Do you feel the passion to solve the challenges in nuclear energy and to make a difference for business, society and people? Would you like to use your expertise to drive a sustainable future while working in an inspiring international community at the cutting edge of science, technology and business? 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. Get to know us further by exploring VTT's tech & infra.

We are now looking for a Vice President to lead Nuclear Energy research area of around 150 highly skilled professionals located in Espoo, Finland.

As a Vice President, you are responsible for the visionary leadership of Nuclear Energy research area as well as for coaching and developing your team. You lead research and customer agenda with a high impact and ambitious approach. As a member of the Carbon neutral solutions business area’s leadership team, you collaborate and contribute to the success of the whole VTT, our customers, and our partners.

The Nuclear energy research area helps the industry and society to 1) find how nuclear energy, delivered as electrical power, heat or hydrogen, can reduce emissions in various applications, 2) apply nuclear energy in a safe and sustainable manner, from new build projects to plant life management, decommissioning and radwaste management, and 3) get more information about materials, structures and chemicals, through the testing and analytics services in our laboratories. Explore more from: https://www.vttresearch.com/en/technology-infrastructures/nuclear-energy-technology

With us, you will be responsible for:

• The overall visionary leadership of the research area and in nominated focus area(s) across VTT, including research excellence and customer relationships
• People leadership with coaching style - inspiring, attracting, and developing talents and ensuring their continuous competence development 
• Leading the operations and performance of the research area
• Fostering relationships with all key stakeholders - businesses, public organisations, funding organisations, partners, and networks. You act as a thought leader and promote VTT brand externally
• Contributing actively to customer work, sales, and marketing
• Contributing to the business area strategy. As a member of the business area’s leadership team, you ensure that the business area’s goals are met.

Your competencies and background:

• Strategic vision and the ability to see where the organisation and our partners are headed, define opportunities, and drive actions.
• Strong motivation and track record in leading and coaching teams. You have several years of leadership experience with direct reports. You have experience in change management with the ability to engage and motivate others.  
• Understanding the application areas for Nuclear energy from both research and customer point of view. You have worked in or with companies and have an understanding of their needs and way of working. 
• Wide networks of different kinds of stakeholders: research organisations, funding organisations, and instruments, as well as companies both in Finland and internationally.
• Preferably a PhD level in a relevant field. You are passionate about research and innovations and understand how research excellence can be applied to meet industry needs. You have gained experience in practical research work at some point in your career. 
• Fluent written and oral communication skills in English.

As a person, we hope that you are:

You have a visionary mindset as well as the ability to translate strategy into actions, you are not afraid to go beyond the obvious. As a leader, you want to create a positive drive and get people excited by coaching and setting ambitious targets together with the team and inspiring others in a cross-disciplinary way. You are an excellent collaborator and communicator with strong influencing skills. You are curious about learning new and developing competence. You focus on impact – wanting to see research results turn into innovations and concrete solutions. You are looking for a role where both strategic leadership and hands-on work are needed.  

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. With us, you 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 such as the VTT Centre for Nuclear Safety. 
• 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 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. 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 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 brief application via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 12 June 2023. The first-round interviews will be held between 19 June and 30 June 2023. A security clearance procedure will be conducted for the selected person.

Interested and want to know more?

For further information, please contact Jussi Manninen, Executive Vice President, Carbon neutral Solutions, tel. +358405355947 on Thursday 25 May between 3 pm–4 pm or Wednesday 7 June between 9 am–10 am (Finnish time; UTC+3).

We look forward to hearing from you!