Postdoctoral Researcher, Co2 Storage By Mineralisation

Are you interested in CO2 storage by mineralisation and looking for a postdoctoral opportunity in the field? Would you like to develop innovative technology with superb colleagues who are top experts in their field? Do you want to build an excellent science career and work at the interface of academy and industry? VTT might be just the place for you. If you are an international talent searching for a new opportunity, read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation here!

VTT is one of the leading applied research organisations in Europe. What unites us are curiosity, a passion for learning and a purpose: to solve the biggest challenges of our time and turn them into sustainable growth and well-being. Our cross-disciplinary community of over 2300 brilliant minds from 60 different nationalities is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation. Get to know us further by exploring VTT's tech & infra.

We are now looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join our Future Energy and Process Concepts team for a fixed-term three-year contract!

VTT started a Postdoc programme in 2023 to develop new ways to support scientific excellence and to strengthen career paths from universities to VTT. We want to provide development opportunities for recent university PhDs in applied research and industry collaboration. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at VTT, you are able to make an impact on our customers and society. Our researchers work closely together with industry, often in interdisciplinary research groups. VTT has excellent research infrastructure and internal services to support your research work.

In this Postdoctoral Researcher position, you will have an essential role in developing CO2 storage by mineralisation, in particular direct aqueous carbonation technology and related pretreatment methods, which could lead to megaton-scale storage potential in Finland. Our team Future Energy and Process Concepts, works on assessing and research of novel technologies for climate change mitigation, industrial decarbonisation and circular material use. We work using process modelling, piloting and interdisciplinary assessments, together with VTT community.

Read more about our research: Industrial Energy and Hydrogen, Modelling services for energy and process industry, Carbon-negative process industry

Your responsibilities as a Postdoctoral Researcher:

• Advancing research of CO2 storage by mineralisation, especially studying the applicability of direct aqueous carbonation and related pre-treatment methods for a broad range of Finnish and European mine tailings.
• Participate in developing and scaling up the process to demonstration scale as part of the research team.
• Plan projects and acquire funding together with companies, universities and research institutes especially in Finland and Europe, but also overseas.
• Participating actively in dissemination with journal publications.
• Collaborating in research team and project group with co-writing, project work and supervising or tutoring junior team members.

Who we are looking for:

• You have recently (max 5 years ago) gained your doctoral degree in mineral processing, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, process engineering, environmental engineering or geology, or a closely related field.
• You have experience in the research field and knowledge of designing and conducting experimental research related to mineral processing and/or inorganic chemistry.
• Interested and confident of taking responsibility over research project preparation including customer and partner contacting and proposal writing.
• You have excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

As a person, we hope that you are:

• An independent professional able to direct oneself towards the goal. At the same time, you are a true team player, who builds trust and supports in need, and shares ideas and opinions openly.
• A “can-do” person with curiosity and people skills.
• An open-minded and innovative person with a vision of longer-term research needs.
• You are eager to work with new topics and methods, even out of your comfort zone to achieve the set ambitious goals.

With VTT, you’ll enjoy:

• Science with an impact. At VTT, we seek to solve large societal challenges and drive a sustainable future through applied research and innovation. With us, you’ll get to work on research projects that make a concrete, positive impact in the world. Read more about our strategy, the path of exponential hope, and our organisational culture as the builder of the world's most meaningful place to work.
• Support for your postdoc research. During your postdoctoral term, we offer training in project management, scientific writing, communication, and commercialisation. You’ll have the opportunity collaborate with industry on projects, access our research infrastructure and internal support services, explore interdisciplinary research, and secure funding for your postdoc term. At VTT, you’ll enjoy flexibility and independence in your work, with a blend of academic research and engaging customer projects for an exciting career path.
• Open culture of innovation. We have over 80 years of experience in science-based innovation, a strong international reputation and global networks. We work truly across disciplines, and house all the cutting-edge sciences from quantum computing to synthetic biology under one roof. At VTT, you’ll join a community of over 2200 multidisciplinary experts who foster a culture of trust, openness and sharing knowledge. Collaborating with amazing colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun.
• Nordic work-life balance. Working in Finland, the happiest country in the world, enables a great quality of life. At VTT, we make our people’s well-being a strategic priority. On top of 6 weeks of paid holidays annually (after one year of work), our benefits include extended occupational healthcare, and a range well-being services, such as exercise and culture benefits and hobby clubs. Read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation.

Apply now and join our community of brilliant minds!

Please send your CV and application with your salary request via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 31 August 2025. We will process applications as they come in and fill the position as soon as we find the right candidate. A security clearance procedure may be conducted during the recruitment process.

Interested and want to know more?

For further information, please contact Research Team Leader Lauri Kujanpää, lauri.kujanpaa@vtt.fi, +358505427493 on 8.8.2025 09:00-10:00 or 14.8.2025 14:00-15:00.

We look forward to hearing from you!

This postdoc position is part of Postdoctoral Programme for Research Institutes. The Programme has been granted 40 million euros in funding based on the Finnish government's multi-annual research and development (R&D) funding plan. This funding enables recruitment of 85 PhD-level experts to 12 Finnish government research institutes between 2025 and 2028. The aim of the Programme is to strengthen RDI competence in areas important to society and business. Postdoctoral researcher will conduct goal-oriented high-level research at the interface between the academic community, industry and administration. The Programme supports postdoctoral researcher’s networking and mobility between sectors.