Are you interested in smart grids and looking for a new job opportunity in the field? Do you want to build an excellent science career and work at the interface of academy and industry? Are you enthusiastic about working with fascinating projects in the state-of-the-art research facilities? 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 focuses on creating impact through science-based innovation. In recent years, we have created ground-breaking innovations such as the world's fastest and most accurate radiation detector, a cancer-sniffing sensor device for smartphones, and a headphone set entirely made of microbial materials. Get to know us further by exploring VTT's tech & infra.

We are now looking for a Research Scientist to join our Smart Grids team!

As a Research Scientist, your key goals are to develop, analyse and conduct expert laboratory work in the field of integrating new energy resources to the future of Power Systems. You will execute research projects related to the field of Smart Grids, focusing especially on information and communication technologies (ICT) and their applications in smart grids, such as power system protection and energy management systems. You will also be involved in the development of experimental research in the IntelligentEnergy laboratory facility infrastructure, implementing testing set-ups and performing hardware-in-the-loop and software configurations.

The Smart Grids team is developing solutions for the future low-carbon energy system in which the electrical grid has a focal role. Our Smart Grids team understands how the electrical grid operates as a part of the whole energy system now and how it changes in future due to several simultaneous global development drivers, including changes in the energy mix, increasing electrification of transport and industry, emergence of new digital technologies and stricter requirements for electricity supply reliability.

As a Research Scientist, you will:

• Develop, analyse, and conduct expert research (including laboratory work) in the field of smart grids.
• Be involved in the development of experimental research in the IntelligentEnergy laboratory facility infrastructure, implementing testing set-ups and performing hardware and software configurations.
• Design and implement interfaces between different software and hardware assets to be integrated in the IntelligentEnergy testbed, as well as software for simulating power system operations and for data analysis.

Your profile and experience:

• You have excellent substance knowledge in power systems, especially in the fields of ICT applications in smart grids. You have experience and/or strong interest in power system automation and protection, IEC 61850, and communication protocols such as SV, GOOSE, MMS, and Modbus TCP. You also have experience and interest in research topics such as medium voltage systems, power system reliability and resilience, power quality data analytics, and artificial intelligence applications.
• You have experience and/or interest in working in a laboratory environment, developing testing setups and performing experiments with hardware-in-the-loop; experience in laboratory facility development and planning is considered extremely valuable.
• You have experience in coding and software development, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Preferred programming languages include but not limited to Python, MATLAB, Julia and/or Java. Additional experience in power system modelling tools such as Simulink, PSCAD and/or PowerFactory, is considered as a strong bonus.
• You speak English fluently; fluency in other languages, especially Finnish, is considered an asset.
• You work well in a multicultural environment with other researchers and engineers.

As a person, we hope that you are:

• Good team worker and have a positive attitude towards complex research challenges.
• Fast learner and curious person, excited about learning and working with different projects related to the integration of energy resources in the future power systems.
• Safety-minded person and comfortable working in a low-voltage electrical laboratory environment, setting up hardware and performing research experiments.
• Excited about producing high level research that leads to relevant publications; willing to perform strong networking with international academic partners.

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 a 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 locally and internationally. At VTT, you'll have state-of-the-art research facilities, such as Micronova, the Finnish research infrastructure for micro-, nano-, and quantum technologies.  
• 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 for over ten 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. Read more about our organisational culture as the builder of the world's most meaningful place to work.
• Support for your well-being. Our people are our main asset, so we take good care of them. We aim to nurture excellent 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 and cognitive ergonomics training.

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 2 October 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 Sergio Motta, tel. +358401730518, e-mail: sergio.motta@vtt.fi at Wednesdays 15-17h.

We look forward to hearing from you!