"Doctoral Researcher in Sustainable Renewable Energy Engineering, Modeling and Optimization"

The Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at the Aalto University School of Engineering invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher in Sustainable Renewable Energy Engineering, Modeling and Optimization.

The Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering is a community of around 300 staff members, including 30 tenure track professors, focused on research areas such as marine and arctic technology, energy technologies and systems, mechanical systems and mechatronics, and materials, manufacturing, and product development. We have strong links to industry.

We are looking for a Doctoral Researcher to study the development of sustainable hydrogen valleys in a four-year project fully funded by the Research Council of Finland. The work can start immediately.

Your role and goals: Your main objective is to develop a simulation and optimization model of a large hydrogen valley operating in off-grid mode, with options for grid connection. The model should determine sustainable and optimal capacities of system components such as wind power plants, electrolyzers, P2X plants, data centers, transmission systems for power, H2, CO2 and heat, and energy storages, while considering variability in weather conditions, electricity prices, and district heat prices. Constraints include biodiversity loss, social acceptability, and cultural boundaries. The research question is: How much green hydrogen and e-fuels can be produced sustainably within a defined area while maintaining a competitive selling price?

As part of your duties, you will gain experience in teaching and supervising Master’s level students. Your thesis requires a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed research articles.

Your network and team: You will work in the Energy Conversion and Systems research group, consisting of 120 persons and 10 professors. Your supervising professor will be Mika Järvinen. You will collaborate with researchers from various disciplines and stakeholders including One Planet, BalticSeaH2 hydrogen valley, and representatives from North-Ostrobothnia and Kainuu in Finland.

Your experience and ambitions: We seek a passionate person with a Master’s degree in energy technology, mathematical programming (e.g., Python), modeling, and optimization. Experience in geographic information analysis is advantageous. You must work independently, have excellent presentation skills, and be fluent in English.

What we offer: You will work in an international team with over 110 experts. We provide a meaningful environment guided by values of responsibility, courage, and collaboration. The salary ranges from 2960 to 3662 €/month. We support work-life balance with a hybrid model at the Otaniemi Campus in Espoo, Finland, offering professional development opportunities.

To apply, submit your application through our recruitment site by October 15, 2025, including a motivation letter, CV, study certificates, study records, and a copy of your M.Sc. thesis and publications if any. For more information, contact Mika Järvinen at mika.jarvinen@aalto.fi or +358 50 414 2993. For application process questions, contact Anna-Maija Harju at anna-maija.harju@aalto.fi.

Aalto University’s employees should apply via the internal HR system.