Project Manager

Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences is looking for a project manager for the Vehicle Powertrain Diversity and ZeroJig projects for a fixed-term employment contract. The employment begins on August 1, 2026, or by agreement and lasts at least until July 31, 2027, depending on the start date. Two projects are starting in SEAMK's automotive and mechanical engineering laboratories: how to make physical reality, disturbed by tolerances and heat, bend to the language of sensors, data, and automation? We are looking for a project manager who takes ownership of both projects, is responsible for progress, finances, and ensuring that results end up in the right repair shops and machine shops, not at the bottom of a report pile. This is not just a management role. You lead the project from the front: you design work packages, keep the steering group satisfied, report to the funder, and at the same time participate in laboratory work yourself, because credibility in these projects comes from doing, not delegating. Vehicle Powertrain Diversity (EAKR): We are building multi-brand diagnostics for battery and electrical systems. We get batteries in shape with a four-wheel drive dynamometer. We convert a tractor's diesel engine to run on biogas. We make a TCO calculator that tells, without marketing gloss, what different powertrains actually cost per kilometer. In this project, you are the project manager and the content driver. ZeroJig (Business Finland): Welding without jigs. A jig is an expensive way to keep two sheets of metal in place. In small series, it eats the margin before the arc even ignites. Computer vision recognizes parts with synthetic data, part handling is taken to offline programming, the gap is measured with a line laser, and heat deformations are managed without steel clamps. The technical core of the research group already exists. You keep the strings in your hand and ensure that the pieces fall into place on schedule. Different topics, same core: sensing, measurement, data, and automation – and someone who knows how to lead the whole. Requirements: - Suitable university degree (e.g., Engineer, M.Sc. Tech, or Doctorate, especially focusing on mechatronics, automation, mechanical engineering, or vehicle technology) We also value: - Evidence of leading projects or demanding projects – schedule, budget, and stakeholders under control - A practical approach: you understand the technology deeply enough to guide it, not just report on it - Strength in some technical area (computer vision, robotics, offline programming, welding, battery diagnostics, embedded systems, Python) - Ability to speak to companies in human language We offer: - Opportunity to be involved in developing practical applications of AI and automation in Finnish SMEs - A wide national cooperation network - A multidisciplinary development environment at SEAMK - Support from an expert and enthusiastic project team - Versatile employment benefits - Opportunity to do partial remote work. The task is full-time (100%) divided between the projects described above. Terms of employment are determined by the Sivista collective agreement for universities of applied sciences. The salary, depending on the selected person's education and work experience, is approximately 3,800–4,450 euros. A probationary period is followed. The location of the task is Seinäjoki.