"Doctoral Researcher in nonlinear systems and control"

The Nonlinear Systems and Control group at Aalto University explores synergies between nonlinear control theory and physics-informed machine learning to provide formal guarantees on performance, safety, and robustness of robotic and learning-enabled systems.

The research group is seeking a talented Doctoral Researcher in nonlinear systems and control with strong interest in nonlinear stability theory, modeling & identification, optimal control, certifiably safe & robust control, and learning for dynamics & control.

The main task of the PhD student will be to develop sound data-driven methodologies for learning control policies with provable guarantees on performance and safety, for example, through the efficient computation of Lyapunov and barrier functions, forward and backward reachable sets, and optimal value functions. The broad goal is to build upon recent developments in learning Operator Theoretic representations of dynamical systems that focus on model interpretability, scalability to high dimensions, and data efficiency. The exact direction of the research is chosen depending on your experience and interests.

Outstanding researchers from the areas of Control Engineering, Robotics, Machine Learning, AI, and related areas including Optimization, Mathematics, and Physics are welcome to apply. The candidate is expected to conduct independent research and should have strong analytical skills as well as be fluent in spoken and written English. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to collaborate with the vibrant Aalto research community, including the Intelligent Robotics group and the Mobile Robotics group, as well as the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence. The group also actively collaborates internationally with top institutions in the US and Sweden.

If you are chosen for this position, you will apply for the study right in doctoral studies at Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering. Thus, please see the student information and admission criteria at https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-options/aalto-doctoral-programme-in-electrical-engineering.

We offer the position for a period of 4 years (2 + 2). The starting date is in October 2025 or as mutually agreed. The starting salary for a PhD student is 3075 EUR/month. We offer a wide range of staff benefits, such as occupational health care, flexible working hours, excellent sports facilities on campus, and several restaurants and cafés on campus with staff discounts. The position is located at the Aalto University Otaniemi campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland.

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. Applications received before September 15th 2025 (23:59 EET (GMT+2)) will be given guaranteed consideration.

Please write your application and all accompanying documentation in English and attach them in PDF format: a letter of motivation (max. 1 page), curriculum vitae (include contact details of at least two references and, if available, a list of publications), and PDF copies of your MSc and BSc degree certificates, including transcripts and their English translations.

For further information, contact Assistant Professor Shankar Deka at shankar.deka@aalto.fi or HR Advisor Johanna Haapalainen at hr-elec@aalto.fi.