About the position

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) announces a vacant position as Associate Professor in geotechnical engineering with focus on landslides.

The civil engineering sector is undergoing rapid transformations challenged by the green shift. Enabling technologies within digitalization, monitoring and automation open new possibilities. NTNU focus on research on digitalization and sustainable solutions, both as separate fields and as integrated parts of established and new professional disciplines.  At the same time climate change with more intense precipitation and milder winters make landslides an increasing threat.  The open position aim to reduce the risk by research on landslides in soils. The research area of the position will combine several aspects of digitalization by the use of sensor systems, monitoring and simulations, machine learning, artificial intelligence applied in detection, early warning, assessment and mitigation of landslides. The position is to be part of a major research initiative by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering towards the green shift in built environment through digitalization

The position will be part of the research group Geotechnical engineering, where teaching and research within natural hazards related to landslides in soil type geomaterials is an important focus area. The position will not cover research on rock fall and rock avalanches.

The Geotechnical engineering group at NTNU consists of 8 professors/academic researchers, 2 technicians, 2 teaching/research assistants and about 15 PhD students. The strategy of the group is on numerical and constitutive modelling of soil behavior supported by advanced research utilizing and developing our field- and laboratory facilities. Our research aims at both fundamental material science for soils as well as engineering challenges for demanding infrastructural projects. Geohazards is our focus in several research projects: Klima2050, “World of Wild Waters” and E39. Together with SFF Porelab the group runs research on numerical modelling of freezing and frozen soils. The group cultivates cooperation with Norwegian and international research institutions and industry partners.

We are specially looking for a motivated candidate who has relevant teaching experience, a proven scientific track record and management experience from research projects related to digitalization in the detection, assessment, or mitigation of landslides.

The position will report to Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• Teaching in courses including ordinary and life-long learning, supervision at Ph.D., Master and Bachelor level candidates according to the needs of the research group.
• Develop and lead research projects to strengthen the landslide related competence in the group and in interdisciplinary communities, both internally and externally
• Contribute to the overall research goals of the geotechnical group and the department through larger proposals and strategic project development.
• Collaboration with industry and end users to develop research projects with high societal relevance and scientific quality.
• Extensive use of online solutions and digital technology as important elements in research projects, teaching and in the dissemination of knowledge.
• Strengthen knowledge driven innovation activities at the department level.

Required selection criteria

Associate Professor:

The position of Associate Professor requires that you meet the criteria in the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts section 1-4. 

• Your PhD, or academic work of the same scope and quality, must be within geotechnical engineering.  
• Deep insight into the scientific basis of soil mechanics and landslide. 
• Competence within programming skills, landslide risk management in terms of monitoring and assessment, use of machine learning and advanced statistical methods.
• Good written and oral English language skills.

You must document relevant basic competence for teaching and supervision at university/higher education-level, ref. Regulations. If this cannot be documented, you are required to complete an approved course in university teaching within two years of commencement. NTNU offers qualifying courses. 

It is a prerequisite that within three years of appointment, new employees who do not speak a Scandinavian language can demonstrate skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level three in the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU.

Please see the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience from teaching of at university level and guidance of master and PhD students.
• Scandinavian language skills. BEng courses are lectured in Norwegian

Personal characteristics

• Highly motivated for career in research and education
• Good collaborative and communicative skills
• Motivation to work in interdisciplinary teams

We offer 

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment 
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues 
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund 
• employee benefits 

Salary and conditions

In a position as Associate Professor (code 1011) you will normally be remunerated from gross NOK 550 000 to NOK 770 000 per year, 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.

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

Application Process

You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation must be in English.

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.

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 application must include (Departments to choose from the following):

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 10 works)
• A description of the academic/artistic works that you regard as most relevant and that you particularly want to be considered in the assessment
• Name and address of three referees
• Research plan
• Details of teaching qualifications based on "Documentation of applicant’s teaching qualifications in connection with appointment to an academic position at NTNU”
• Details of the projects you have managed, with information about funding, duration and size

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 assessment of the best-qualified applicant, we will emphasize education, experience and personal suitability as well as your motivation for the position. You will be expected to deliver high-quality teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and undertake supervision of Masters and Doctoral candidates. Evaluation of these skills will be based on documented experience and relevant teaching qualifications. Applicants with teaching experience at university level are preferred. Quality and breadth of the teaching qualifications will be evaluated.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. This means that we pay special attention to the quality and professional breadth of these works. We also consider experience from research management and participation in research projects. We place great emphasis on your scientific work from the last five years.

Your application will be considered by an expert committee and the most suitable applicants will be invited to interview and to deliver a lecture.

General information

A good working environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. NTNU wishes to increase the proportion of women in its academic positions, and women are therefore encouraged to apply.

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.

Under the Freedom of 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 Professor Gudmund Eiksund, telephone +47 47 75 60 16, email: gudmund.eiksund@ntnu.no  If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Wenke Eriksen, e-mail: wenke.eriksen@ntnu.no

Please submit your application and supporting documentation via jobbnorge.no. If you are invited for interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas. Mark the application with reference number: IV-85/21

Application deadline: 27.04.2021

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 Civil and Environmental EngineeringWe conduct research and teaching in civil and transportation engineering, technical planning, structural engineering, water and wastewater engineering and

hydraulic engineering. Graduates from our programmes become employees – in both the public and private sectors – with a sustainability mindset combined with competitive knowledge and skills. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 27th April 2021
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Permanent
Place of service NTNU Trondheim