The University of Turku is a world-class multidisciplinary research university, hosting a vibrant community of 25,000 students and employees from over 100 different countries. As one of the leading universities in Finland, University of Turku offers study and research opportunities in eight faculties. At the Faculty of Technology, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering brings together experts in physics, chemistry and engineering in a drive towards innovative materials engineering for future technologies and key societal challenges.

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering is now looking for a Research Assistant to join the Materials Informatics Laboratory group of Prof. Milica Todorović in a collaborative project with the TurkuNLP group at the Department of Computing. The research can be carried out in conjunction with studies and is suitable for MSc thesis work. In this position, you will have a chance to make an impact by applying tools from artificial intelligence (AI) to the computational design of materials. Our goal is to explore the potential of transformer neural networks in machine learning the functional properties of materials, in combination with current state-of-the-art materials descriptors. 

The starting time for this position would be 01.02.2023, or upon mutual agreement, and the contract duration will be 6 months from the starting time.

Requirements

We welcome student candidates from physics, chemistry, materials science or computer science who are curious about applied machine learning in natural sciences. Prior coding and machine learning experience is a bonus, but not a must. We seek colleagues who enjoy coding, scripting and analytics, and are keen to push the boundaries of computational materials design.

Salary

The salary for a research assistant is based on the University salary system for teaching and research personnel. For a research assistant, the salary is at levels 1 on the job demands chart. The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University salary system and will at the beginning of the employment be approximately 2100– 2200 €/month. There is a trial period of three (3) months.

Ready to apply?

The application period has been extended until 8th of January, 2023. The applications we have already received are considered in the call. 

Applications must be submitted by 8th of January 2023 (23:59), using the electronic application form of the University of Turku at the following address: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/come-work-with-us/open-vacancies The link to the application system is at the beginning of this announcement (Apply for the job). Applications should be submitted in English and they should include:

(1)   Letter of motivation

(2)   CV

(3)   Degree certificates (if available) and academic transcripts

(4)   Contact details of at least two referees (or letters of recommendation, if already available) 

The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. For additional information, kindly contact Prof. Milica Todorović milica.todorovic@utu.fi. University of Turku reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.