About the position

We have a vacancy for a 3-year PhD Candidate within the field of “Metal Forming and Advanced Manufacturing” at Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

The PhD candidate will be part of the NTNU Aluminium Product Innovation Center (NAPIC). NAPIC is also part of the MANULAB - a Norwegian Manufacturing Laboratory Infrastructure project - where state-of-the-art laboratory technology for aluminium forming, welding, additive manufacturing, hybrid processing, assembly, and material characterization is available. NAPIC is hosted by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. The centre is a unique collaboration between NTNU, SINTEF, aluminium manufacturing industries, and select customers. The aim is to explore new aluminum product opportunities, employing a research-driven innovation approach based on cross-disciplinary collaboration between product design and development, manufacturing, materials technology, and product application. NAPIC is on the way to become a world leader in research-driven aluminium product innovation.

The position will be directly or indirectly related to industrial research projects primarily directed towards advanced electrical vehicles (EV) manufacturing, seeking to innovate within lightweight product applications such as battery trays, chassis and suspension systems, safety/crashworthiness systems and components, etc. With the ongoing transformation to Industry 4.0, the manufacturing sector undergoes a drastic shift from traditional mass production to more on-demand customized production capabilities, with reduced manufacturing investments and improved sustainability footprint. The ambition of this PhD position is thus to contribute to this strategic blueprint through innovative research.

You will report to Dr. Jun Ma (Associate Professor) and Professor Torgeir Welo (Head of Department).

Duties of the position

• creating innovative solutions within advanced forming of aluminium extrusions through experimental R&D with regards to advanced 3D-bending of profiles, aiming to enhance the flexibility of products, processes, machine tools, and productivity
• develop physical models and strategies for closed-loop adaptive control of the production chain to improve dimensional accuracy and properties of products, based on in-process monitoring techniques and advanced modelling approaches
• collaborate with partners from MANULAB and industries, contributing to the industrial CPS integration of innovative manufacturing processes
• conduct and publish high-level research at peer-reviewed journals and international conferences to qualify for an academic career

Required selection criteria

• you must have a professionally relevant background in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Processing, Mechanics, and other related fields
• your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are obtained at master’s level
• you must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education
• you must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme)
• excellent written and oral English

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

Preferred selection criteria

• experience with experimental studies on metal forming processes
• experience with modelling of material, process, or product behavior (like using analytical, advanced finite element analysis, data-driven modelling approaches)
• knowledge of programming basics like Python, Matlab, Fortran, etc.
• knowledge and technical skills in testing methods of materials and components
• experience with research projects, or industrial experience

Personal characteristics

• good communication skills
• analytical
• independent, self-going and progress-oriented
• ambitious
• goal-oriented
• good collaborative capabilities

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

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 491 200 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 period of employment is 3 years.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv) within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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 you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English (ta stilling til dette)

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. 

The application must include: 

• CV, certificates and diplomas 
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted
• a copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position
• cover letter justifying your interest and fit for the position
• research plan or project proposal (maximum 2 pages)
• recommendation letter(s) from thesis supervisor(s)/professor(s)
• name and address of three referees 
• academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

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 and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

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.

In accordance with The Public 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 Dr. Jun Ma, e-mail: jun.ma@ntnu.no, +47 93996542, or, Head of Department, Professor Torgeir Welo, e-mail: torgeir.welo@ntnu.no, +47 41440061.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Linn-Cecilie Felle, e-mail: linn.c.felle@ntnu.no.

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 IV-226/21 when applying.

Application deadline: 10.12.2021

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 Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

We educate graduates who can create new products, operate and maintain products, and manage projects. The Department has a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. We conduct wide-ranging research in fields such as technology, energy, product quality and development, and productivity. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 10th December 2021
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Instiutt for maskinteknikk og produksjon