About the job

We have a vacancy for a PhD candidate at Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in Design for Additive Manufacturing of functional metallic parts.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

The theme of this PhD is process and component design for Additive Manufacturing (AM). AM technologies allow the direct conversion of digital designs into physical products within one production step and completely autonomous, avoiding setup time and the use of tools. Unlike the conventional materials, the material properties in AM parts evolve during the fabrication process. Process condition, geometry and material properties are closely related; every change in the geometry and process parameters will change the way the AM machine performs its building routine affecting the toolpath and ultimately, the properties of the resulting solid. Parts are no longer isotropic, in some cases not fully dense, surfaces are rough, and there is a high chance of inclusions, impurities, and inhomogeneities, all related to the underlying manufacturing strategy, which, in turn, is dependent on the input for fabrication.

The main goal of this project is to evaluate the tailoring of process parameters and the geometry of the AM components to get favourable mechanical properties and performance both in local areas of the part and in the component as a whole.

The position reports to Associate Professor Javad Razavi.

Duties of the position

• you will have hands on experience with Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process
• AM fabrication of components with variable process parameters
• metallurgical analysis of the chosen alloys
• surface analysis of the AM parts to evaluate the geometry and process dependent surface topology
• application of advanced damage detection methods for structural integrity assessment
• performing mechanical tests such as tensile, fracture and fatigue tests on coupons and component scale
• application and development of novel local approaches for failure prediction
• performing advanced numerical analysis with the aim of failure prediction

Required selection criteria

• you must have a professionally relevant background within one or more of the following subject areas: Mechanical engineering, Industrial engineering, Materials technology
• your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, 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
• master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by April 1st, 2023
• you must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program
• excellent written and oral English skills
• experience in mechanical testing of materials or components (fracture and fatigue)
• understanding basic principles of additive manufacturing and how the process conditions may alter the quality of AM parts

 The appointment is to be made in accordance with  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

• skills in using Finite Element Codes such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, etc. are well evaluated during the recruiting process
• experience in AM processes, especially metal AM
• if you have knowledge of metallography and material science you will be given additional credit in evaluation
• the ability to conduct high quality research and publish results in acknowledged peer-reviewed journals is an asset

Personal characteristics

• strong ability to work problem oriented
• enjoy interdisciplinary research
• keen interest in learning and working in teams
• proficiency to systematically carry out goal-oriented work, in combination with good skills to deliver oral and written presentation of research results, along with good collaborative capabilities will be emphasized

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

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

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 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 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 your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• 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.
• Project proposal on the defined subject of this position
• Name and contact information 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.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short 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

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality. 

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.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Javad Razavi, email javad.razavi@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Linn-Cecilie Felle Brattheim, e-mail: linn.c.felle@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.  

Application deadline: 09.01.2023

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 9th January 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering