Academic Coordinator

Aalto-yliopisto; Espoo; On-site; EUR 47,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Aalto University is seeking an Academic Coordinator for a three-year fixed-term contract to advance the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems' strategic goals. You will coordinate large funding applications with professors, manage steering groups, and support partnerships with industry and academia.

You will work in an international environment, requiring strong collaboration, negotiation, and communication skills, with a systematic, proactive approach to tasks and deadlines.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive work experience in chemical engineering or materials science, or another field of engineering or natural sciences.
• A doctoral degree is considered an advantage.
• Excellent oral and written skills in English and Finnish.
• Good collaboration, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Previous experience with the Finnish research funding system's application practices, coordination of research cooperation with industrial partners, and project management is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support the preparation of significant, strategic funding applications with professors and internal stakeholders.
• Steer and organize working groups for large projects and provide administrative support in line with department and university needs.
• Foster strategic networking with key stakeholders and ecosystems to promote department goals.
• Support department management and internal communication, contributing to strategic work.
• Collaborate with service staff in project preparation, implementation, and reporting, improving project visibility.

Skills

Collaboration

Negotiation

Communication skills

English language

Finnish language

Education

Doctoral degree (advantage)

Background in chemical engineering or materials science

Job description

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and economics. We build a sustainable future by achieving breakthroughs in our key areas and their intersections. At the same time, we inspire future changemakers and create solutions to the world's great challenges. Our university community includes 16,000 students, over 440 professors, and over 5,000 employees representing over 120 nationalities. Our campus is located in Otaniemi, Espoo. Diversity is part of us, and we work continuously to ensure diversity and non-discrimination in our community. Therefore, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to join us.

The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems (Bio2) at Aalto University's School of Chemical Engineering is internationally renowned for its high-quality research in producing advanced materials from renewable natural resources in a sustainable manner. The department is among Europe's leading research and higher education units in its field. Bio2 aims to promote the development of resource-efficient and environmentally friendly production and refining methods. The expertise of the department's research groups covers, among other things, lignocellulose-based nanomaterials, unit operations, packaging materials, textile fibers, as well as medical and other emerging applications. Wood-based biomaterials often play a central role in research, which is why bio-refining expertise is strongly present both in the department's operations and more broadly at the university level.

We are now looking for an Academic Coordinator for a three-year fixed-term employment contract to support the promotion of the strategic goals of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems. The position focuses particularly on coordinating and supporting the preparation of large, nationally significant research projects both internally and in cooperation with our industrial and academic partners. The focus of your work may change according to the strategic needs of the department.

Your most important tasks include:

• Coordination and support for the preparation of significant, strategic funding applications together with professors operating in the field. The task includes internal coordination within Aalto, networking with stakeholders, and practical support for the preparation of project applications, for example, for funding instruments of Business Finland and the Academy of Finland.
• Coordination of steering and working groups for large projects and other administrative support according to the needs of the department and the university, focusing particularly on cooperation with industrial partners.
• Supporting the department's professors, for example, by promoting strategic networking with key stakeholders and existing ecosystems.
• General coordination supporting the department's research activities and supporting the department management, for example, in strategic work and internal communication.
• Cooperation with Aalto's and our university's service staff in the preparation, implementation, and reporting of strategic projects and in improving their visibility.

Your expertise:

You will succeed in this position if you have experience in the preparation and coordination of large project entities, cooperation with academic and industrial partners, or other related tasks, for example, at a university or other expert organization. You will work in an international community with researchers and various stakeholders both face-to-face and through electronic channels, so excellent collaboration, negotiation, and interaction skills will provide a good foundation for success in the work. Your working style is systematic, self-directed, and thorough. You determinedly tackle challenging entities and take responsibility for moving matters in your area of responsibility forward and for the timely completion of the tasks you are responsible for.

In filling the position, we require:

• Comprehensive work experience in chemical engineering or materials science, or another field of engineering or natural sciences. A doctoral degree is considered an advantage.
• Excellent oral and written skills in English and Finnish.
• Good collaboration, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Previous experience with the application practices of the Finnish research funding system, coordination of research cooperation especially with industrial partners, and project management is considered an advantage.

We offer:

We offer a meaningful role with a concrete impact on our university's success and the impact of our research in society. You will work in close cooperation with the School of Chemical Engineering's management support services team. The Director of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems and the School's Development Manager will support you in your duties. You will get to work with the university management and theme area professors at the interface of industrial and academic partners. We will familiarize you with your duties and offer opportunities for continuous development of your own expertise.

The position is located on Aalto University's Otaniemi campus, which has versatile services and good transport links. We aim to combine the best of on-site and remote work, but the position requires regular presence on campus.

The salary for the position is determined according to the university salary system used at Aalto University, and the salary range for this position is approx. 4,200-4,800 €/month depending on the background of the selected person.

We hope you can start in the position on September1,2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.