Assistant or Associate Professor, Water Quality Management

Assistant or Associate Professor, Water Quality Management

Aalto University

Espoo, Finland

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic person for a full-time tenure track position in the field of freshwater quality management in natural and built environments, within the water and environmental engineering discipline.

The position

This professorship position on water quality management is situated in the field of water engineering, with focus on engineering applications and environmental planning particularly in the northern conditions. The position responds to the need to strengthen our research, education, and societal impact on the management of freshwater quality as well as related risks and solutions.

Freshwater quality and its management in natural and built environments links with water security, water services and water infrastructures and is of key importance in sustainable functioning of societies. Climate change, urbanization, land use changes, and environmental pollution related risks are challenges threatening clean water, ecosystems, food production, and human wellbeing. Water quality management provides solutions to cope with a broad range of drivers and triggers affecting critical functions of society, including natural hazards, floods, conflict-related threats, aging infrastructures, emerging pollutants, decreasing carrying capacity of ecosystems, and accumulation of pollutant, nutrient and sediment loads. Technological breakthroughs in observation systems, data science, modelling and planning processes provide improved information to support water quality management and aid in the transformation toward more sustainable use of water resources.

Relevant research methodologies on water quality management may cover for example risk analyses, data science, and simulation modelling as well as new measurement technologies from remote sensing to sensor data. The engineering approach solves wicked problems and supports planning through combining data and computational tools for impacts assessment and risk management, contributing to sustainable freshwater governance.

Your experience and ambitions

A doctoral degree in a relevant field such as water resources management, civil engineering, environmental engineering, physical geography is a prerequisite for the position. Well-demonstrated collaboration skills and an excellent command of English are essential. The evaluation of applicants will be based on their current and potential excellence in scientific research, teaching, and societal impact (potential is emphasised more in Assistant Professor position). Additionally, the applicant's connections and engagement with national, European, and global stakeholders and the international science community will be considered.

A successful candidate should have a strong background in research related to freshwater quality and its management, preferably with close linkages to hydrology, planning and engineering. This expertise should include one or more of the following areas: advanced water quality monitoring techniques (e.g., remote sensing and sensor technologies); computational modelling and simulation of water quality processes; planning and impact assessment processes; policy integration and governance; and/or solutions for water quality changes in response to environmental and anthropogenic drivers.

Our Water and Environmental Engineering Research Group includes over 80 experts with varying backgrounds, and we work together in our Water Building at Aalto University’s campus. We therefore value openness for collaboration as well as multi- and interdisciplinary research skills.

Teaching experience, pedagogical studies, student supervision, and cooperation with industry, public sector and civil society are considered as merits. Similarly, experience in acquiring and applying for academic competitive funding as well as scientific awards and recognitions are considered important advantages.

Expectations

The successful candidate is expected to:

• Carry out high-quality research in one or more areas within the broader theme of freshwater quality management in water and environmental engineering settings.
• Initiate research projects on water quality management, with relevant themes such as impacts of nutrient and pollutant loads to surface and ground waters, micropollutants in storm waters and freshwaters, and anthropogenic change induced water quality changes and influence on freshwater resources.
• Lead their own research team, educate doctoral students, and produce novel, high-quality research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Develop and contribute to teaching at bachelor, master's and doctoral levels particularly in the following areas: water quality management in natural and built environments, water quality with relevant chemical, biological, ecological, and/or hydrological processes and risks, water quality engineering, ecohydrology and watershed management, and advanced water quality monitoring and modelling techniques.
• Contribute to the progress of the school, department and research group (i.e., faculty), including enhancing our scientific and societal impact as well as international visibility.
• Actively collaborate with different stakeholders and colleagues both at Aalto University and across the global scientific community.