Research Team Leader, Remote Sensing

Are you passionate about remote sensing and looking for a new job 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? Are you enthusiastic about working with fascinating projects in state-of-the-art research facilities? VTT might be just the place for you.

VTT is one of the leading applied research organizations 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 2000 brilliant minds is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation. In recent years, we have created ground-breaking innovations such as the world's fastest and most accurate radiation detector, a cancer-sniffing sensor device for smartphones, and a headphone set entirely made of microbial materials. Get to know us further by exploring VTT’s research infra at VTT World.

We are now looking for a visionary Research Team Leader for our Remote Sensing team.

With us you get to develop algorithms for new radar, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors and combine it with other available data. We work in close collaboration with sensors development research area. Majority of our research projects are cooperative efforts with private sector, other Finnish institutions or foreign organisations. In the future the remote sensing team will work also on near-real time and real-time critical applications of remote sensing agnostic of sensor type.

Remote Sensing team belongs to VTT’s Safe and connected society research area. Our research in remote sensing has a broad area of applications and we are looking for someone who can direct and shape the future direction of the research. Examples include Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., where we have calculated the carbon footprint of different areas, Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., hyperspectral remote sensing, imaging radar data, and intelligent multisource data analysis. We are expanding to the area of situational awareness, with applications related to areas such as autonomous vehicles or defense sectors satellite imaging. We are also closely cooperating with New Space companies. Many projects are accomplished within European Space Agency or European Commission framework. As a Research Team Leader, you are responsible for building the team's excellence through coaching leadership. You will be the spokesperson for the research topic and take an active role in enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration inside VTT as well as with external partners and customers.

In this position, you have a chance to lead a highly topical research agenda and play a key role in relevant national and international networks. You will represent an excellent team with great expertise, and you have the possibility to develop and lead the research activities. You will be a part of the research area Leadership Team with other Research Team Leaders and Managers.

As Research Team Leader, Remote Sensing, you will be responsible for:

• Visionary leadership of the team. You will be the spokesperson for the research topic and take an active role in promoting its visibility. · Relevance and ambition of the team’s project portfolio and impactful collaboration with companies, policy makers and other stakeholders.
• Working as one of the key contributors of the area and participating in relevant research projects by yourself.
• As member of the research area’s leadership team, you find ways to combine competences and foster internal-/external collaboration to ensure wider impact.
• This is a line manager role, so you are responsible for coaching the team and team members’ performance as an inspirational leader. Employee wellbeing, recruitment and team competence development are your key priorities.

We expect you to have:

• Understanding in the field of optical or radar remote sensing data analytics/ data fusion
• Experience in obtaining research funding and research project management, and a doctoral or Master of Science degree with research experience in a relevant field.
• Ability and willingness to prepare and lead large international projects, which include travelling.
• As a leader, you want to create positive drive and get people excited by coaching and setting ambitious targets together with the team. Strong and proven interpersonal skills are mandatory in the position.
• Good communication skills and ability to build high value research collaboration in the area.
• You should be proficient in English language.
• It’s an asset if you also have: Experience in the situational awareness field or real-time data processing

As a person, we hope that you are:

• Motivating people leader with the ability to coach and develop people
• Proactive and possess a self-driven mind-set
• Eager to learn and ambitious to achieve high goals
• Team player and easy to work with.

What we offer you:

Visionary work in technology. We offer positions at the cutting-edge of technology and engineering from next generation microelectronics and quantum technology to automation and robotics, energy systems and more. Our research agenda is dedicated to creating sustainable growth by solving systemic and technological challenges, so your work will go towards creating real, positive impact. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope.

Fascinating projects, excellent research environment. Our researchers get to work on a combination of cutting-edge academic research and applied customer projects, both locally and internationally. At VTT, you’ll have state-of-the-art research facilities at your disposal, such as Micronova, the Finnish research infrastructure for micro-, nano- and quantum technologies.

Great career opportunities, superb colleagues. At VTT, excellence in research is a strategic priority. We offer long-term positions and stable career paths in top-level research. People tend to stay with us over 10 years since there are always new roles and responsibilities to grow into. Collaborating in a cross-disciplinary community with superb colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun.

Support for your well-being. Our people are our main asset, so we take good care of them. We aim to nurture great team spirit and leadership and offer versatile well-being services to enable a good work–life balance. On top of 6 weeks of paid holidays, we offer exercise and culture benefits, hobby clubs, and voluntary well-being services such as meditation programmes and trainings on cognitive ergonomics.

Interested and want to hear more?

For further information please contact Anne Lönnqvist, Research Manager, +358405872212, [email protected] (10.5 9-10, 13.5 13-14) Sauli Eloranta, Vice President, +358405808664, [email protected] (12.5 14-15, 16.5 13-14)

We hope you are interested in joining us, so please send your CV and application including your salary expectation as soon as possible, or 29.05.2022 at the latest. Please send your application through VTT’s online recruitment system.

This position is located at Espoo.

Apply between 3 May 2022 and 29 May 2022 23:59 (Europe/Helsinki)

VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner. We drive sustainable growth and tackle the biggest global challenges of our time and turn them into growth opportunities. We go beyond the obvious to help the society and companies to grow through technological innovations. We have over 75 years of experience of top-level research and science-based results. VTT is at the sweet spot where innovation and business come together.

VTT – beyond the obvious.