About the position

In collaboration with Statnett, the transmission system operator in Norway, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is establishing a new professorship in Human-Machine Interaction for Cyber-Physical Systems.

Statnett’s mission is to secure the Norwegian power supply while facilitating the realization of new sustainability objectives. A more diversified energy mix and increased electrification, including an increasing amount of renewable energy sources, has made the electricity system significantly more complex to manage. This is due to more fluctuating production levels, more decentralized production, as well as more rapidly changing power consumption.

The balancing of power production with power demand is becoming increasingly challenging and requires new and more advanced methods to predict and avoid imbalances in the grid system. This requires new solutions for human-machine interaction for the future energy/power system, which is a large-scale, decentralized cyber-physical system.

This position will be affiliated with the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at NTNU’s Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. It will be part of a team of four professors funded by Statnett, who are expected to collaborate on joint projects. The other three professor positions are within Cybersecurity, Energy Informatics and Protection & Control.

You will report to the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

The position is within the field of Human-Machine Interaction for Cyber-Physical Systems. In addition to energy/power systems, such systems encompass applications in the offshore, process, maritime, aquaculture, aerospace and medical industries.

Specifically, it is important to develop new methods for data-driven and model-based decision support in real time, including both new data-analytics methods for interpretation of generated big data, as well as new human-machine interfaces for effective presentation of relevant information to human decision makers. This will enable new solutions for human-machine interaction for cyber-physical systems.

The professor is expected to play a leading role in research and research-based education for Human-Machine Interaction for Cyber-Physical Systems at the department.

The research activities at the department rely mainly on external funding, and the development of educational programs may also receive external funding. The professor is expected to engage extensively in applications for external funding, e.g. from the Research Council of Norway, European research and educational agencies, the industry sector, and other available sources. Statnett will in particular contribute with project funding and collaboration.

MSc and PhD candidates from the cybernetics study programs are expected to be competitive in an international job market. The professor will contribute toward the department’s educational profile and promote an excellent learning environment, in collaboration with colleagues, students and external stakeholders. Specifically, the professor is expected to teach a minimum of one course at the department’s MSc program and a specialization course at MSc or PhD level, as well as supervising MSc students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows.

In addition to research and education, the professor is expected to disseminate relevant parts of the research to a wider audience.

The professor is also expected to participate in the formal management of research, education, innovation and other relevant areas of activity at the department.

Required selection criteria

For both position categories, the following is required:

• Doctoral degree in a relevant area
• Experience with essential areas of Human-Machine Interaction for Cyber-Physical Systems, such as:
  • Human-machine interfaces
  • Human factors
  • Interaction design
  • Decision support
  • Big-data analytics and visualization
  • Control engineering
  • Safety, risk and security
• Mastering Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
• Communicating well in English both orally and in writing
• Statnett operates the main electricity grid in Norway, which is considered to be a critical infrastructure. Statnett is therefore legally bound by safety legislations stated in “Lov om nasjonal sikkerhet” (Sikkerhetsloven). The applicant must therefore qualify for security clearance in Norway.

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.

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

Professor:

The position of Professor requires that you meet the criteria in the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts section 1-2. 

In particular, the candidate should:

• Be internationally recognized
• Be able to initiate and lead research at a high international level
• Be able to obtain external research grants from relevant funding sources
• Have a strong publication record in terms of papers in peer-reviewed journals and other relevant international publication channels

In addition to formal qualifications in teaching at university level, you must document:

• Development in teaching and supervision of students over time
• Extensive experience with supervision preferably at the MSc and PhD levels
• Participation in the development of educational quality in a work environment

Associate Professor:

The position of Assistant Professor within (subject area) requires that you meet the criteria in the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts section 1-4. 

In particular, the candidate should:

• Have a research potential which makes it likely to qualify for a full professorship within five years of employment, even with normal teaching duties
• Have a good publication record in terms of papers in peer-reviewed journals and other relevant international publication channels

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with student supervision
• Experience with industry collaboration
• Experience with the following competence areas:
  • Electric energy/power systems
  • Autonomous systems
  • Alarm handling
  • Cyber security
• Motivation for learning about and working with electric energy/power systems

Personal characteristics

• Strong analytical skills
• Good collaboration skills
• Good communication skills, both oral and written
• Flexible mindset to work on both fundamental and applied research
• Ability to work in a structured manner
• Solutions- and results-oriented attitude
• Interest and ability to work with students

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

The gross salary for the positions are normally remunerated 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:

• A motivation letter explaining why you are the right person to be hired for this position
• CV including information relevant for the qualifications and a full list of publications with bibliographical references
• Certificates and diplomas
• Name and address of three referees
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 10 works)
• A description of the academic works that you regard as most relevant and that you particularly want to be considered in the assessment
• Research plan for the first five years of employment, which is clearly linked to the required responsibilities of the position
• Teaching statement
• 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
• Information about innovation and dissemination activities
• Other documents which the applicant would find relevant

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 MSc students and PhD 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 Head of Department Morten Breivik, telephone +47 41 52 58 81, email morten.breivik@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact our HR recruitment team, e-mail:  rekrutteringsteam@ie.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: 2020/15149

Application deadline: 21.09.20

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 Engineering Cybernetics (ITK)

Engineering cybernetics is the study of automatic control and monitoring of dynamic systems. We develop the technologies of tomorrow through close cooperation with industry and academia, both in Norway and internationally. The Department contributes to the digitalization, automation and robotization of society. The Department of Engineering Cybernetics is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

Deadline 21st September, 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Permanent
Place of service Campus Gløshaugen