Research Assistant (master thesis worker), information theory

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 16 000 students and 5 200 employees, including 446 professors. Our campus is in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The Information Theory research team at Aalto University (Department of Information and Communications Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering) invites applications for a 6-month Research Assistant position for master thesis worker.

About the team

• We work across discrete mathematics and information theory, including
• coding theory, combinatorial algorithms, design theory, and graph theory.
• Computational methods are central; the team operates a 500‑core cluster.
• We both compete with and leverage AI; see: https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/researcher-cracks-new-kissing-number-bounds-besting-ai-in-the-process

Project focus

One class of structures we study is Hadamard matrices — orthogonal combinatorial objects with applications in quantum technology. In this position, you will develop and implement computational methods to investigate how a technique called switching transforms various types of Hadamard matrices.

Qualifications

• Background in mathematics or computer science
• Excellent programming skills and experience with C
• Interest in computational discrete mathematics and algorithmic experimentation

NOTE! This position is open only for Aalto University students.

What we offer

• Paid employment for master's thesis work (salary: 2622 €/month).
• The position is fixed term from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

How to apply

To apply, please submit your application through our recruitment site ("Apply now!” at the bottom of the page) as soon as possible and no later than on 24 Sep 2026.

Please include the following attachments to your application:

• CV
• Transcript of study records
• Brief motivation letter

Please note: Aalto University employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system, Workday (Internal Jobs), using their existing Workday user account (not the external webpage for open positions). If you are a student or visitor at Aalto University, please apply with your personal email address (not aalto.fi) via Aalto University open positions

For more information about the position, please contact Professor Patric Östergård (patric.ostergard@aalto.fi; https://users.aalto.fi/pat/). Yhteydenotossa voit myös käyttää suomea. Vid kontakt kan du också använda svenska.

For questions about the application process, please contact HR Advisor Johanna Haapalainen at hr-elec@aalto.fi.

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