About the position

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has a vacancy for a PhD candidate in the research division for Building Process. The period of employment is 3 years. The candidate will be part of the research project Optimaltid. 

This project aims at developing and implementing a method for deciding the optimal timing for involvement of contractor competence in infrastructure projects. Five case studies are pilots for implementing the method for involving contractors with the right competence for the right tasks at the right time. 

One of the purposes of Optimaltid is to develop knowledge about the effects of involving contractors early in project development. First, the PhD candidate shall develop indicators for measurement of value creation for society, user effects and project performance. Second, the PhD candidate shall measure the effects with these indicators. The research will be mainly quantitative but combined with qualitative research methods where appropriate.

The PhD candidate will work closely with researchers, a postdoctoral researcher, another PhD candidate and master students currently developing the method for optimal timing. Workplace will be Trondheim. Communication with Optimaltid’s six partner organizations is necessary for achieving the purposes. The PhD candidate will report to your supervisor/professor. 

The Building Process group has 20 professors and researchers and approximately 12-15 PhD candidates at any time. It is part of the world’s biggest research groups in project management – Project Norway – and has a wide international network of contacts. 

Duties of the position

This position is part of the project “Optimaltid” funded by the Norwegian Research Council (project number NFR-309726). The duties of the position are defined by this project.

• Developing new knowledge about effect measurement
• Case study set-up for assessment and measurement of relevant effects
• Research tasks following up the case studies
• Preparation of journal and conference papers and presentation of results on international conferences

Required selection criteria

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is that you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background incivil engineering with a specialization in project management, industrial economy or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you are unable to meet these criteria you may be considered only if you can document that you are particularly suitable for education leading to a PhD degree.

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.

Other required selection criteria

• a relevant Master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, project management, industrial economy etc.
• background in a relevant discipline and experience with infrastructure development/engineering and/or construction management
• scientific reports and papers are written in English, and thus strong command of English language is required (demonstrated by works written in English, and/or certified English tests)

Preferred selection criteria

• experience with infrastructure projects
• digital skills (e.g. data harvesting and analysis, signal processing and time series analysis)
• experience with quantitative research
• Scandinavian language is an asset. The Optimaltid project includes fieldwork with close collaboration with Norwegian contractors, and thus a Scandinavian language is advantageous (preferably demonstrated by works written in the past, application correspondence and language, and/or certified language tests)

Personal characteristics

• ability to work both individually and in a team environment and a high level of personal responsibility
• excellent communication skills in scientific writing and oral presentation
• creative and initiative problem-solver
• ability to think “out of the box

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 482 200 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 Civil and Environmental Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/ibm/phd) 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 daily.

About the application

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

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
• Motivation letter
• Publication list
• Name and address of two referees

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 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 Prof. Ole Jonny Klakegg, email ole.jonny.klakegg@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Senior Executive Officer HR Hege Johansen, e-mail: hege.johansen@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-62/21 when applying.

Application deadline: 09.03.21

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.

Deadline 9th March 2021
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Høgskoleringen 7 a