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Postdoctoral Fellow within Environmental Chemistry

Employer
NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU
Location
Trondheim, Norway
Closing date
25 Jun 2020

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Academic Discipline
Physical Sciences, Chemistry
Job Type
Academic Posts, Postdocs
Contract Type
Fixed Term
Hours
Full Time

About the position

A Post-Doc position is available at the Department of Chemistry (Faculty of Natural Sciences; http://www.ntnu.edu/chemistry). The position is financed by the Norwegian Research Council and has a special responsibility within the project SLUDGEFFECT. The candidate will work closely with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute.

The post-doc work will address one of the greatest barriers to achieving a circular economy, which is the management of hazardous substances. The specific research questions to be addressed are: 1) Quantify how incineration, dry pyrolysis and other carbonization technology can remove selected hazardous substances from sludge and plastic; and 2) characterize the hazards and innovation potential of resulting residues in Norway and abroad for reducing contaminant emissions, exposure and risk.

The position is located at NTNU in Trondheim Norway, it will include collaborations and visits to the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) in Oslo, Norway IDAEA-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Barcelona, Spain.

The candidate will have the following supervisors: Prof. II Hans Peter H. Arp and Associate Prof. Alexandros Asimakopoulos.

Duties of the position

This post-doc position will be part of a larger international project, SLUDGEFFECT, funded by the Norwegian Research Council (March 2020 – February 2024). The overall aim of SLUDGEFFECT is Identify how thermal treatments can be optimized for removing hazardous substances in sludge and e-waste plastic for increasing recycling and sustainability. The post-doc work will be directly linked to work package 2 (WP2: Carbonization). The work will quantify hazardous and emerging substances in waste streams related to sewage sludge and plastic (in particular from Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment, WEEE), and investigate how thermal treatments (incineration, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization) would comparatively reduce their concentration within the waste and potential emissions from the waste stream and in any recycled products (e.g. fuels, fertilizers, etc.). The post-doc will be also asked to collaborate with other work packages, considering the mass flow, life cycle analysis, sustainable development goals, risk assessment and regulatory context.  The period of employment is 3 years (36 months). The candidate will co-supervise the scientific work of master or PhD students in activities related to SLUDGEFFECT. Examples of substances the postdoc will investigate are those with regulatory focus as part of the transition to a circular economy, such as organophosphate and brominated flame retardants (OFRs and BFRs); phthalates; bisphenols and benzophenones; benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); toxic metals (e.g. cadmium, mercury); pharmaceuticals and microplastics.

Required selection criteria

A postdoctoral research fellowships is a qualification position in which the main objective is qualification for work in academic positions. You must have completed the equivalent of Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in one of the sub disciplines of Analytical Chemistry or Environmental chemistry. First author publications in international peer-reviewed journals indexed in the Web of Science (second quartile and up) are required.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant.

Excellent oral and written English skills are required. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries outside Europe must document English skills by an approved test.  Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).

A documented background with at least three of the following selection criteria:

  • Contaminant fate and transport in the environment
  • Legacy or emerging pollutants experience in analysis,
  • Laboratory experience with mass spectrometry techniques such as GC-MS and LC-MS/MS,
  • Chemometrics
  • Chemical risk analysis in the context of environmental regulations
  • Waste management in the context of a circular economy
  • Extensive Quality control/Quality assurance experience
  • Experience in supervising postgraduate level students/researchers.

Preferred selection criteria:

  • The candidate should show a keen interest in doing experiments related to the project.  
  • The candidate should show a keen interest in a research career in Applied Environmental Chemistry.
  • The candidate should show be passionate towards designing solutions to lower risks from chemicals as part of the transition to a circular economy

Personal characteristics

  • The successful candidate should be creative, with a strong ability to problem solving.
  • The candidate should also enjoy interdisciplinary research and take keen interest in learning and working in teams as well as independently on their own project.

We offer

Salary and conditions

Postdoctoral candidates are placed in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 542 400 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Applications should include: CV including publication list, letter of motivation, certificates from both Bachelor, Master and PhD, copies of grade transcripts, up to 3 publications and other scientific works, (copies of documentation on English language proficiency test for non-native speakers outside of Europe) and minimum of two references (please tell us the name and contact info of minimum two references that committee/project leader would be contact if they are invited for interview and considered to be qualified, and ideally include letters). 

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, motivation and personal suitability.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Alexandros Asimakopoulos, Department of Chemistry, NTNU, Tel. +47 48402604, E-mail: Alexandros.asimakopoulos@ntnu.no or Adjuct Professor Hans Peter Arp, NGI.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI).

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number NV 64/20 when applying.

Application deadline: 25.06.2020

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Chemistry

We educate graduates for careers in environmental science, industry, the school system, research and public administration. Chemistry is also a basic discipline for medicine, biology and technology, and an important key in issues related to energy, climate, the environment, food, water and health. Research activities at the Department range from environmental chemistry to applied theoretical chemistry. The Department of Chemistry is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Deadline 25th June 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Fixed Term
Jobbnorge ID 187369

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