Are you interested in to be in a key role on the development of materials and manufacturing solutions for rising technologies such as electrification of mobility and processes, hydrogen economy and emerging manufacturing technologies like additive manufacturing? 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. Get to know us further by exploring VTT's tech & infra.

We are now looking for a Principal Scientist to join our Sustainable Materials Design team in Tampere. 

Our team is focusing on the development of materials and solutions that enable resource savings and higher operation performance for the entire life cycle. We specialize in powder-based materials and manufacturing technologies such as powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing. The three themes form the backbone of our projects: 

• Resource sufficiency via substitution strategic and critical raw materials, and solution for long-life cycle 
• Energy efficiency via minimizing wear, friction, and power losses during operation and manufacturing 
• Material and manufacturing solutions to support rising technologies such as electrification, hydrogen economy and additive manufacturing. 

Read more about our research: Powder piloting - Material solutions from powder to product

Your responsibilities as a Principal Scientist: 

• Together with the team leader develop our project portfolio to meet our strategic targets, especially ensure that projects support knowledge capability development and further link team research activities to research area cross-cutting themes. 
• Active leading role in project planning and preparation, including active communication with customers and writing research plans/project proposals together with your colleagues. You will follow selected technology areas and generate new ideas and contacts to stakeholders. 
• You will work in projects typically in a leading role participating in experimental and modelling based R&D activities (your exact role will be determined based on your background). 
• As a project manager or coordinator, ensure that defined tasks are performed on time and results are delivered and reported with high quality, and further you take care that generated results and knowhow supports our capability development and strategic choices including scientific publications.   
• To develop new ways to combine experimental and modelling based material research to speed up the development cycle. 

Who we are looking for: 

• Experienced researcher with a proven track record conducting and leading high-level research and development activities. 
• You have strategic thinking mindset, and you can perceive the bigger picture of research frameworks and interpret heard small signals to support our strategy and project portfolio development. 
• You have a deep understanding of materials science and physics with know-how of how material properties of metals and ceramics can be designed and tailored by combining experimental and modelling tools. 
• You have PhD, on the field of materials science or physics with a background on metallic and/or ceramic materials. We expect you to have at least 10 years of working experience in the field of materials and you have proven experience in solving materials and manufacturing related problems also in practice. 
• You have strong experience on the initiation and preparation of multi-partner research consortiums and project proposals by utilizing different funding sources such as Horizon Europe. As an experienced researcher, you have established networks both in academia and industry and like to widen those nationally and globally. 
• Fluent written and spoken English is mandatory. The basics of Finnish are considered as advantage. 

You have knowledge and background in at least some of the following topics: 

• Metals and ceramic processing technologies, like casting, sintering, and additive manufacturing. 
• Integration of experimental and computational materials engineering to predict material properties and to speed up screening possible material compositions. 
• Analysing and characterization methods and tools, like SEM, EDS, XRD, DSC. 
• Application areas such as magnetic materials, electrification, hydrogen technologies 
• Data-based modelling, data analysis and programming (Python, Matlab) are considered as advantage. 

As a person, we hope that you are: 

• You have ambitions for being in leading role in the development of materials and manufacturing solutions to support emerging technologies such as magnetic materials for electrification, alternative fuels like hydrogen etc.  
• You are curious to find new solutions for the problems as well as new ways of working, especially the willingness to find ways how to combine experiments and modelling effective way. 
• You like to work in networks and further development them.
• You can work in a flexible and independent manner but in close collaboration with colleagues across different application areas. 
• Most importantly, you are well motivated for the learning of new methods and willing to take new challenges and responsibilities in the rapidly evolving field of materials engineering. 

With VTT, you’ll enjoy: 

• Visionary work in technology. We offer positions at the cutting-edge of technology and engineering from next generation microelectronics and quantum technology to automation and robotics, energy systems and more. Our research agenda is dedicated to creating sustainable growth by solving systemic and technological challenges, so your work will go towards creating real, positive impact. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope. 

• Fascinating projects, excellent research environment. Our researchers get to work on a combination of cutting-edge academic research and applied customer projects, both locally and internationally. At VTT, you’ll have state-of-the-art research facilities at your disposal, our Materials Performance facility covers the whole chain from material discovery to life-time management of material and components. 

• Great career opportunities, superb colleagues. At VTT, excellence in research is a strategic priority. We offer long-term positions and stable career paths in top-level research. People tend to stay with us over 10 years since there are always new roles and responsibilities to grow into. Collaborating in a cross-disciplinary community with superb colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun. 

• Support for your well-being. Our people are our main asset, so we take good care of them. We aim to nurture great team spirit and leadership and offer versatile well-being services to enable a good work–life balance. On top of 6 weeks of paid holidays, we offer exercise and culture benefits, hobby clubs, and voluntary well-being services such as meditation programmes and trainings on cognitive ergonomics. 

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 8 September 2024. 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 Research Team Leader Tomi Lindroos, tomi.lindroos@vtt.fi, +358 503 020 227. 

We look forward to hearing from you!