Institute faculty and staff
Meet the Institute's faculty, management, and administration
Postdoc and doctoral student positions at ELLIS Institute Finland
THIS CALL IS NOT YET OPEN. Please note that the call description below can still change. Links to the application portal will be added once the call opens.
ELLIS Institute Finland, a rapidly expanding research hub in AI and machine learning, invites applications for postdoc and doctoral student positions. Deadline: September 21, 2026.
ELLIS Institute Finland, a rapidly expanding research hub in AI and machine learning, invites applications for postdoc and doctoral student positions. Deadline: September 21, 2026.
Loading table of contents
This call is not yet open – please note that the call description below can still change. Links to the application portal will be added once the call opens.
ELLIS Institute Finland is a recently established world-class research hub in AI and machine learning – and we are growing!
We are now seeking postdocs and doctoral students to join ELLIS Institute Finland and its wider research community. We welcome applications across all areas of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields. Your research can be theoretical, applied, or span both.
We are also recruiting entrepreneurial postdocs who are interested in taking promising AI technologies from research towards startups. Read more about the entrepreneurial postdoc track here.
What we offer
We offer independent postdoc and outstanding doctoral student positions within the groups of experienced supervisors, with opportunities to work on ambitious, high-impact research.
Research environment
You will join a cooperative and multidisciplinary environment for AI research, with:
-
Cutting-edge computational resources, including EuroHPC LUMI, one of the world’s fastest and greenest supercomputers, and an upcoming pan-European AI-optimized supercomputer
-
Close collaborations with other leading machine learning researchers in Europe and globally
-
Broad range of possibilities to work with companies and startups, fostering innovation and real-world applications of AI
-
An inclusive and international workplace, with English as the working language
We are strongly committed to offering everyone an inclusive and non-discriminating working environment and warmly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to join our academic community.
Job details
Key information about the positions:
-
Positions are based within ELLIS Institute Finland and the wider ELLIS community in Finland.
-
All positions are fully funded and the salaries are based on the Finnish universities’ pay scale.
-
Postdoc positions are typically offered for up to three years and doctoral student positions for four years.
-
Starting dates are flexible and the details of each position will be agreed individually.
Who we are
ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) is a major European initiative in AI with a mission to strengthen Europe’s AI landscape by connecting top researchers, attracting talent, and fostering strategic collaborations. ELLIS unites leading machine learning researchers in Europe and operates as a multi-centric, pan-European AI Lab, currently spanning 47 research sites.
ELLIS Institute Finland was launched in 2025 and is the second institute in the ELLIS network, partnering with Finnish universities. We develop machine learning through fundamental research, with a particular focus on the fundamentals of applied AI: making machine learning more widely and effectively applicable, and better at working with people. AI for Research is one part of this focus. Our faculty works across a broad range of areas, including data-efficient probabilistic machine learning, generative modelling, amortized inference, interactive and cooperative machine learning, and transformative multidisciplinary collaboration. The institute will have a small number of strategic focus areas and the first one is AI for Health, spearheaded by a project to build a nationwide foundation model to support better decision-making in healthcare.
Supervisors in this call
Possible supervisors are listed below. In your application, please indicate which supervisor(s) you would like to work with.
Wider ELLIS community in Finland
Meet the wider ELLIS community in Finland
Requirements
Key requirements for the positions:
-
You hold (or expect to shortly receive) a Master's (doctoral student applicants) or a PhD degree (postdoc applicants) in computer science, statistics, electrical engineering, mathematics or a related field.
-
You have previous experience in machine learning, statistics, artificial intelligence, or a related field, preferably demonstrated by strong performance in relevant studies (doctoral student applicants) and/or publication record (postdoc applicants) in a top-tier venue in machine learning-driven fields, or in other top-tier venues linked to the possible supervisor’s research. Other merits demonstrating suitability for a researcher position can also be considered.
-
The positions require the ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.
-
Excellent command of written and spoken English is required.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted electronically through the Apply here! link. The call will close on September 21, 2026 at 23:59 EEST (UTC+3).
Required documents (in English and in PDF format):
-
Cover letter (1–2 pages, see Q6 below)
-
CV
-
List of publications, highlighting up to five key papers with links (postdoc applicants; PhD students if applicable)
-
Transcript of PhD and MSc studies (postdoc applicants) or MSc and BSc studies (doctoral student applicants)
-
Degree certificate of your latest degree – if you don’t yet have a PhD/MSc degree, a plan of completion must be submitted
In the application form, you are also asked to provide contact details of 2–3 senior academics who can provide references (see Q7 below).
Please note that the links below are not yet working and will be updated once the call opens.
Apply for postdoc positions
Submit your application here →
Apply for doctoral student positions
Submit your application here →
Why Finland
Finland combines world-class education and research with a strong technology, startup, and deep-tech ecosystem. As a Nordic country, it offers a safe, stable, and international environment, with a strong culture of collaboration, low hierarchy, and work-life balance. It provides extensive social security and high-quality public services. Finland has repeatedly ranked as the happiest country in the world (World Happiness Report).
Whether you come alone or with family, Finland offers an excellent environment for building both a career and a life. Read more about living in Finland here and here.
FAQ
ELLIS Institute Finland operates in partnership with Finnish universities (Aalto University, Hanken School of Economics, LUT University, National Defence University, Tampere University, The University of the Arts Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki, University of Jyväskylä, University of Lapland, University of Oulu, University of Turku, University of Vaasa, and Åbo Akademi University) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Positions are hosted at ELLIS Institute Finland and/or one of its partner universities. Depending on the position, the employment contract will be issued by one of the partner universities.
All the positions are fully funded and the salary is based on the Finnish universities’ pay scale. The starting salary depends on the level of the position and the previous experience and is typically increased as the experience grows. All employees have access to the occupational health care services and are covered by the Finnish national health insurance system.
The starting date can be negotiated and depends on what suits you and the supervising professor the best. Generally, we hope you can start as early as possible.
Contracts are normally made for up to three years for postdocs, depending on what best fits you and the topic you are working on. Contracts for doctoral students are made for four years by default.
Please submit a carefully written, max. 2-page motivation letter in which you explain:
-
Your research interests at the Institute and how your background and current interests align with them.
-
Supervisors you would like to work with.
-
Your plans or ideas for the future direction of your research (especially postdocs).
Typically, we expect at least one of the referees to be at the level of independent investigator, principal scientist, group leader, lecturer or professor. Postdoctoral referees can be considered as well. Classmates or PhD students are not accepted as referees.
We will contact only the referees of shortlisted candidates.
This is a large-scale recruitment call, with dozens of positions available. The exact number of positions depends on the number of suitable candidates and on how well the research interests of the candidates and the supervising professors match.
Candidates are assessed based on their academic merits (e.g., publications, study records, teaching), and other relevant experience, e.g., working in/with industry or software development. During the process candidates are also matched with the supervisor they would work with.
The review process is as follows (the schedule may be adjusted depending on the number of applicants):
-
Review against eligibility criteria - end of September
-
Review by supervising professors and interviews of the shortlisted candidates - end of September to end of October
-
The review process will be finalized in November
Yes, it is possible to apply if you are close to obtaining your PhD/MSc degree. Please include a plan of completion in your application.
Yes, you can apply to work with multiple supervisors in this call with a single application. In the application form, please specify which supervisors you are interested in working.
You may receive multiple job offers through this call. You are completely free to choose which offer you want to accept. We will coordinate the timelines of offers to ensure you have sufficient time to make your decision.
Applicants who are already working in Finland are welcome to apply. The call includes several different types of positions with different funding models.
All the applicants benefit from the possibility to simultaneously apply to universities partnering with ELLIS Institute Finland. Thus, all these universities will be organized an access to the application documents each applicant submits. The access is admitted to the personnel involved in the recruitment process, especially HR personnel and academic experts participating in the evaluation of the candidates´ merits as well as members of relevant decision-making bodies of each university.
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you:
- Contact information (name, address, email, phone number)
- Personal details (date of birth, nationality, gender)
- Degree information
- Professional skills, employment history and qualifications (such as CV, list of publications, transcripts of studies, degree certificates, recommendations)
- Documents concerning recruitment process and decisions (interview notes, statements and assessment results)
- Research area(s) that the applicants are interested in working
- Names of the persons giving recommendations
- Recommendations of the persons named by the applicants
- Any other personal data that applicants provide during the recruitment process.
Aalto University will, on behalf of all involved universities, receive and collect the application documents as well as the identification data needed for the recruitment process. Aalto University stores the data during the process and provides a safe access to the recruitment system for the representatives of other partner universities.
We collect and process your personal data for the following purposes:
- Assessing your suitability for employment within our respective organizations
- Evaluating your professional skills and qualifications
- Contacting you for interview purposes
- Communicating with you about the recruitment process
- Complying with legal obligations and reporting requirements
In the first phase, all universities will jointly gather the necessary information and handle the applications to ensure the optimal matching of interests expressed by the applicants and the available positions.
In the second phase, your application and other recruitment data is processed by each university according to their own processes and practices, and you will be contacted by the representatives of that organization. Each university processes data that is necessary to fill the respective postdoc position located in that organization. Documents necessary for each university’s own recruiting procedure, decision-making and archiving purposes will be safely provided for universities.
In the third phase, regarding specific positions, universities cooperate with ELLIS Institute to evaluate the qualifications required by the institute.
During and after the application round, Aalto University will store all the application data. Aalto University data retention rules (Data Management Plan TOS) will be followed, and no information is kept longer than necessary.
Please find the privacy notices of each partner universities to get more information on the legal basis for processing the personal data as well as practices of processing of the personal data in partner universities’ standard recruitment processes:
- Aalto University: privacy_notice_recruitment_20180525_paivitys_020120.pdf (aalto.fi)
- LUT University: https://www.lut.fi/sites/default/files/media/documents/LUT-privacy_notice_job-applicants-2024_0.pdf
- Tampere University:
https://tuni.rekrytointi.com/paikat/index.php?o=A_RS&lang=en - University of Eastern Finland:
Processing of personal data | University of Eastern Finland (uef.fi) -> Recruiting - University of Helsinki:
Data protection | University of Helsinki -> Recruitment - University of Jyväskylä:
Privacy notice for job applicants | University of Jyväskylä (jyu.fi) - University of Oulu:
Data privacy notice - Job applicants at the University of Oulu | University of Oulu - University of the Arts Helsinki:
https://www.uniarts.fi/en/general-info/data-protection-statement-for-prospective-employees/ - University of Turku:
Privacy Notice | University of Turku (utu.fi) - University of Vaasa:
https://www.uwasa.fi/en/data-protection - Åbo Akademi:
Privacy Notices | Åbo Akademi University (abo.fi)
The partner universities are joint controllers of your personal data. Should you have any questions concerning the processing of personal data in the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to contact the coordinating organization, Aalto University contact at ellisinstitute dot fi. Read more on your rights as data subject in here: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/privacy-notices#8-rights-of-the-data-subject .