Giant Leap Trainee, Data Science

Are you ready to take a Giant Leap? We’re looking for a Data Scientist trainee for our Giant Leap program – a project-based internship in our office in Keilaniemi, Espoo (hybrid work). As a Giant Leaper, you’ll have the opportunity to lead your own project for three months, starting in June.

Vaisala is a global leader in measurement instruments and intelligence helping industries, nations, people, and the planet to thrive. From predicting hurricanes to optimizing renewable energy production, our technology is used where it matters the most – from data centers, windfarms and laboratories to airports, the Arctic and even the surface of Mars. Our team of over 2,300 experts and 59 nationalities around the world is committed to taking every measure for the planet. Driven by our shared purpose, curiosity, and pioneering spirit, we stay ahead and make a difference. At Vaisala, you don't have to fit in to belong.

Vaisala Xweather (https://www.xweather.com) empowers weather-sensitive businesses with precise weather data, advanced AI models, and actionable insights. Our solutions optimize safety, efficiency, and resilience against severe weather and climate change. We manage diverse meteorological data and AI models across products like Road Weather, Renewable Energy, and Weather API. Our project aims to improve data management and integration using AI and LLMs, enhancing access to diverse datasets for Xweather teams.

Giant Leap is a unique opportunity for you to be the project manager of your own project, with the support of your teammates and project supervisor. Every year, these projects are carefully selected by our leadership teams, meaning that you get to work on real-life questions that are important for us as a company. 
 
We invest in your growth with training sessions throughout the summer. Along with lessons from your own field and work life in general, you have a chance to learn, for instance, presentation skills, project management and problem solving. Connections built with fellow Giant Leapers, Vaisala’s brilliant experts and our leadership form an invaluable network for your career. Many of our former Giant Leapers have also gone on to build impressive careers at Vaisala after the program.

What will your summer look like?

• You will learn and explore weather domain, meteorological data sets, management processes and cloud technologies 
• You will explore and experience building solution with AI and LLMs for the data management and governance challenges
• This project is looking to improve the data exploration and integration cross the various Vaisala Xweather products improving our AI models, you will work with various product teams located in different locations in the world e.g. US, Finland, France, England
• You will be part of Architecture and Developer Experience team, under SaaS organization
• You will conduct research on current best practices in big data management, particularly in the weather and climate domains.
• You will collaborate with the team to design and implement a prototype using AI and LLM technologies that can handle large volumes of weather data.
• You will explore and experiment with AI and LLM techniques to automate metadata extraction, data tagging, and data quality assurance.
• You will participate in team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and code reviews.
• You will present your findings and progress to the team and stakeholders on a regular basis.
• You will be assigned a mentor who will guide you through your project, provide feedback, and help you navigate any challenges you may encounter.
• At the end of the internship, you will present your work to the company’s leadership and receive feedback on your contributions.
• You will work in hybrid mode with presence in our office in Keilaniemi / Espoo typically 2-3 days per a week

What kind of skillset are we looking for?

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Proficiency in programming, e.g. in Python, Java, or Typescript.
• Familiarity with big data technologies such as Spark, Parquet, Iceberg or cloud-based data storage solutions (e.g., AWS S3).
• Basic understanding of AI and machine learning concepts
• Familiarity to develop backend applications such as micro services or AWS lambda functions
• Familiarity with LLMs and prompt engineering, knowledge on development of application backed by LLMs
• Knowledge of AWS Services, databases and SQL is a plus.
• Analytical skills combined with critical thinking and capability to be creative when developing solutions
• Strong communication skills in English
• A passion for learning and a willingness to tackle new challenges and technologies.

Are you ready to take on a Giant Leap? Apply at the latest on February 2, 2025 and please attach your CV. We’d also appreciate learning about what made you apply for this position and to Vaisala in the form of a motivation letter.

Schedule and steps of the recruitment process:
•    Application period: January 13 – February 2
•    Invitations to the interview events: during week 6 (February 3 – February 7)
•    Interview events at Vaisala, Vantaa (F2F): February 11 and February 13
•    Selections and signing of the contracts: during week 8 (February 17–21) at the latest

If you want to know more, feel free to reach out to the hiring manager / project supervisor Umut Karabudak via email umut.karabudak@vaisala.com. Please note that applications sent via email cannot be processed due to privacy reasons.

Kindly note that we are not able to provide support in relocation or work permit-related matters.