Postdoctoral Researcher, Reversible bonding using smart polymers

Are you interested in biomaterial development and looking for a postdoctoral opportunity in the field? Would you like to develop innovative technology with professional colleagues who are top experts in their field? Do you want to build an excellent scientific career and work at the interface of academy and industry? Are you enthusiastic about working on 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 organisations 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 2200 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.

We are now looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join our fiber web processes team! 

VTT started a Postdoc programme in 2023 to develop new ways to support scientific excellence (from fundamentals to technical application) and to strengthen career paths from universities to VTT. We want to provide development opportunities for recent university PhDs in applied research and industry collaboration. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at VTT, you will be able to make an impact on our customers and society. Our researchers work closely with industry, often in interdisciplinary research groups. VTT has excellent research infrastructure and internal services to support your research work. 

Our team, Fibre Web Processes, works on increasing the energy efficiency of industrial process manufacturing of various fiber-based products. In addition, we aim at improving the resource efficiency and increasing carbon sinks. This can be achieved with higher material performance and replacement of fossil-based raw material by bio-based source materials. Both targets contribute to the overall target of VTT’s mission - to solve global challenges by science and technology. 

There is an increasing interest in a water-free fibre network forming process, namely air-laying. However, there is one major challenge related to the technology – bonding of the fibre network is done by means of polymers and the final products are not easily recyclable. In this Postdoctoral Researcher position, you’ll study various stimuli-responsive polymers and explore their usability, as binders for recyclable fiber-based products. Key research questions are related to the application of polymers into a fiber network and the performance of the polymer-treated materials. For fiber-based products, recyclability is a key requirement and one focus in this work is to explore the potential of labile bonding (reversible bonding) to enable the reuse of fibres.  

We are excited to hear about your insights to the field and would like to hear about your vision and research ideas focusing on developing novel network structures using bio-based fibres and smart polymers. 

Read more about our research:  

https://www.vttresearch.com/en/research-expertise/biomass-processing-and-products,  

https://www.vttresearch.com/en/technology-infrastructures/biomass-processing-infrastructure 

 Your responsibilities as Postdoctoral Researcher:  

• Advancing the use of stimuli-responsive polymers in projects dealing with properties, especially strength, of fibre networks 
• You’ll use your advanced skills in English to write research reports that help the team communicate its results clearly 
• Collaborating in research team and project group with co-writing and project work 
• Participating actively in dissemination with journal publications and conferences. 

Who we are looking for: 

• You have recently (max 5 years ago) gained your doctoral degree in materials science, with an emphasis on polymer chemistry, papermaking, or a closely related field. 
• You have experience and are oriented towards experimental research. 
• You have experience in polymer chemistry research field and knowledge of raw materials used in papermaking. 
• You have excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. 

As a person, we hope that you are: 

• An outside-the-box thinker with the ability to learn new things continuously. You enjoy challenges and have a strong passion for work. We appreciate the ability to tolerate pressure and maintain a good work-life balance, as well as the willingness to collaborate with experts and partners across different fields.  
• An open-minded and innovative person with a vision of longer-term research needs. 
• You are eager to work with new topics and methods, even out of your comfort zone to achieve the set ambitious goals. 

With VTT, you’ll enjoy:  

• Science with an impact. At VTT, we seek to solve large societal challenges and drive a sustainable future through applied research and innovation. With us, you’ll get to work on research projects that make a concrete, positive impact in the world. Read more about our strategy, the path of exponential hope, and our organisational culture as the builder of the world's most meaningful place to work. 
• Support for your postdoc research. During your postdoctoral term, we offer training in project management, scientific writing, communication, and commercialisation. You’ll have the opportunity collaborate with industry on projects, access our research infrastructure and internal support services, explore interdisciplinary research, and secure funding for your postdoc term. At VTT, you’ll enjoy flexibility and independence in your work, with a blend of academic research and engaging customer projects for an exciting career path. 
• Open culture of innovation. We have 80 years of experience in science-based innovation, a strong international reputation and global networks. We work truly across disciplines, and house all the cutting-edge sciences from quantum computing to synthetic biology under one roof. At VTT, you’ll join a community of over 2200 multidisciplinary experts who foster a culture of trust, openness and sharing knowledge. Collaborating with amazing colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun. 
• Nordic work–life balance. Working in Finland, the happiest country in the world, enables a great quality of life. At VTT, we make our people’s well-being a strategic priority. We offer 6 weeks paid vacation a year, and our benefits include extended occupational healthcare, and a range well-being services, such as exercise and culture benefits and hobby clubs. Read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation. 

Apply now and join our community of brilliant minds! 

Please send your CV with your salary request via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 26th November 2023.  We are excited to hear about your insights to the field and would like to hear about your vision and research ideas focusing on developing novel network structures using bio-based fibres and smart polymers. If you have an idea of what you would like to focus on, you can write about it in the application question box or If you prefer, you can also attach a research proposal abstract (max 2 pages) instead. We will process applications as they come in and fill in the position as soon as we find the right candidate. A security clearance procedure may be conducted during the recruitment process. 

Interested and want to hear more? 

For further information, please contact Research Team Leader Jaakko Asikainen, jaakko.asikainen@vtt.fi; +358 408207164, or Principal Scientist Alistair King, alistair.king@vtt.fi +358 50 529 8621 

Apply between 6 November 2023 and 26 November 2023 23:59 (Europe/Helsinki)

Employment type: Full-time, Fixed term until end of 2025

VTT

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 80 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.