About the position

NTNU has a vacancy for a 3-year PhD fellowship at the Department of Geoscience and Petroleum (IGP). The researcher will be a part of BRU21: NTNU Research and Innovation Program on Digital and Automation Solutions for the Oil and Gas Industry ( HYPERLINK "http://www.ntnu.edu/bru21" www.ntnu.edu/bru21). BRU21 is a PhD driven Program with about 34 PhD/PostDoc projects led by 25 Professors from different institutes at NTNU as well as a number of industrial co-supervisors. The PhD candidates are financed either by NTNU or by an Oil and Gas Company. This specific PhD Fellowship is financed by Petrobras and the PhD candidate will work on a use case in collaboration with Petrobras. The candidate will formally be employed by NTNU for a 3 years PhD period with location in Trondheim, Norway. The candidate must expect some travel between Rio de Janeiro and Trondheim related to the use case.        

Well integrity monitoring and control is intended to reduce the risk of failures, which causes must be understood and mitigated or eliminated. In addition to fault detection, it is important to develop means to predict and avoid critical faults and degradation mechanisms, considering the whole life cycle of a well starting from its concept design phase through construction, production until its plug and abandonment. In this project the focus will be on solving these challenges through employing new data analytics techniques and establishment of an appropriated integrity criteria based on industry best practices and on the related state-of-the-art.

The primary is to develop a computer-based artificial intelligence system, or a system of systems, for offshore well integrity and life cycle management for the Brazilian and Norwegian Continental Shelves.

You will report to your supervisor.

Duties of the position

The goal of the project is to propose a solution to this challenge and to document it in a high-level PhD thesis. During the project period the PhD candidate is expected to take the necessary courses and to participate in the activities of BRU21.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background (see About the position)
• 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)
• Background in drilling and well construction, mechanical engineering or similar
• Good written and oral English language skills

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

• Background and/or experience relevant to the project topic (see About the position)
• Good knowledge of digital tools like Matlab, Python, etc. 
• Experience with data analytics technics (e.g. machine learning, artificial intelligence)
• Industrial experience
• Written and oral Portuguese language skills will be considered as an advantage

Personal characteristics

• A high level of personal responsibility and initiative
• Work independently as well as part of a team in accordance with the project objectives
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary projects and 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

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 without required duties.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme) 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.

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.

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. 
• Research plan 
• Name and address of three referees 
• If you have publications or other relevant research work 

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. 

(velg by og ta bort byene som ikke er relevant)

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.

The city of Gjøvik has a population of 30 000 and is a town known for its rich music and cultural life. The beautiful nature surrounding the city is ideal for an active outdoor life! The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world.

The city of Ålesund, with its population of 50 000, will provide you with plenty of opportunities to explore a region of Norway that is famous for its beautiful scenery with high mountains and blue fjords. Ålesund itself, with its Art Nouveau architecture, is by many considered to be the most beautiful city in Norway! The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world.

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 professor Sigbjørn Sangesland, e-mail sigbjorn.sangesland@ntnu.no, og professor Alexey Pavlov, e-mail alexey.pavlov@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Anne-Lise Brekken, e-mail: anne.lise.brekken@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).

Please refer to the application number IV-204/21 when applying.

Application deadline: 30.10.2021

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 Geoscience and Petroleum

We conduct teaching and research related to management of Earth’s geological resources. Norway’s rich resources of wind, water, oil, gas and minerals have been and are essential to the country’s prosperity, and will continue to be in the future. The Department plays a key role in the development of technology and the education of graduates who enable value creation based on our natural resources. The Department of Geoscience and Petroleum is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 30th October 2021
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Institutt for geovitenskap og petroleum