Doctoral Candidate Position in Computational Physics and Chemistry

http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/careers/jobs/view/1406/

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 University has six schools with nearly 20 000 students and more than 400 professors. Our campuses are located in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland.

Doctoral Candidate Position in Computational Physics and Chemistry

A fully funded Doctoral Candidate position in Computational Soft and Molecular Matter (CSMM) group is currently available at the Department of Applied Physics at Aalto University, Finland (http://physics.aalto.fi/).

DNA or organic molecule stabilized silver clusters play an increasingly important role in physics, chemistry, biology and nanotechnology, because they hold great potential for applications, such as electronic devices, catalysis, biochemical sensing and even medical treatment. There is much promise in this area with fascinating questions to pursue. In this project, you will use computational first principles to study the clusters' fluorescent properties, which are critical for their bio-imaging and sensing applications. The project also includes code development for studying large bio-metal hybrid systems which will not only being crucial for our projects, but also benefit largely the scientific community.

You will be supervised by Academy Research Fellow Dr. Xi Chen. You will also have opportunities to work with GPAW developer Dr. Mikael Kuisma, Professor Olga Lopez-Acevedo and Professor Patrick Rinke. You are highly encouraged to bring your own ideas into the projects.

Essential Requirements

MSc. in physics or chemistry or related fields. 

Good written and oral communication skills in English. 

At least, good at one programming language.
Strong motivations to learn new skills and solve new problems. 

Working experience with Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations or classical Molecular Dynamics modeling is a strong plus point but not obligatory. 


Duration and salary

The successful candidate should start in January 2018 or as soon afterwards as possible. The position is fixed-term. The doctoral candidate will first be granted a two-year contract, followed by an extension for another two-year period after intermediate evaluation.

The annual total workload of research and teaching staff at Aalto University is 1624 hours. The position will be located at the Aalto University Otaniemi Campus. The expected starting salary for a PhD candidate is approx. 2400 €/month and follows the university salary system. The contract includes Aalto University occupational health care.

For more Information

For further information, please contact Dr. Xi Chen ([email protected]) or in questions related to the recruitment process, HR Coordinator Pekka Järvinen ([email protected]).

How to apply

Please apply through Aalto University web site: http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/careers/jobs/view/1391/

The applications are submitted through the eRecruitment system no later than on 31th of August 2017.

The application material for the PhD position should include:

Motivation letter, with explanation of the relevant skills
Curriculum Vitae (no length limit), including your publication list if you have any
Educational certificates
Names and contact information for two references
All application materials should be submitted in English and as a single PDF file.

Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.