Giant Leap Trainee, F&C Process Automation

Are you ready to take a Giant Leap? We’re looking for a Finance & Control RPA / Process Automation Trainee for our Giant Leap program – a project-based internship in our HQ in Vantaa. This Finance & Controls process automation project  has two main focus areas: to deliver a limited-scope, end-to-end finance process automation pilot using RPA or low‑code workflow tools for a selected Finance & Controls process, and to draft a practical Process Automation roadmap for Finance & Controls to scale automation beyond the summer. As a Giant Leaper, you will get your own project to lead for three months, starting in May or 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. For a second year running, Vaisala got recognized in TIME Magazine's World's Best Companies in Sustainable Growth 2026 study. Our team of close to 2,500 experts and 62 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.

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?

As the trainee, you will run a hands-on Finance & Controls process automation project end-to-end. You will map the current workflow, co-design and agree the target (“to‑be”) process with the process owner and key stakeholders, and implement a limited-scope automation pilot (for example using RPA or low‑code tools such as Microsoft Power Automate or UiPath) through build, testing, and a controlled production run. In parallel, you will draft a Finance & Controls Process Automation roadmap by identifying and sizing further opportunities, clarifying dependencies, and proposing a realistic sequencing and governance model for scaling after the internship. It would be great if you could also support our process owners in communicating their solution needs and requirements to IT when needed.

The key focus is to reduce manual work and friction in core Finance & Controls workflows by delivering one concrete automation pilot (final process area agreed in spring) and turning the learning into a clear, business-owned roadmap for what to automate next. This is essential to Vaisala because it strengthens the efficiency, quality, and scalability of finance operations while also improving internal control maturity by ensuring approvals, evidence, and audit trail are built into the automated workflow from the start.

Expected results include (1) a production-ready pilot (limited scope) with a run-book and defined control design, and (2) a draft Process Automation roadmap for Finance & Controls with opportunity sizing and prioritized next steps. The pilot outcomes should be measurable (baseline vs. after), for example reduced cycle time and manual touches, improved on-time sign-off, shorter exception aging, and improved audit trail completeness.

You’ll work closely with Finance & Controls process owners and subject matter experts and collaborate with relevant stakeholders as needed (e.g., data/technology experts) to ensure the pilot is feasible and scalable. Your supervisor will be Erika Grönroos, Head of Internal Controls. You’ll be supported with clear milestones and regular check-ins, while still having real ownership to drive the work forward.

What you’ll learn:

• How finance processes work end-to-end and how automation impacts risks and controls.
• How to design workflows that are both efficient and auditable.
• Skills in stakeholder management, project execution, documentation and handover, benefits measurement, and turning pilot insights into a scalable roadmap.

This position is based at our Vantaa office with the possibility of hybrid work, aligning with the specific requirements of each project phase.

What kind of skillset are we looking for?

We are looking for someone in the final stage of their Master’s degree (MSc) in a relevant field such as Finance, Accounting, Industrial Engineering, Business Analytics, Information Systems (e.g. business information technology), or a similar discipline. You have prior experience with finance processes and a strong interest in hands-on process automation in finance, not only operational process improvement. Ability to structure and document processes clearly, understand controls (approvals, evidence, audit trail), and work with data and stakeholders is essential. Practical experience in building small automations or RPA workflows (e.g. Power Automate, UiPath, or similar) is highly valued. This role focuses on finance process automation (e.g. approvals, reconciliations, controls workflows), not on operational process automation in manufacturing or logistics.

You are curious, analytical, and proactive, and you enjoy taking ownership and driving work from ambiguity to concrete outcomes. You communicate clearly, collaborate well with different stakeholders, and are comfortable working in English.

Are you ready to take a Giant Leap?

Please apply by February 1, 2026, and include your CV.
We’d also love to hear what inspired you to apply for this role and to Vaisala in a brief cover letter.

Schedule and steps of the recruitment process:

• Application period: January 12 – February 1
• Invitations to the interview events: during week 6
• Interview events at Vaisala, Vantaa (F2F): week 7

If you want to know more, feel free to reach out to the project supervisor Erika Grönroos via email erika.gronroos@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.

Interested in learning more about Vaisala and our Giant Leap program? Join us at Career Night on 20 January 2026, 16:30–19:00 at our Vantaa HQ to meet experts and explore real projects you could work on this summer. Read more and register to the event: www.vaisala.com/careernight