Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto has six schools with nearly 11 000 students and a staff of more than 4000, of which about 400 are professors. Our campuses are located in Espoo Finland. Diversity is part of who we are at Aalto, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness in the future as well. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The School of Engineering is one of the six schools of Aalto University. The main task of the School of Engineering is to renew technologies related to the technical industry and the built environment through scientific research, technological innovation and inspiring education. Our objective is to create new knowledge, information and solutions to serve the goals of sustainable development. Our research topics are highly relevant to the surrounding society, connecting theory with practice. Collaborative projects with the technological industry and the surrounding society have been a trademark for decades. Our research focus areas are Multidisciplinary Energy Technologies, Sustainable Built Environment, Marine and Arctic Technology, Mechanics and Materials and Systems Design and Production.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Aalto University School of Engineering invites applications for

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (tenure track)

Development of tangible engineering products and related services is a truly interdisciplinary activity that extends across engineering, design, and business and stems from a strong core of innovative mechanical engineering principles and practices. We have excellent collaboration with Finnish manufacturing industries and engineering companies which search for growth with innovations in the global market. The geographical location of Finland, combined with high-cost level means that achieving a competitive edge requires a boldness to pursue new avenues in product and process development which distinguishes us from global competitors. Accordingly, our development collaboration is diverse and spans across educators, researchers, innovators, and leaders of product developers. Our students have already achieved remarkable results e.g., on the Product Development Project course that will be further used as a role model for developing the European innovation ecosystem at the Commission funded ATTRACT-project (https://attract-eu.com). We have been very successful in receiving competitive R&D&I funding, covering research of design thinking in technology organizations, education for industry 4.0, empathic engineering, smart urban products and services, among others.

We are now looking for an assistant professor of product development to join the department as well as to contribute to the Design Factory (https://designfactory.aalto.fi), the internationally awarded, first-of-the-kind experimental educational platform.

Co-creation with other Aalto University stakeholders crossing research group, departmental and school borders is a particular characteristic for this position. Product development should have an interface for all levels of learning: bachelor, master, doctoral and life wide learning included, and success in teaching will be extremely important, not only for our graduates’ careers but for the whole manufacturing industries. The activities of the position have high relevance and innovation potential for our traditional partners that most often represent the more established larger industries, as well as an increasing range of small and medium-sized companies and startups.

In this position, your focus in research and education will be on product development processes and practices in manufacturing industry that become implemented as products, services and processes with a competitive edge. Good understanding of current and novel manufacturing technologies advancing sustainable and circular economy innovations are considered as requirements for the position. As a tenure-track faculty member, you are expected to complement the expertise of the current faculty by bringing new ideas and perspectives into our community. You are also expected to teach in our study programmes with a typical teaching load of about three courses per year, supervision at the B.Sc., M.Sc., and D.Sc. levels, and in activities at the curriculum development.

The position will be filled at the Assistant Professor level. The position will be located at the Aalto University Campus in Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland.
 

We are looking for applicants with evidence on:

(The evaluation will consider the quality and ambition levels of the research and teaching plans, in balance with the evidence on the following requirements…)

• a doctorate in mechanical engineering, technology, or another applicable field

• ability and passion to carry out high-quality research and to publish in top venues of the Product Development scientific field

• technical and scientific skills on standard and novel manufacturing technologies advancing sustainable and circular economy innovations

• potential to attract research funding and build up your own research team

• an interest and capability to collaborate with industry

• ability to build a high-level international collaboration network

• passion, motivation, and capability to teach at undergraduate and/or graduate levels

Your role and goals:

• leading research (you will build your own team) and raising funds for your team

• responsible teacher for courses on the mechanical engineering scientific domain (meaning, not only product development scientific domain), on BSc. and/or MSc. Levels

• supervising Bachelor’s and Master’s theses (often with company partners)

• supervising Doctoral students

We offer:

• a tenure track position with possible promotion to tenured position based on merits

• a competitive benefits package including access to health care

• start-up funding and grant writing support to help you establish your own team

• excellent multi-disciplinary collaboration possibilities within the university

• great future in one of the happiest, cleanest, and safest countries in the world, with comprehensive social security system and free education up to university level

Aalto tenure track

This position belongs to our tenure track system and will be filled to the assistant or associate professor level. The salary is based on Aalto University salary system, but you can also provide your own salary requests. Getting tenure and advancement on Aalto tenure track is based on an evaluation of your achievements and merits against the Aalto tenure track criteria. Please see the details about the evaluation criteria at https://www.aalto.fi/services/tenure-track-evaluation-criteria, and work profile at https://www.aalto.fi/en/tenure-track/tenure-track-career-path.

Scientific environment

Department

At the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the about 300 staff members, with 28 tenure track professors, research, teach, develop and create solutions targeting social need and shaping a safe and efficient future generation of materials, manufacturing, structures, machines, ships, energy flows and systems. The department’s multidisciplinary research converges on the arctic technology, sustainable energy vectors, and digital twin world. The focus areas of education are in mechanics and energy science and technology. The Department has strong links to industry and generates growing impact that can be seen in business and society. The demographics of the Finnish economy drives the industry to search for growth with innovations in the global market. (See https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-mechanical-engineering)

Research group

The position will be filled in the Materials to Production (M2P) research group (https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-mechanical-engineering/materials-to-products) and the product development teaching team at the Design Factory (https://designfactory.aalto.fi). You will report to the head of the M2P research group. You are supported by infrastructure and experts, e.g. machine shop, electro shop and print shop and flexible learning spaces of the Design Factory, as well as the laboratories of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

How to apply
Please submit your application latest on 22 November 2023 through our recruiting system by using the "Apply!" link below. (If you are already working at Aalto, please apply via our internal system Workday -> Find Jobs.)

Please include the following pdf documents in English:

• Motivation letter Curriculum vitae - Please use the template (opens in new window) recommended by The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK).

• Research portfolio - For instructions, visit Policies and Procedures -document, page 25.

• List of publications Copies of the five most significant publications and justification for significance in these five publications and your role in them described

• Teaching portfolio - See Teaching portfolio guidelines for candidate (pdf) 

• Contact details (names, positions, affiliations and e-mail addresses) of three (3) senior academic leaders available for providing recommendation letters.

We contact them later for shortlisted candidates.

General instructions for applicants including language requirements and guidelines for compiling the teaching portfolio and CV are at https://www.aalto.fi/tenure-track/interested-in-joining-our-tenure-track 

Linkki suomenkieliseen ilmoitukseen: https://www.aalto.fi/sites/g/files/flghsv161/files/2023-10/Hakuilmoitus%20Tuotekehityksen%20apulaisprofessori.pdf 

More information
If you wish to hear more about the position or us, please contact the chair of the departmental recruitment, and also research group leader Professor Jouni Partanen, [email protected], or to Design Factory related questions vice leader Professor Tua Bjorklund, [email protected]. In case you have questions related to the recruitment process, please contact HR Partner Anna-Maija Harju, [email protected].
 

Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open or to extend the application period.
 

About Aalto University, Helsinki and Finnish society
At Aalto, high-quality research, art, education and entrepreneurship are promoted hand in hand. Disciplinary excellence is combined with multidisciplinary activities, engaging both students and the local innovation ecosystem. Our main campus is quickly transforming into an open collaboration hub that encourages encounters between students, researchers, industry, startups, and other partners. Aalto University was founded in 2010 as three leading Finnish universities, Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki, were merged to strengthen Finland’s innovative capability.

The greater Helsinki region is a world-class information technology complex, attracting leading scientists and researchers in various fields of electrical engineering. As a living and working environment, Finland consistently ranks high in quality of life, and Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is regularly ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world.

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