Are you interested in data-driven Smart Energy solutions and looking for a postdoctoral opportunity in the field? Would you like to develop innovative technology solutions of Data Spaces with superb colleagues who are top experts in their field? Do you want to build an excellent science career and work at the interface of academy and industry? VTT might be just the place for you. If you are an international talent searching for a new opportunity, read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation here! 

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 2200 brilliant minds is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation. In recent years, we have actively contributed to enabling a flexible, dynamic and highly scalable data economy at Europe, data spaces as enabling infrastructure. This requires understanding data as assets, data-driven solutions and dynamics of data markets. Get to know us further by exploring VTT's tech & infra.

We are now looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join our Advanced Data Spaces team for a fixed-term employment (approx. 24 months) in early 2024!

In 2023 VTT started a Postdoc programme to develop new ways to support scientific excellence and to strengthen career paths from universities to VTT. We want to provide development opportunities for recent university PhDs in applied research and industry collaboration. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at VTT, you are able to make an impact on our customers and society. Our researchers work closely together with industry, often in interdisciplinary research groups. VTT has excellent research infrastructure and internal services to support your research work.

In this Postdoctoral Researcher position, you will have an essential role in collaborating in a research team and project groups with co-writing. You will be bridging together research on technical and business dimensions for data-driven smart energy solutions. By actively participating in dissemination within the international scientific community and industry, you may be able to contribute to the preparation of new projects.

The Advanced Data Spaces team works on and provides data-driven solutions for different industrial sectors, such as energy. We create strategies and solutions for effective, secure and reliable data exchange over sectors and organisations. The team’s research focuses especially on software architecture and infrastructure development using and contributing to evolving standards for interoperability across data spaces. The team deploys and validates the data space approach also in the energy domain. Research opportunities are, for example, in European-wide interoperable software architecture research and development, data pipeline including data quality, use of AI for services, or in systems design. VTT aims at providing instruments and tools to enable European-wide interoperable trustworthy, cross-sector and cross-country data spaces.  

Read more about our research: Data Spaces – enabling easy, flexible, and secure data sharing across sectors | VTT (vttresearch.com) 

Your responsibilities as Postdoctoral Researcher:

• Advancing research on data-driven smart energy solutions in specified projects 
• Collaborating in research team, project group and topic experts with co-writing and project work 
• Participating actively in dissemination with journal publications and in formulating relevant research questions and scientific contributions 
• Participating project preparation 
• Supervising or tutoring junior team members​ 

Who we are looking for:

• You have recently (max 5 years ago) gained your doctoral degree in information systems, computer science, software architectures, industrial management, or a closely related field. 
• You have experience in applied research, both qualitative and quantitative research methods, and knowledge of energy sector is appreciated. 
• You have excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. 

As a person, we hope that you are:

• An open-minded and innovative person with a vision of longer-term research needs bridging together different theoretical disciplines. 
• You are eager to work with new topics and methods, even out of your comfort zone to achieve the set ambitious goals. 
• We appreciate the ability to tolerate pressure and maintain good work-life balance, as well as the willingness to collaborate with experts and partners across different fields.

With VTT, you’ll enjoy:

• Science with an impact. At VTT, we seek to solve large societal challenges and drive a sustainable future through applied research and innovation. With us, you’ll get to work on research projects that make a concrete, positive impact in the world. Read more about our strategy, the path of exponential hope, and our organisational culture as the builder of the world's most meaningful place to work. 
• Support for your postdoc research. During your postdoctoral term, we offer training in project management, scientific writing, communication, and commercialisation. You’ll have the opportunity collaborate with industry on projects, access our research infrastructure and internal support services, explore interdisciplinary research, and secure funding for your postdoc term. At VTT, you’ll enjoy flexibility and independence in your work, with a blend of academic research and engaging customer projects for an exciting career path. 
• Open culture of innovation. We have 80 years of experience in science-based innovation, a strong international reputation and global networks. We work truly across disciplines, and house all the cutting-edge sciences from quantum computing to synthetic biology under one roof. At VTT, you’ll join a community of over 2200 multidisciplinary experts who foster a culture of trust, openness and sharing knowledge. Collaborating with amazing colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun. 
• Nordic work–life balance. Working in Finland, the happiest country in the world, enables a great quality of life. At VTT, we make our people’s well-being a strategic priority. We offer 6 weeks paid vacation a year, and our benefits include extended occupational healthcare, and a range well-being services, such as exercise and culture benefits and hobby clubs. Read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation. 

Apply now and join our community of brilliant minds!

Please send your CV and application with your salary request via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 4 December 2023. We will process applications as they come in and fill the position as soon as we find the right candidate. A security clearance procedure may be conducted during the recruitment process.

Interested and want to know more?

For further information, please contact Research Team Leader Markus Taumberger, Markus.Taumberger@vtt.fi, +358504652474 on 20.11 at 14-15 or 24.11 at 14-15.  

We look forward to hearing from you!

Location: Espoo, Tampere or Oulu

This position will be in a project funded by European Union's NextGenerationEU instrument.