Assistant Professor, Industrial Digital Twins

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by sparking the game changers of tomorrow and by creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 13,000 students, 400 professors and close to 4 500 other staff members working on our vibrant campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. 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 Engineering drives science and innovation in industrial and built environment technologies. We are committed to educating a new generation of experts who combine technical excellence with a deep understanding of sustainable development in shaping societies. Our research focuses on sustainable built environment, mechanics and materials, multidisciplinary energy technology, and design and implementation of technical systems. The strength of our school lies in close collaboration with stakeholders across research and education. About 45 doctoral candidates and 350 master’s students graduate from the school every year. The school is home to 700 staff members, including 70 professors. To learn more, please visit eng.aalto.fi.

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

Assistant Professor in Industrial Digital Twins (tenure track)

Aalto University Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering is a community of around 300 staff members – including 30 tenure track professors – assembled to research, teach, create, and develop solutions for society’s needs. Key research areas include marine and arctic technology; energy technologies and systems; mechanical systems and mechatronics; and materials, manufacturing, and product development. We have strong links to industry, creating lasting impact in both business and society.

We are now looking for an assistant professor in Industrial Digital Twins that will be placed in Mechatronics research group at Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering. In this position you will have a chance to make an impact by research and education by developing further Industrial Digital Twins together with our stakeholders. This position strengthens department’s research profile in industrial digital twins, supporting industry and society as they move toward autonomous and intelligent machines and complex mechanical systems. The research will focus on digital twin–enhanced industrial machinery, industrial information integration, and connected assets through networks of digital twins, aiming to enable efficient, flexible, and resilient next-generation machines, such as autonomous robots and industrial systems. The research should not focus merely on simulation or model-based approaches but consider digital twin as a holistic approach for industrial information management through the whole life-cycle of the products. In addition, this professorship deepens the core profile in machine design for efficient and autonomous systems by adding a focused position on industrial digital twins, creating pathways to increased productivity, energy efficiency, resilience, and safety, as well as a transition to circular and service-based business models. It will leverage and further develop the Aalto Industrial Internet Campus (AIIC) as an open innovation environment for cyber-physical experimentation and industrial collaboration.

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 two or three courses per year, supervision at the B.Sc., M.Sc., and D.Sc. levels, and in activities at the curriculum development. You also have potential or proven record of working with industrial partners as well as with students.

The position will be located at the Aalto University Campus in Otaniemi, Espoo.

In addition to general competence in Industrial Digital Twins, we are looking for a candidate with demonstrated ability to translate scientific research to practical level mechanical engineering solutions and innovations on one or some of the following topics:

• Industrial digital twins and networked digital twins

• Digital design of systems, focusing on mechanical engineering

• Interoperability between industrial systems enabling autonomous operations

• Industrial Internet and digital disruption of industry

• Validation of digital twins

Your role and goals

• Leadership in research of Industrial Digital Twins (you will build your own team) and raising funds for your team

• Leading and developing activities of Aalto Industrial Internet Campus

• Supervising doctoral and Master’s students (often with company partners)

• Responsible teacher for mechatronic courses, such as MEC-E5001 Mechatronic Machine Design and MEC-E5013 Introduction to Industrial Internet

• Participation in Bachelor level education

Your network and team

Co-creation with other Aalto University stakeholders crossing the school borders is a particular characteristic for this position. Mechatronics group collaborates a lot with academics in electrical power engineering and electronics engineering. Mechatronics group is a proud member of Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence “High-Speed Electromechanical Energy Conversion Systems”.

Your experience and ambitions

We are eagerly looking for a candidate, who’s research interest includes theoretical and experimental approaches in research of engineering grand challenges. An ideal candidate, with a relevant doctoral degree, has experience in cooperation with company partners and wide understanding and demonstrated capability to cooperate with various stakeholders both nationally and internationally. As well, you have potential or demonstrated capability to acquire competitive funding or direct company funding. Your publications preferably demonstrate a strong focus on topic area and show evidence of your ability to translate scientific research to practical level solutions and innovations.

The traditional field of mechanical engineering undergoes constant change as it is used to revolutionize the modern world and how we see it. Today, applications of mechanical engineering are often systems of systems consisting of mechanical engineered components with connections to electrical, materials, control, and engineering. The applications must operate in challenging environments. The mechatronics engineering must find a balance between mechanical engineering core principles and emerging and cross-disciplinary technologies. This position is aimed to do this from mechanical engineering perspective. Merits which are limited to purely electrical or software engineering do not suffice.

After all, we are also looking for a passioned educator, and we can’t highlight too much the importance of teaching and learning activities within the field. Ideally, the candidate would be able to demonstrate interest in constant development of teaching. In the long term your work will have a social impact also in wider perspective.

As a summary, we have an interesting position for an early-career academic, who is able to network with Finnish industries and the academic community at Aalto University and beyond. However, for the right candidate the best part of the job is working with our students and staff.

What we offer

Aalto University provides an inspiring environment for the growth of early-career talents. Our university has several, globally highly ranked fields of expertise, and it is one of the most international universities. We have

• 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 values of the university: responsibility, courage, and collaboration. It’s the people that create Aalto, now and in the future. We want to be an open community where equality and inclusion enable curiosity, innovation, collaboration, and wellbeing.

• Responsible and meaningful role with true impact in our University’s/ School’s success, and in the end, in the wellbeing and development of our society.

• Support, coaching and sparring when you feel you need it.

• Great possibilities for competence development and learning. We constantly keep learning to find the most impactful ways to empower – and invest in – our people.

This position belongs to our tenure track system (https://www.aalto.fi/en/tenure-track ) and will be filled to the assistant professor level. Please read more about our tenure track evaluation criteria and requirements at https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/tenure-track-evaluation-criteria .

The salary is based on Aalto University salary system, but you can also provide your own salary request.

Join us!

Please submit your application by September 14, 2026 through our recruiting system by using the "Apply now!" link. Please include the following documents in English as one pdf file:

• Motivation letter

• Curriculum vitae - Please use the template (opens in new window) recommended by The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK), please include a unique researcher ID in your CV

• Research work portfolio - For instructions, visit Policies and Procedures document, page 24

• The list of publications (with three most significant publications highlighted)

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

• Teaching Statement - see Guidelines-for-a-candidate-Assessment-of-teaching-competence-in-the-recruitment-of-assistant-professors_final.pdf

• Names, positions, affiliations and e-mail addresses of three (3) senior research leaders available for providing recommendation letters

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

Please note: Aalto University’s employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system Workday (Internal Jobs) by using their existing Workday user account (not via the external webpage for open positions). If you are a student or visitor at Aalto University, please apply with your personal email address (not aalto.fi) via Aalto University open positions .

For more information about the role, please contact Professor Petri Kuosmanen, petri.kuosmanen(at)aalto.fi. For questions related to the application process, please contact HR Advisor Anna-Maija Harju, anna-maija.harju(at)aalto.fi or hr-eng(at)aalto.fi

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