesis.
   

Who we are looking for:

• Enthusiasm for science and especially for circular economy.
• Relevant educational background in in environmental -, process- or material engineering or sciences, chemistry or chemical engineering, energy, biological sciences, technical sciences like biotechnology, or relevant fields.
• Good skills in English (reading, writing, presenting).

We expect that you have an interest towards developing yourself as scientist and that you have some know-how in chemistry and environmental sciences. It can be a benefit to have previous experience from EU regulations, and knowhow on material value chains and processing technologies.
 

As a person, we hope that you are:

• We are especially looking for enthusiastic minds with strong motivation to grow and develop. You are a team player with good collaboration skills and you are able to work independently as well. We are working in a hybrid mode and the work will be most likely mostly carried out remotely, therefore, we are looking for well-organized person who has strong self-direction to complete the study in the agreed timeframe.
   

With VTT, you’ll enjoy:

• Impactful work for the future. As a leading applied research organization, we are on a mission to bring exponential hope to the world by joining together people, businesses, science and technology. We tackle the biggest challenges of our time – from climate change and resource sufficiency to industrial renewal and smart healthcare – and turn them into sustainable growth. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope.
   
• Career opportunities, top-level mentors. At VTT, young professionals' skills are appreciated and supported with the opportunity to learn from the top experts in their field. You’ll get to discover our community of over 2000 experts representing more than 40 nationalities working across cutting-edge fields of science and technology.
   
• Meaningful projects, real responsibility. At VTT, young talents get to take on on meaningful projects in research or supporting researchers’ work. We treat young talents as equals and give them real responsibility from the start. VTT is a caring employer that supports your growth and work–life balance and offers a range of well-being services.

Apply now and join our community of brilliant minds!

Please send your CV, transcript of records and a free form application (and mention in which value chain theses position you are applying for: a) plastics, b) batteries c) bio-based side and waste streams) via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 5 of July 2022.

We will process applications as they come in and fill in the position as soon as we find the right candidate.  
 

Interested and want to hear more?

For further information, please contact Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka, Senior Scientist and Project Manager (via anna.tenhunen-lunkka@vtt.fi) on during the application period.

We look forward to hearing from you!
 

Location: Espoo or Tampere.