Doctoral candidate in Mechanical and Materials Engineering with the specialization in multi-...

About the Turku region and University of Turku

Turku region with its 320,000 people is a major urban area and a leading hub for technological development and economic growth in Finland.  This former capital, located in the southwestern Finland, has a rich cultural history and is the gateway to a most beautiful archipelago.

The University of Turku is a world-class research university that offers interesting challenges and a unique vantage point to international research and the higher education in Finland. The University of Turku is the highest ranked Finnish university outside of Helsinki and ranked in the top 1 % of universities in the world. The University of Turku has expanded its research and teaching in the field of technology. In the summer of 2019, the University of Turku was granted permission to start new Bachelor's and Master's programs in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and in the spring of 2020, the first professors were hired for both fields of technology. In a span of two years the newly established Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering had an exponential expansion to more than 10 professors and several of their respective research group members which includes, university teachers, lecturers, project researchers, research engineers, Postdocs, PhD students etc.

We are now looking for an ambitious doctoral candidate to join the research group of “Digital Manufacturing and Surface Engineering (DMS)” which is lead and co-lead by Prof. Antti Salminen and Prof. Ashish Ganvir, respectively.

About DMS research group

DMS as a newly established research group has renowned young and experienced experts working in the fields of digital manufacturing and surface engineering with a combined industrial and academic experience of well over 50 years. Some of the topics that are covered under the broad umbrella of DMS group are for examples: Digital materials (metals, ceramics, polymers and composites) processing using laser, plasma, combustion flames, electron-beam etc.; Digital robotized liquid (solution precursors, suspensions etc.) and solid (wire as well as powder) processing, Digital joining (e.g. welding) & 3D printing of materials; Digital surface engineering: thin and thick films, tribology and corrosion of surfaces, modern thermal spray techniques, surface modification by thermal and mechanical means; and Process monitoring, modeling and simulations.

The group´s ambition is to conduct applied industrially relevant yet fundamental scientifically driven research and development. This is evident from the tight cooperation with local, national and international industries. Some of the target applications for DMS group are biomedical, automotive, power generation, aerospace, space, marine, renewable energy and many more. More information about the ongoing projects can be found at our research group´s webpage (https://www.utu.fi/en/university/faculty-of-technology/mechanical-and-materials-engineering/research/digital-manufacturing-and-surface-engineering )

Requirements

The successful candidate must have:

• Master of Science (or equivalent level) in Mechanical engineering or equivalent relevant engineering field to the area of research.
• Knowledge of laser-based materials processing (welding, cladding, additive manufacturing) or layer-by-layer deposition such as thermal or cold spray technologies.
• Experience in microstructural characterization using techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM etc.
• Documented oral and written communication skills in English.

The following will be adding to the merit of the successful candidate:

• Experience in programming and operating industrial robots
• Experience in operating the laser cladding or laser-direct energy deposition machines
• Relevant industrial work-experience in the field of laser cladding or laser-direct energy deposition
• Experience in materials modelling and thermodynamics.
• Demonstrated research experience and scientific writing skill in the form of prior publication.

The qualification requirements of the positions are stated in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/organisation .

The work will be supervised by Prof. Ashish Ganvir and Prof. Antti Salminen.

The starting time for this position would be 01.06.2022, or upon mutual agreement, the contract duration will be max. 4 years from the starting date.

Salary

The salary for a doctoral student is based on the University salary system (YPJ) for teaching and research personnel. The salary consists of two components, the job requirement level and the performance level. For a doctoral student, the salary is determined at levels 2-4 on the job requirement chart. The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University salary system and will at the beginning of the employment be approximately 2200€/month. In addition, the candidate will enjoy numerous employment benefits offered to teaching and research personals working in Finland along with plethora of social welfare benefits such as free healthcare, education, parental leave, sick leave, childcare leave etc.

There is a trial period of six (6) months.

Ready to apply?

Applications must be submitted by 21st of April 2022 (23:59), using the electronic application form of the University of Turku at the following address: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/come-work-with-us/open-vacancies The link to the application system is at the beginning of this announcement (Apply for the job). Applications should be submitted in English and they should include:

(1)   Letter of motivation (Maximum one page, clearly justifying the motivation to do a PhD)
(2)   Full length CV
(3)   List of publications
(4)   MSc Degree certificate and academic transcripts
(5)   Recommendation letters from at least two referees

The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. For additional information about the position, kindly contact Prof. Ashish Ganvir (ashish.ganvir(at)utu.fi). For questions related to the application process, contact HR specialist Sarian Kotka (sjkkot(at)utu.fi). University of Turku reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.