Doctoral Students (Theoretical Foundations of Distributed Quantum Computing)

Emerging Scholars Council; Minnesota; On-site; USD 41,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Occupational health benefits

Finland social security system

Campus Otaniemi location

Job summary

Aalto University invites applications for doctoral student positions in theoretical distributed quantum computing. You will join the Jukka Suomela research group, contributing to foundational and algorithmic work within distributed computing and quantum information science.

We seek a recent master's graduate in theoretical CS, mathematics, or physics with strong academic performance. English proficiency and willingness to learn are essential; start dates range from Oct 2026 to Oct 2027.

Qualifications

• Recent master's degree in a relevant area of theoretical computer science, mathematics, or physics.
• Degree may be earned before the contract starts; applications can be submitted before degree completion.
• Strong knowledge in the listed domains and willingness to learn distributed graph algorithms and quantum information theory.

Skills

Theoretical CS

Mathematics

Physics

Graph algorithms

Parallel algorithms

Complexity theory

Automata theory

Discrete math

Graph theory

Probability theory

Linear algebra

English

Education

Master's degree in relevant area (theoretical CS / math / physics)

Tools

Lean

AI tools

Job description

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Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto has six schools with 14 000 students and a staff of 5000, of which more than 400 are professors. Our main campus is located in Espoo, 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.

The Department of Computer Science

is an internationally‑oriented community and home to world‑class research in modern computer science, combining research on foundations and innovative applications. With over 40 professors and more than 450 employees from 50 countries, it is the largest department at Aalto University and the leading computer science research unit in northern Europe. Computer science research at Aalto University ranks high in several international surveys (7th in Europe and 1st in the Nordics (NTU 2023); and 88th worldwide in Times Higher Education subject ranking 2025).

Doctoral Students

to work on the theoretical foundations of distributed quantum computing. Our long-term objective is to understand which distributed tasks admit a quantum advantage, especially in the context of the LOCAL model of distributed computing, and what the fundamental limits are.

Your network and team

You will work in the research group of Jukka Suomela. This is one of the leading research groups in the areas of theory of distributed and parallel computing; our work frequently appears in the top conferences of the field (recently e.g. STOC, SODA, ICALP, PODC, and DISC), and we have received a number of awards, e.g. the best paper award at FOCS 2019. These positions are supported by an ERC Advanced Grant (Distributed Quantum Advantage, 2026–2031) and a QuantERA grant (Quantum Network Algorithms, 2026–2029); in the QuantERA consortium we have partners in Canada, Czechia, France, Germany, and Italy.

Your Experience And Ambitions

A successful candidate has a recent master’s degree in a relevant area of theoretical computer science, mathematics, or physics, with an excellent academic performance, and some demonstrated research experience during their studies. It is sufficient that you receive your degree before the contract starts; you can apply for these positions already before you have your degree. We value expertise in domains such as graph algorithms, parallel algorithms, computational complexity theory, models of computing, automata theory, graph theory, discrete mathematics, probability theory and stochastics, and linear algebra. We also value skills in e.g. using computational techniques in TCS, familiarity with modern AI tools, familiarity with proof assistants such as Lean, good communication skills, and ability to work both independently and as a member of a large research team; a good command of English is necessary. You do not need to be yet an expert in distributed graph algorithms and quantum information theory, as long as you are familiar with the relevant areas of mathematics and are willing and able to learn.

What We Offer

Our doctoral students will have a fixed‑term working contract for 2+2 years, with the current salary 3168.20 € per month during the first two years and 3577.00 € per month during the final two years. The start dates are between October 2026 and October 2027 (negotiable). In addition to the salary, the contract includes occupational health benefits, and Finland has a comprehensive social security system. The positions are located at the Aalto University Otaniemi campus.

Aalto University 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.

Further information

• Professor Jukka Suomela, e-mail "[e-mail]" (research-related information)
• HR Advisor Susanna Holma, e-mail "[e-mail]" (recruitment process; not available July 3–23)

Want to know more about us and your future colleagues? You can watch these videos: Aalto University – Towards a better world, Aalto People, and Shaping a Sustainable Future. You can also visit this webpage about Aalto and Finland: Why Finland? | Aalto University

Check out our new virtual campus experience: https://virtualtour.aalto.fi/

About Finland

Finland is a great place for living with or without family – it is a safe, politically stable and well‑organized Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was just listed again as the happiest country in the world: World Happiness Report 2025: People are much kinder than we expect, research shows | The World Happiness Report.

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