Summer Trainee, Data Scientist Trainee, Decision Support and Analytics

During the summer you will gain valuable work experience to support your studies. We offer versatile tasks in an international company that is committed to sustainable development. We are frontrunners in developing renewable alternatives to fossil-based materials. Join us to renew the everyday, for a future beyond fossils! 

We are now looking for a Data Scientist Summer Trainee for a fixed-term contract to join our Fibres Decision Support & Advanced Analytics team at the UPM Pietarsaari Pulp Mill in Pietarsaari, Finland.

Greetings from your future manager

“This is a hands-on role at the intersection of mill operations and analytics. You’ll work with process experts and end users to solve real production challenges using data, models, and decision support tools. To succeed, you’ll need curiosity and a practical mindset - plus the ability to connect how the mill works with how data can improve it.”

What you will do

You will work with mill stakeholders and production data to improve operations and decision-making, for example by:

• Framing operational problems with process experts (goals, constraints, what “good” looks like)
• Exploring and validating production/process data and building usable datasets
• Applying suitable methods (statistics/ML/optimization/simulation) to generate insights, forecasts, or recommendations
• Developing performance metrics and decision support views for operational and management use
• Prototyping and piloting analytics tools with end users (and iterating based on feedback)

Who you are

This role is intentionally hybrid: we are looking for a candidate with a strong foundation in both mill/process understanding and data/analytics.

We are looking for a Master’s student in e.g. Chemical/Process Engineering, Energy/Automation, Applied Mathematics/Statistics, Computer Science, or Data Science, with demonstrated strength across the two domains. A strong candidate has:

• Understanding of industrial process operations (e.g., unit operations, process variability, basic process control) and motivation to learn pulp mill specifics fast
• Solid data analysis and programming skills (typically Python and common data/ML tooling)
• Ability to work with messy real-world data, validate assumptions, and communicate clearly with engineers and end users
• Structured working style: you define deliverables, document your work, and follow through

You should be comfortable using Finnish or Swedish at work.

We will onboard you to your tasks, as well as the rules and ways of working in our workplace. From your first day, you are a full member of our working community, and we encourage you to be active, learn, and ask questions about your work.

This is what we offer to you

• Safety and well-being: We prioritize the safety of all our employees, ensuring everyone returns home safely. We care about each other and the well-being of our colleagues. Our community is built on great team spirit and shared commitment.
• A meaningful job: We have an inspiring purpose “We renew the everyday for a future beyond fossils”. We do our work with professional pride, producing high-quality, sustainable products for our customers globally.
• Development opportunities: We are an international, multi-business organization offering plenty of avenues for personal growth.
• Responsible employer: Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to ambitious, science-based sustainability targets in all areas from climate change to biodiversity. We foster diversity and inclusivity, offering a work environment in which everyone can be themselves.

Are you ready?

For further information, please contact Olga Kuznetsova, Lead Data Scientist, at [email protected].

Our recruitment application period ends March 1, 2026. Attachments (CV and Cover letter) will be added simultaneously on our application template.

Notice that you cannot modify your application after submitting by yourself. Submit your application as soon as possible, positions might be filled already before the application period ends.

For support with your application please contact the HR Service Center at [email protected].

A security background check may be performed for those selected to UPM positions, in accordance with the company recruitment guidelines and the Security Clearance Act 726/2014.

UPM is a non-smoking workplace in Finland.

UPM is a material solutions company, renewing products and entire value chains with an extensive portfolio of renewable fibres, advanced materials, decarbonization solutions, and communication papers. Our performance in sustainability has been recognized by third parties, including EcoVadis and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. We operate globally and employ approximately 15,800 people worldwide, with annual sales of approximately €10.3 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. 

UPM – we renew the everyday 
Read more: upm.com 

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