Open positions

Here you will find information about currently open positions and job opportunities at the Data-driven Atomistic Simulation research group of Prof. Miguel Caro. There is also some general information about junior (PhD and postdoc) openings within the Finnish academic system, and practical tips about how to maximize your chances of joining the group and avoid wasting your (and our) time.

Were you referred here by Miguel after sending him an email?

If you were referred here by Miguel after an email inquiry, don’t be disheartened by the (probably) brief and impersonal email (and apologies for that). We simply get (way…) too many daily requests/applications to join the group. The only practical way to deal with all/most of them, i.e., to ensure you get an answer with meaninful and actionable information, is to refer you here and for you to read this page.

Current openings (check the listed deadline first, as it may have passed)

Dos and don’ts & how the system works – how to ensure you maximize your chances and don’t miss any opportunities?

We do not accept email applications; in fact, adding attachments (PDFs of CV, publication list, etc.) increases the chances that your email will automatically end up in the spam folder (the Outlook filter does not seem to like these emails). If Miguel is particularly busy (as is often the case), these emails have a high risk of getting burried in the inbox or remain unnoticed in the spam folder long enough that they will be automatically deleted.

We don’t have “free” funding to hire students or postdocs. Unlike the US system, we do not have a “PhD admissions” round (e.g., in the Autumn). Instead, we hire new group members based on availability of external funding; the possible success of grant applications is extremely difficult to predict and a positive decision could be communicated to the group at any time during the year.

New positions will be opened at the Aalto University portal and advertised accordingly through online channels, especially the Psi-K mailing list, possibly also LinkedIn, by Miguel and other group members; Aalto University may use job aggregators that will also relay this information. Applications must always be made via the official Aalto website. This website may or may not be up to date with job openings, so subscribing to the Psi-K job list is the safest way to avoid missing possible opportinities. If there are ongoing recruitment(s), Miguel is always happy to answer brief, on-point questions related to current openings, but don’t send application materials (CV, etc.) essentially asking for your profile to be reviewed informally before applying, we don’t have time for this (unfortunately).

If you are a prospective MSc student, know that MSc admissions are handled centrally by Aalto University and have nothing to do with the individual professors. If you want to do your MSc thesis at the group, wait until you are admitted to the MSc program before contacting us.

For unpaid positions, i.e., self-funded visitors, internships required by your university degree program, formal collaborations (as part of a research proposal), if you want to apply for personal funding hosted by our group (Marie-Curie, Research Council of Finland), etc., you’re welcome to send a brief introductory email to Miguel and we will take it from there.

  • Don’t send application materials over the email unless specifically asked to do so. In the best-case scenario you’ll end up here; in the worst your email may not be noticed and/or replied to at all.
  • Don’t send emails asking if/when there will be job opportunities in the Autumn/Spring/future: unfortunately, 99% of the time we don’t know if there will be openings because we can’t predict the success of our grant applications; instead:
  • Do subscribe to the Psi-K job mailing list and follow LinkedIn updates. This serves two purposes: 1) we always post all job openings at least on the Psi-K forum, so you will definitely not miss any opportunities; 2) there will be similar opportunities at other research groups also advertised there, increasing your chances of finding a suitable job.
  • Do only apply for job openings through the official Aalto University applications portal. The link will always be provided when we advertise a job. Email applications will not be considered.
  • Do make brief, specific inquiries about jobs (clarifications, etc.); you’ll very likely get an answer, send a reminder after a few days if you don’t.
  • Don’t send a follow-up email just to announce that you have applied for a position (we can see all the applications in the system).
  • Don’t send your application materials/CV asking if your profile is suitable for the position before applying. This is essentially equivalent to asking us to review your application; instead:
  • Do make brief, specific inquiries about your suitability for the job (e.g., “I don’t have GPU programming experience, is this an issue for this particular position?“, etc.).