"Doctoral and Master’s theses on Advanced Marine Structures"

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

Doctoral and Master’s theses on Advanced Marine Structures

The Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering is a community of approximately 300 staff members, including 30 tenure-track professors, dedicated to researching, teaching, creating, and developing solutions to address society’s needs. Key research areas include marine and arctic technology, energy technologies and systems, mechanical systems and mechatronics, as well as materials, manufacturing, and product development. We have strong industry connections, which enable us to create a lasting impact in both society and business.

We are now seeking early-stage researchers to conduct their Master’s or Doctoral theses at Aalto University’s School of Engineering, within the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering. You will be working in a research team led by Professors Heikki Remes and Jani Romanoff, who specialize in advanced marine structures, particularly the spatial and temporal interactions between materials and engineering structures under multiple design and production constraints. In this position, you will have a chance to make an impact by connecting and developing the solid and structural mechanics or machine learning expertise with that of naval architecture. Join us in shaping the future!

In the team, we tackle industry-relevant engineering challenges with top-notch science. As a member of our team, you are expected to possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits that enable professional growth alongside our team as a whole. We expect the applicant to have expertise in one or more areas of engineering, including naval architecture and marine structures, solid and structural mechanics, materials engineering, experimental and numerical methods, and big data and data science. We also expect that you have the capability to go beyond the state of the art in your research and deliver results.

Your role and goals

As a Master’s or Doctoral student, your main task is to complete the thesis. However, as the funding for the thesis is based on projects within the team, you must be able to follow and deliver research results of high quality within the given context, as well as meet economic and time constraints. In return, you will get from the team the necessary support in technical and mentoring aspects. We expect, and give a lot.

Your network and team

The leaders of our team are internationally recognized experts in marine structures and structural engineering. They have advanced the field internationally and currently hold many positions of trust in international committees and leading journals. The team members actively collaborate with each other, and we expect applicants to have the capability to integrate with our team, enriching the skillset of the entire team. Our experimental and computational resources are of excellent quality. Several of our graduates hold leading positions in industry and academia after completing their terms with us.

Your experience and ambitions

We are seeking excellent students with outstanding academic success, the ability to think both academically and industrially, and the capability to deliver high-quality research outputs (e.g., demonstrated by theses, conference papers, or journal articles). Collaboration capability within a multi-background team is essential. We expect the applicant to work on Aalto’s campus to enable constructive academic interaction. The applicant should have knowledge and skills from one or several of the following areas:

• Naval architecture and marine structures
• Solid and structural mechanics
• Theoretical and experimental techniques (e.g., FEA, DIC)
• Big data and data science
• Experience from limit state assessment, such as fatigue, ultimate, and accidental strength
• Excellent skills in English

We believe in the deep learning of our students within our team and recognize its importance for their success. For us, a thesis is a learning process with a limited time frame, and our success is demonstrated by the quality of our graduates.

What we offer

• Meaningful and inspiring environment. We are proud of our purpose to shape a sustainable future. We spark the game changers of tomorrow, and renew society with research-based knowledge, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Culture that inspires and includes everyone. All our work is guided by the university's values: responsibility, courage, and collaboration. It’s the people who create Aalto, now and in the future. We aim to be an open community where equality and inclusion enable curiosity, innovation, collaboration, and well-being.
• Responsible and meaningful role with true impact in our University’s/ School’s success, and in the end, in the well-being and development of our society.
• Support, coaching, and sparring when you feel you need it.
• Great possibilities for competence development and learning. We continually strive to learn and find the most impactful ways to empower – and invest in – our people.

Our extensive array of professional development opportunities means you will have the opportunity to grow and learn, actively participating in staff trainings and development projects tailored to your interests and needs. The salary range for this position is 2565€/month for a Master’s Student and 2960-3662€/month for a Doctoral Researcher. We value work-life balance and well-being in all aspects of life. We offer a hybrid work model, with the primary workplace located at the Otaniemi Campus in Espoo. Life on the revitalized campus is vibrant, featuring stunning architecture, tranquil nature, and a variety of cafes, restaurants, and services, all complemented by excellent public transportation connections.

Join us!

To apply, please submit your application through our recruitment site ("Apply now!”) latest on 31st December 2025, 23:59 (UTC+2). Please include the following documents in English and in PDF:

• CV
• Study records and study plan if all Master courses are not yet finalised
• Motivation letter, which explains your background, interest, motivation, and future plans
• Any research outputs, e.g., theses, journal and conference papers

Please note: Aalto University employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system, Workday (Internal Jobs), using their existing Workday user account (not via the external webpage for open positions).

For more information about the role, please contact Heikki Remes (email: heikki.remes@aalto.fi, phone: +358 40 702 5268) or Jani Romanoff (email: jani.romanoff@aalto.fi, phone: +358 50 511 3250). For questions related to the application process, please contact anna-maija.harju@aalto.fi.

We will review applications, and we may invite suitable candidates to interview during the application period. You will hear from us the latest in the second week of January 2026. We strive to maintain a transparent and equitable recruitment process; please don't hesitate to ask us for feedback.