LUT School of Energy Systems is hiring a professor in heat pumps and refrigeration.
The LUT School of Energy Systems is internationally recognised as a leading centre of energy research, and we have an unparalleled reputation for conducting research that combines academic excellence with an impact on business and society. A key principle in our research is to bridge areas from fundamental theory to empirical work, innovation and close-to-market products, technologies, processes or services that may transform energy systems and improve people’s lives globally. Our school provides Bachelor's, Master’s, and doctoral programmes and has Finland’s largest group of researchers in the field of energy. The unit employs 37 professors and more than 400 staff members overall.
The professorship will be located at the Department of Energy Technology on LUT's Lappeenranta or Lahti campus. The professorship aims to enhance the existing energy conversion research at the department and will focus on heat pumps and refrigeration components, working fluids, design, and applications. The professor will be based at the Laboratory of Fluid Dynamics. The research group led by the professor will collaborate closely with other professors and teams within the Department of Energy Technology.
The position is situated at the assistant, associate or full professor levels of the tenure track and will be filled through an open application process for a fixed term of four years (assistant/associate professor) or permanently (full professor). The tenure track system offers researchers a possibility to advance to the next level, provided they meet the requirements in the promotion reviews. The work will start with a six-month trial period.
The candidates must have demonstrated expertise in at least one of the following fields of technology:
- heat pump and refrigeration technology and applications
- working fluids and modelling and/or testing of their properties
- heat pump and refrigeration systems and their components
- industrial and high-temperature heat pumps
- control of heat pumps and refrigeration systems
- application-specific solutions, such as industrial and high-temperature heat pumps, combined heating and cooling, district heat and cooling, and process heat
The candidates must possess a strong scientific research background in at least one of the above-mentioned fields. The research focus of the candidate must support the existing research activities at LUT. Candidates are required to provide evidence of securing competitive research funding, the successful management of research projects, and cooperation with relevant research institutes, companies, and other stakeholders. Also, the candidates must demonstrate their ability to integrate into LUT's energy technology department and to build and lead their own research group. The professorship will include teaching obligations in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes.
Practical experience in the field is not a requirement in this position, but it is considered an advantage. Spoken and written fluency in English is required.
The duties will include the following related to its field of study:
- planning and execution of master’s and doctoral programmes, including online and classroom teaching
- supervision of final theses and doctoral studies
- producing high-level international scientific publications
- personnel and financial management of one’s own research group
- acquisition of external competitive research funding and preparation of related research projects at LUT and on a national and international scale; leading these research projects when required
- production of relevant new knowledge for the specific needs of Finnish industries
- close cooperation and interaction with LUT's research groups
- networking and research collaboration with universities and companies to increase the international impact of LUT’s activities
- networking and cooperation with Finnish universities, research institutes, and industry
- societal interaction in the field of heat pumps and refrigeration
- general administrative duties related to the university's operations
- strong industry collaboration
The appointment process description explains the qualification requirements and tenure track appointment criteria.
The salary is determined according to the salary system for university teaching and research personnel. The pay will include an individual pay component based on performance and competence. The annual gross salary for an assistant/associate professor amounts to 49 300 - 66 300 euros and full professor 69 000 - 102 200 euros depending on the qualifications and experience of the candidate. In addition to a competitive salary, the wide range of benefits that come with this job include a holiday bonus, a generous holiday entitlement, research incentive scheme with personal rewards for high quality publications, flexible working hours, occupational health care, a collegial faculty environment and continued commitment for your support, learning, training and development.
The closing date for applications is 9 June 2025 at 12 noon, Finnish local time (UTC + 3h). Please submit your application and all required attachments by filling out the online form. All application documents must be in English and in PDF format. The application must include the following:
- a curriculum vitae (max. 10 pages)
- a copy of the candidate's doctoral diploma
- a full list of publications, including the total number of publications in the Scopus database, the total number of citations, the h-index and Scopus ID, and equivalent information from the candidate’s Google Scholar profile
- a separate list of the 10 publications selected for expert evaluation
- the 10 publications mentioned above
- a teaching portfolio or an equivalent account of the candidate's teaching qualifications, presenting courses taught by the candidate, related feedback, the candidate’s pedagogical training and teaching philosophy, and courses that the candidate is able to or prefers to teach
- an account of the candidate's merits and activities of significance to the vacancy (max. 3 pages)
- an account of the candidate’s vision on the development of education, research and projects in the field of the professorship at LUT University (max. 3 pages)
Please specify the tenure track level applied to.
For further information, please contact Professor Teemu Turunen-Saaresti, +358 50 539 5733, [email protected].
Read more about the Department of Energy Technology.
Read more about the LUT School of Energy Systems.
Information for international staff
LUT University | Clean energy, water and air are life-giving resources for which we at LUT University seek new solutions with our expertise in technology, business and social sciences. We help society and businesses in their sustainable renewal. Our international community consists of over 9,000 members. Our campuses are in Lappeenranta and Lahti, Finland. We are one of the world's top universities for climate action. lut.fi/en
Technical support for using the recruitment system: [email protected].
