Assistant Professor, Space Technology

Assistant Professor, Space Technology

Aalto University - School of Electrical Engineering

Espoo, Finland

We wish to recruit an ambitious scientist and innovator to strengthen and expand our Space Technology focus and to support the continued growth of the Aalto Space Technology ecosystem. We seek a passionate and visionary space technologist — someone ready to bring disruptive ideas and lead research in areas supporting our strong portfolio of small satellite missions, scientific instrumentation, microwave Earth Observation instruments, in-orbit reliability, radiation tolerance, LEO and VLEO missions, electronics and IC development and RF technologies.

Your role and goals

In this position, you will:

• Conduct high-level research in one or more areas of space technology (e.g., satellite engineering, scientific instruments, space plasma, space weather, LEO and VLEO missions, autonomous space systems, or Earth Observation and communication technologies).
• Lead and develop new research initiatives aligned with Aalto’s strategic focus on sustainable, resilient, and cutting-edge space technology.
• Contribute to Aalto’s growing portfolio of space missions and experiments, enabling new concepts from VLEO to deep-space.
• Collaborate with industry partners and European agencies to strengthen Aalto’s role at the forefront of New Space innovation.
• Supervise students and contribute to teaching at the Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering. You will be teaching at the B.Sc., M.Sc. and doctoral levels. Typically, teaching accounts for 30% of working time.
• Strengthen the international Aalto Space Campus ecosystem.
• Bring fresh ideas, energy, and a collaborative mindset to a rapidly growing sector in Finland.

Expected Competences and Qualifications

The applicant must have:

• A doctoral degree in space technology, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or a closely related field.
• Strong research experience in one or more relevant areas of space technology mentioned above.
• A well-established publication record, demonstrating international scientific impact.
• Potential to lead an independent research group, evidenced by early-career achievements, research vision, or emerging leadership experience.
• Ability to teach in relevant areas of space technology and to supervise MSc and doctoral students.
• Excellent command of English, as it is the working language at Aalto University.

In addition to the minimum requirements, these are considered as an advantage:

• Postdoctoral experience: in an internationally recognized research environment.
• Mission & Technical Experience: Demonstrated experience in space missions, experiments, payload development, CubeSats, or satellite platform technologies; practical experience with laboratory or field testing (for example environmental testing, RF measurements, plasma diagnostics, remote sensing, or flight hardware).
• Experience in acquiring research funding, such as national or EU-level competitive grants.
• Experience in supervising students, mentoring researchers, or coordinating research teams.
• Demonstrated interest in cross-disciplinary innovative research, for example involving electronics, scientific instrumentation, computational methods, plasma physics, materials, sustainability, or AI.