Postdoctoral Researcher in Spatial Data Science and Sustainable Mobility

Organisation/Company

Aalto University

Research Field

Environmental science » Earth science
Geography » Other
Computer science » Programming
Mathematics » Statistics

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Finland

Application Deadline

1 Aug 2023 - 20:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

38

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 13 000 students, 400 professors, and more than 4 500 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and 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.

Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Built Environment invites applications for

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN SPATIAL DATA SCIENCE & SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

The GIScience for Sustainability Transitions (GIST) Lab at the Department of Built Environment is seeking highly motivated and creative postdoctoral researcher who would undertake research in the area of Spatial Data Science (SDS) and Sustainable Mobility. The position is part of a research project (Grant number 354342 funded by Academy of Finland, 2023-2027) that focuses on mapping commute-related GHG emissions with high spatial and temporal granularity, using big mobility data and bottom-up modeling approaches. The candidate must have a high motivation for research and enjoy working in an international and cross-disciplinary team.

The position is for a period of 2 years, with a mid-term review, and should start during the autumn 2023 or 1st January 2024 at the latest. The position is intended for full-time work, and we expect the candidate to work at the premises of Aalto University. The selected individual will work as part of a research team with approx. 10 members, and the work is supervised by Assistant Professor Henrikki Tenkanen. The position involves research visits and collaboration with top European universities, such as University College London (UK) and OsloMet (Norway), that enables the hired researcher to expand his/her professional networks. The successful applicant will have the possibility to cooperate with world-class researchers, participate in open-source GIS tool development targeted for practitioners, and attend scientific conferences and meetings. Moreover, the research group provides strong support and academic freedom, with possibilities for transdisciplinary collaboration with national and international partners from academia, industry, and public sector.

Research area, Requirements, and expectations

The work will be done as part of the “MAPICO” project that aims to develop novel methods for quantifying carbon emissions in urban areas due to the daily commute of people on a statistical grid-level. In the project, we will test the methodologies in practice by mapping the commuting-related carbon footprints on a monthly temporal scale in various cities in Finland, Sweden and Norway. We will also investigate how such information could be used in practice for transport planning that could help to achieve more sustainable travel behavior.

More detailed research plan for the Postdoctoral period will be formulated together with the team. The plan is expected to be in line with the project goals, but we will also consider the applicant's interests and expertise. A prospective candidate is expected to fulfill (many of) the following requirements:

• Doctoral degree in one of the following (or related) fields: GIScience, Spatial Statistics, Geography, Complex Systems, Data Science, Mathematics/Physics.
• Knowledge of quantitative methods used in GIScience
• Experience from spatial network analysis and/or accessibility modeling approaches
• Experience from working with spatial mobility data
• Experience from probabilistic modeling approaches is considered as an asset
• Good programming skills (preferably Python)
• Ability to work in a team
• Willingness to learn
• Excellent English proficiency

The applicant is expected to:

• Have a good and friendly attitude and work in a team towards common goals
• Publish in journals and scientific conferences
• Participate in co-supervising PhD and/or MSc students
• Participate in open-source tool development
• If applicable, teach in the master’s program

Duration, financing, and salary

Currently, the starting gross salary for Postdoctoral researchers is around 3 800 € per month, and it increases as the work progresses to over 4 000 € per month. The postdoctoral researcher will be hired initially for a period of two years, with a possibility for extension. The contract includes occupational health services, and Finland has a comprehensive social security system. Among European cities, Helsinki is special in being safe, clean, and close to nature, with a high quality of life. English is spoken everywhere. For more information about living in Finland: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto/for-international-staff .

How to apply

Applicants must have completed a Doctoral degree in a related field (applicants completing their studies during summer 2023 will also be considered). Proficiency in English is mandatory.

To apply, an application must include:

• Motivation letter with contact information and preferred starting date (max one A4 page)
• CV and contact information for 2 reference persons (max three A4 pages)
• List of publications with URLs to the articles at journal’s website
• A certified copy of doctoral degree certificate and its translation, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English
• PhD dissertation in PDF format (or a summary of the dissertation)
• Link to a Github/Gitlab etc. repository demonstrating applicants analytical/programming skills

The candidates are evaluated based on their research potential for supporting the given research project as well as their motivation to work at Aalto University. 

All material should be submitted in English in a single pdf-file (compiled with the order specified above). The application should be sent through the eRecruitment system (link ‘Apply now’ below) by 31 July 2023. Email applications will not be taken into account. Aalto University reserves the right to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not applied during the application period.

For more information

For additional information, please contact Assistant Professor Henrikki Tenkanen. In recruitment process related questions please contact HR Coordinator Kirsi Kärkkäinen. E-mails: firstname.lastname@aalto.fi .

More about Aalto University:

Aalto.fi
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Research Field

Environmental science

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Research Field

Geography

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Research Field

Computer science

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Research Field

Mathematics

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Website for additional job details

https://academicpositions.com

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Aalto University

Country

Finland

City

Helsinki

Postal Code

02150

Street

Lämpömiehenkuja 2

Website

https://academicpositions.com/ad/aalto-university/2023/postdoctoral-researcher-…

City

Helsinki

Website

http://www.aalto.fi/en/

Postal Code

02150