Research Laboratory Technician

Metsä Group; Äänekoski; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Metsä Board’s R&D laboratory in Äänekoski is seeking a Research Laboratory Technician to work with paperboard, analytics and new material solutions in a versatile research environment.

You will prepare samples, run measurements, analyze data in Excel, and report results in PowerPoint and Word in Finnish and English, while maintaining equipment and helping develop lab methods. The role requires prioritizing tasks and collaborating with experts and internal customers.

Qualifications

• We value previous experience in a research laboratory and competence in at least one of the following areas: Paperboard manufacturing, properties, measurements or converting tests.
• Coating or barrier analytics
• Chemical analytics and the use of GC/MS equipment

Responsibilities

• Sample preparation, systematic execution of measurements and analyses, and assessment of the quality and reliability of results.
• Analyse measurement data in Excel and report results clearly using PowerPoint and Word, in Finnish and English.
• Maintain laboratory operational capability by calibrating equipment and taking responsibility for selected instruments.
• Participate in developing working methods, measurements and laboratory practices.
• Prioritize tasks and work in a changing, fast-paced environment.

Skills

Laboratory skills

Analytical thinking

Excel

English proficiency

Finnish proficiency

Team collaboration

Education

Education in laboratory field

Tools

GC/MS

FT-IR

Job description

Metsä Board

Metsä Group is a successful forest industry group with roots in the Finnish forest - Our parent company is a cooperative of over 90,000 forest owners. Metsä Group’s paperboard business Metsä Board produces lightweight high-quality folding boxboard and food service paperboards, as well as white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibre used in our products is a renewable, safe and recyclable raw material from northern forests. Metsä Board’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

We welcome people from diverse backgrounds and different stages of life. Metsä has space and opportunities for many kinds of talent, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability or other characteristics – Metsä is for all. Read more: metsagroup.com/metsaforall.

This recruitment is carried out anonymously.

Metsä Board R&D is looking for a

RESEARCH LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

to join Metsä Board’s R&D laboratory in Äänekoski. In this position, you will work with paperboard, analytics and new material solutions in a versatile research and development environment.

Our R&D laboratory produces information for product development, mills, technical service, product safety, and sales and marketing. In this role, practical laboratory work is combined with evaluating and reporting results, managing your own area of responsibility, and collaborating closely with experts and internal customers.

What will you get to do?

Your exact role will be shaped by your competence and experience. Your work may focus on one or more of the following areas:

• Studies and tests related to paperboard testing and converting
• Research on paperboard coatings and coated materials
• Analytics related to barrier properties
• Chemical analytics, such as FT-IR and GC/MS analyses

Your work includes sample preparation, systematic execution of measurements and analyses, and assessment of the quality and reliability of the results. You will analyse measurement data in Excel and report the results clearly using PowerPoint and Word, both in Finnish and English.

You will also help maintain the laboratory’s operational capability. Depending on your area of responsibility, your tasks will include maintaining and calibrating measurement and analysis equipment and taking responsibility for selected instruments. In addition, you will participate in developing working methods, measurements and laboratory practices.

Assignments and schedules vary, so the role requires the ability to prioritize, solve practical problems and maintain high-quality work in a changing and sometimes fast-paced environment.

What are we expecting of you?

We expect you to have an education in the laboratory field. We value previous experience in a research laboratory and competence in at least one of the following areas:

• Paperboard manufacturing, properties, measurements or converting tests
• Coating or barrier analytics
• Chemical analytics and the use of GC/MS equipment

In this role, you will need:

• A careful and independent approach to work and the ability to take responsibility for your own tasks
• The ability to assess the quality, reliability and relevance of measurement results
• Good Excel skills for processing, analysing and presenting measurement data
• The ability to prepare clear research and result reports in Finnish and English
• Fluent Finnish and good written and spoken English
• Good cooperation and communication skills
• Flexibility and the ability to manage several simultaneous and changing tasks

Experience in method or equipment development, data visualization, or the use of AI-based tools is considered an advantage. This may include using AI in information searches, data processing, reporting or the development of laboratory work.

What do we offer you?

We offer a versatile role at the heart of Metsä Board’s research and development activities. You will work broadly with analytics and different research methods and see how information produced in the laboratory is used to develop products, materials and processes and to meet customer needs.

The work is not limited to routine sample analysis. As a Research Laboratory Technician, you will participate in planning the practical execution of studies, evaluating and reporting results, solving problems, and developing methods, equipment and laboratory operations. You will take responsibility for your own area of expertise and work in a modern research environment together with skilled laboratory professionals and R&D experts.

Career in the new era at Metsä Group

The best sparring for business: deepen your expertise as a specialist. At Metsä Group, you’ll work with professionals from many fields. Our atmosphere is open, and it’s easy for newcomers to fit in. We want to renew the business by striving for positive impacts on the environment and society. This means significant development opportunities and agile projects, competence development, and understanding the business. Our large company offers a wide range of career opportunities and many interesting challenges.

Metsä Group has a responsible corporate culture that creates a safe working environment for all of us. We value good leadership and support for personal career development. We encourage you to display your competence and will provide you with opportunities to use it.

We offer our employees a wide range of fringe benefits, including comprehensive occupational health care, and extensive training and development opportunities. To support wellbeing at work, we encourage our employees to take advantage of culture and sports benefits.

Enter a new era in your career, welcome to Metsä Group!

Anonymous recruitment - this is how it works

This is an anonymous recruitment process. The gender and date of birth of the applicant are not asked for on the application form. Personal details such as name, mother tongue, time of studies, name of educational institution and contact details are hidden until the interview stage. Attachments (such as CVs) are also hidden.

Recruiters have access to the contact details of those invited for interview once the applicant has been selected for interview.

Our system will guide you through the application process. The questions on the application form will help you present your skills and experience anonymously. Answer all questions carefully. If you’re invited for interview, your CV will be displayed to the recruiters to support the interview.

Read more and watch the video on anonymous recruitment.

https://www.metsagroup.com/careers/work-with-us/anonymous-recruitment/

Would you like to know more? Contact us!

Because the application process is anonymous, we don’t record any information about people who contact us. So don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions about the position or the recruitment process itself. For more information about the position, please contact R&D Technician Riikka Riuttanen. You can reach Riikka by phone at [phone] on 22 October between 9 and 10, and on 29 October between 12 and 13, or by email at [e-mail].

The application will be open until 1.11.2026. We wish you the best of luck!