Are you interested in raw material sustainability and circular economy and looking for a new job opportunity in the field? Would you like to do impactful research in the cutting edge of natural sciences with superb colleagues who are top expert 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 a Research Technician to join our Chemical process technology team in Jyväskylä. 

Your key goal is to contribute to the research projects related to the development of new industrial process technologies, with a focus on separation technologies. In this position, you will have a major role in demonstrating and upscaling research for our customers. Your research activities include pilot, bench and laboratory scale research and test work. 

With us you will participate in planning and implementation of projects in the field of separation technology and downstream processing. The work includes experimental work from laboratory to pilot scale and you will be part of our Chemical process technology team in Jyväskylä. 

Our team, Chemical process technologies, works on developing and up-scaling processes and technologies from lab to pilot scale in a wide industrial range. Typical projects focus on solving challenges related to the valuable recovery and innovative reuse of side streams with the help of conventional and advanced separation technologies. We have unique pilot facilities and a recognized team with competence of more than 30 years in collaboration with industry and universities and institutes around the world from different sectors. 

Read more about our team’s research: 

VTT Bioruukki pilot centre | VTT (vttresearch.com) 

Industrial chemistry infrastructure | VTT (vttresearch.com) 

Scaling up customers’production at VTT’s renewed | VTT News (vttresearch.com) 

Your responsibilities as Research Technician: 

• Operation, maintenance and development of separation and downstream technology related test work equipment, applications and infrastructure at VTT. 
• Participating in safety and quality development within the projects, equipment and workspaces in use. 
• Collaborating in research team and project groups. 
• Participating in reporting of research projects. 

Who we are looking for: 

• A technical education and relevant experience in process or chemical engineering or a closely related field. 
• Experience and understanding of separation technologies, such as solid/liquid separation and membrane technologies. 
• Previous experience of working in process industry or applied research in laboratory, bench and pilot scale. 
• Ability and willingness to learn how to operate process equipment and understand process and product testing requirements. 
• Willingness to travel occasionally to customers or project locations. 
• Good English skills, both written and spoken.   

It’s an advantage if you also have some of these: 

• A proven track-record in industrial separation and downstream technologies is a benefit. 
• Knowledge of various separation technologies, e.g.  
• membrane separation 
• solid/liquid separation 
• precipitation 
• crystallization 
• evaporation 
• ion exchange 
• adsorption 
• electrodialysis. 
• Knowledge of waste and process water treatment, mining and metallurgy, oil refining or pulp and paper industry. 

As a person, we hope that you are: 

• Enjoy challenges and have a strong passion for work. 
• Are an open-minded and innovative person enjoying hands-on problem solving. 
• Are eager to work with new topics and methods, even out of your comfort zone to achieve the set ambitious goals. 
• Consider the impact of your actions prioritizing safety and quality. 
• Have excellent collaboration skills within the research team and project group.  

With VTT, you’ll enjoy: 

• Natural sciences with an impact. VTT works on the cutting-edge of natural sciences, and we’ve invested into building state-of-the-art research facilities for natural sciences, such as the Bioruukki pilot infrastructure for bio- and circular economy. Our research agenda is dedicated to solving systemic and technological challenges, such as reaching carbon neutrality and unleashing the power of synthetic biology. That means that at VTT, your expertise in natural sciences will go towards creating real impact. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope.  

• Superb colleagues and community. With VTT, you’ll join a community of over 2000 multidisciplinary experts who foster a culture of trust, openness and sharing knowledge. We work truly across disciplines, and house all the cutting-edge sciences from quantum computing to synthetic biology under one roof. Collaborating with superb colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun.    

• Excellent career in research. 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. A combination of cutting-edge academic research and applied customer projects keeps your career path interesting. 

• 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 26 May. 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 Tuomas van der Meer, tuomas.vandermeer@vtt.fi, +358 50 473 6218 on 17.5 13-14. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

Location: Jyväskylä