About the position

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position over two years, where the main goal is to qualify for work in a senior academic position. The PD will be related to a Research Group covering the entire value chain from mining to mineral processing in a team of professors, postdocs and PhD candidates. The working environment is international and vivid.

The selected candidate for the post doc position will work interdisciplinary towards understanding our society's real need for minerals and metals to supply strategic needs and the technology needed in the energy transition. Further, the Postdoc should assess how, and from where, these materials should be sourced. An important question that should be investigated is what the alternative sources to terrestrial mining are. What potential does e-waste have? Is there unused potential in the historic deposits of tailings? And should we extract from the deep sea?

Through the identification and descriptions of various mineral extraction value chains in terms of both different commodities and alternative extraction solutions, the PD will carry out comparative studies that identify the potential that lies in the different value chains. These will be compared with possible future scenarios that define the need for minerals and metals. An important activity will be to assess existing methodologies for estimation of future needs, and the development of more powerful and reliable methods will be sought. The work will help to document the real need for minerals and metals and provide a strengthened basis that can be compared and held up against the costs of different types of extraction.

All applications must be followed by a (maximum 1 page) research plan. The candidate will also be involved in strategic work and new applications for research.

Your immediate leader is the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• Carry out research, publish the scientific results and disseminate in popular scientific channels according to project plan
• Develop their carrier and research network
• The department may offer extension for teaching
• Contribute to developing project proposals coordinated by main contacts
• Contribute to the activities and cooperation in the research group

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position. 
• Good knowledge about the general mining value chain
• In-depth knowledge about one or more specific mining value chain(s)
• Proven academic publishing skills
• Good written and oral English skills

The research in this position has civilian objectives. The candidate is required to work with technologies regulated by export control laws. Candidates that might conflict with this requirement will not be evaluated

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.

Preferred selection criteria

• PhD degree in one of the following: resource geology, mining engineering, mineral economics, mineral resource management, urban mining or circular economy.
• Experienced in interdisciplinary cooperation
• Good written and oral Norwegian skills

Personal characteristics

• Independent
• Proactive
• Analytical
• Collaborative
• Methodological in your approach to science

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 Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 563 500 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 2 years.

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.

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.  

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: 

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your PhD thesis has been submitted
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 10 items)
• Research plan
• Name and contact information of three referees

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. 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 

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

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 Assoc. Prof. Kurt Aasly, telephone +47 934 43 511, e-mail kurt.aasly@ntnu.no or Prof. Steinar Løve Ellefmo, telephone +47 905 07 125, e-mail steinar.ellefmo@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Anne-Lise Brekken, e-mail: anne.lise.brekken@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: 03.03.2023. 

NTNU

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 3rd March 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Institutt for geovitenskap og petroleum