Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 13 000 students, 400 professors and close to 4 500 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The School of Chemical Engineering is one of the six schools of Aalto University. It combines natural sciences and engineering in a unique way. The Department of Chemistry and Materials Science is one of three departments at the School of Chemical Engineering, and its unique competitive edge is based on chemical synthesis and materials developments. We have world class expertise on developing Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) methods, electrochemical materials and molecular modelling. We also have several groups focusing on the synthesis of soft materials. The research in the Department focuses on advanced and functional materials, chemical synthesis, electrochemical energy conversion and storage as well as molecular and materials modelling.

We are now looking for a

Tenure Track or Tenured Professor, Electrolytic Processes for Green Energy Transition

The position is to be filled at any level of the Aalto University tenure track system (Assistant, Associate or Full Professor). The position is full-time and depending on the positioning on the tenure track, either on fixed or permanent term.

We are looking for a future world-class academic leader in electrolytic processes and devices for green energy transition to represent this field in research and education. We expect you to have an international track record and a clear vision of how to advance electrolytic hydrogen generation and other relevant sustainable electro-chemical technologies with creative and innovative concepts. A modern experimental profile with knowledge on electrochemical processes and related experimental techniques is valued.

We particularly appreciate if your research directions are linked to some of the School’s core activities, such as material development for energy applications and investigating sustainable electrochemical energy conversion and storage, and you are committed to close collaboration with other research groups within Aalto University and industry, nationally and internationally. If you furthermore commit to the development of sustainable chemistry, you would be a great addition to our community.

Scientific environment

The Department of Chemistry and Materials Science currently has 11 professors, 9 lecturers and 4 staff scientists, and it is responsible for the bachelor level chemistry teaching in Aalto. The four defined strategic research areas of the Department are chemical synthesis, functional materials, energy materials and molecular modelling. We offer an inspiring community of experts in closely related fields, such as electrochemistry, inorganic (solid state) chemistry, microfabrication, and molecular and transport modelling. Our chemistry and materials science research ranges from atomic and molecule level to functional systems, while designing materials and devices for energy conversion is one of our research cornerstones. The unique competitive edge of the Department is the sustainability approach for designing more efficient functional materials with clear focus on electrochemical energy conversion and surface and thin film technologies.

Our research groups have access to world-class research infrastructures (RAMI https://www.aalto.fi/en/school-of-chemical-engineering/rami-raw-materials-research-infrastructure and OtaNano with versatile microscopic techniques https://www.aalto.fi/en/otanano). Finland’s national supercomputing centre, CSC, offers excellent resources for computational research.

For more information, please visit: https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-chemistry-and-materials-science.

Your role and our expectations

As a professor, we expect you to establish a high-level research group in green energy transition. The professor will build facilities around their technology-of-choice and apply it to solving pressing problems in, e.g. hydrogen production or Power-to-X. We appreciate research directions that are linked to the Department’s strategic research areas mentioned above and commitment to close collaboration with other research groups within Aalto University, as well as with other research organizations and industry, nationally and internationally.

Your commitment to the development of sustainable chemistry would be highly welcomed and a valuable addition to our community. The ability to apply computational tools and contribute to the Department’s extensive modelling activities can be considered as a bonus. Also, industrial or academic experience of closely related fields in chemical engineering is appreciated.

We value commitment to high level teaching. We expect you to teach at the B.Sc., M.Sc. and doctoral levels on topics related to physical chemistry and electrochemistry. The teaching load of physical chemistry and electrochemistry is shared with another professor and lecturers. Typically, teaching accounts for 25 – 30 % of working time.

A doctoral degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or in a related field is a prerequisite for the position.  Proven ability or potential to obtain external funding and experience of researcher supervision is valued. Industrial collaborations are considered as a merit.

What we offer

At Aalto University, you can work within a well-resourced learning community where the students are rigorously selected and highly motivated. This results in an unusually interactive and intellectually challenging atmosphere. Aalto University supports teaching staff to develop further as a teacher by providing pedagogics courses in broad variety.

The salary is determined based on the applicant's experience and qualifications. Aalto University provides its employees with occupational health care services and retirement benefits. Activities of the department are located in the Otaniemi campus of Aalto University in Espoo (Helsinki metropolitan area).

Finland is a healthy and safe living environment, offering many excellent state-subsidized services including affordable day care, free schools and universities, which are consistently ranked among the best in the world. More information about living and working in Finland https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto/for-international-staff.

Tenure track in Aalto University

The position is a tenure track position. Individuals appointed to the tenure track can conduct research and/or artistic work and teach to build academic merits towards qualifying for an appointment to a tenured position.

Since 2010, the tenure track has attracted a wide range of international applicants, giving Aalto University the possibility of recruiting top experts and young talent to join the Aalto University community. Throughout their careers, those in the tenure track system are expected to conduct and supervise artistic/scientific research and/or artistic/design work, to provide related academic education, contribute to developing their field or discipline, as well as contribute to academic service the university and beyond in the society. For more information on the tenure track system of Aalto University, please see https://www.aalto.fi/en/tenure-track.

Ready to apply?

If you want to join our community, please submit your application no later than 30.11.2023 through our recruiting system by using the "Apply" link.

If you are an employee at Aalto, please note: you should apply for the position via our internal system Workday (not via the external aalto.fi webpage on open positions). Use your existing Workday user account.

To apply, please share the following application materials with us in English and in PDF (the maximum size of each document is 5MB and the maximum number of documents is 5).

• Cover letter

• Curriculum Vitae – please use the template recommended by The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity. Please also include names and contact information for references.

• List of publications, with 10 most significant publications listed, an explanation of their importance and applicant role on them.

• Research portfolio – a concise (4-10 pages) reflection on the merits, long-term vision, and research plan.

• Teaching portfolio according to Aalto University’s guidelines – see Teaching portfolio guidelines for candidate

General instructions for applicants including evaluation criteria, language requirements and guidelines for compiling your CV are given at https://www.aalto.fi/en/tenure-track/interested-in-joining-our-tenure-track. 

Aalto University will use external reviewers to support the evaluation of applicants during the recruitment process and choose the most suitable applicants to visit the Department of Chemistry and Materials Science and deliver teaching demonstrations.

Further information

If you wish to hear more about the position, you can reach out to Professor Tanja Kallio. In questions related to the recruitment process, contact HR Partner Tiina Torvinen. Emails: firstname.lastname(a)aalto.fi.

Want to know more about us and your future colleagues? You can watch these videos: Aalto University – Towards a better world, Aalto People , and Shaping a Sustainable Future. You can also check out our webpage about Aalto and Finland: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/welcome-to-aalto-university-and-finland-info-package and check out our new virtual campus experience: https://virtualtour.aalto.fi/

About Finland 

Finland is a great place for living with or without family – it is a safe, politically stable and well-organized Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was just listed again as the happiest country in the world: https://worldhappiness.report/news/its-a-three-peat-finland-keeps-top-spot-as-happiest-country-in-world/. For more information about living in Finland: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto/why-finland.

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