About the job

The proposed 2-year position (fixed starting date) at the Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering in Gjøvik, is linked to two European funded projects of ASEMlab (www.asemlab.no), dedicated to hydrogen storage tanks for aerospace. The successful candidate will focus on the development of an extensive cradle-to-cradle and LCA/LCC study, for new lightweight hydrogen storage tanks made of sustainable polymer composites. Through this position, you will find an exceptional portfolio of industrial and academic partners from Norway and Europe, across a variety of sectors. The successful candidate will join the Group for Sustainable Composites and will be part of ASEMlab team (Laboratory of Advanced & Sustainable Engineering Materials), led by Prof. Sotirios Grammatikos. ASEMlab is in possession of brand-new facilities for polymer composites research, covering manufacturing, testing & characterization, non-destructive evaluation, recycling as well as advanced software for design and analysis. ASEMlab-NTNU is currently the main hub for composites research in Norway, with a strong portfolio of running (national and EU) projects and ongoing collaboration with the industry. NTNU in Gjøvik is one of the new campuses of NTNU, located close to Raufoss Industrial Park, Mustad Industrial Park and Sintef Raufoss.

The successful candidate will be supervised by Prof. Sotirios Grammatikos.

Duties of the position

The position aims to:

• Develop life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCC) of new sustainable polymer composites used for H2 storage tanks in aviation
• Employ owned lifetime data concerning state-of-the-art polymer composites used for H2 tanks in aviation

Given the involvement in different research programs, professionality, exceptional communication skills as well as the ability to travel to project meetings and other dissemination activities, is a must.

Required selection criteria

The position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale, as well as a PhD in LCA/LCCA (see below comment for non-PhD holders). Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. 

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.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English language written and communication skills is a prerequisite. The candidate is expected to be fluent in written and oral English language skills. Candidates from universities outside Scandinavia and English-speaking countries are kindly requested to document English language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)).

TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test)

IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted)

CAE/CPE: grade B or A.

In extraordinary circumstances, formal documentation of language skills can be relinquished. In such cases the candidate’s language skills will be assessed in a personal interview.

Preferred selection criteria

• PhD in LCA/LCCA (see below special conditions for non-PhD holders)
• strong background in cradle-to-cradle, life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCC) for composites
• experience with composites structural degradation will be a plus
• ambitious, proactive with a strong ability to work on problem-oriented activities

Personal characteristics

We are looking for a positive, balanced personality who can think creatively and critically. The candidate must have excellent analytical and collaboration skills as well as an ability to work independently and in teams. Cooperation skills and communication skills are important for the position and will be highly weighted in the selection process.

Emphasis will be placed on education, previous experience, and personal suitability, as well as motivation, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

We offer 

• a friendly workplace with dedicated academics
• brand-new research facilities
• a research-oriented environment
• close collaboration with the industrial sector both nationally and internationally
• 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 two 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.

The position is subject to external funding.

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.

To apply the application must include (in electronic form):

1. Cover letter directed to Prof. Sotirios Grammatikos
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Certified copy of transcripts and diplomas with grades from post graduate studies (in English)
4. Research statement dedicated to the needs of this position (max. 1 page) that should include:
   1. A short presentation of the motivation
   2. How the applicant sees his/her background suitable for this position
   3. The applicant’s view of research challenges within the area of this position
5. Names and contact details of at least 2 reference persons who we can contact
6. A copy of the PhD thesis (in PDF), or, for those who are near to completion of their PhD, an extended abstract combined with a statement of how and when the applicant plans to complete the thesis (1 page)

We will consider applicants, without a PhD, in the event that they hold significant experience on LCA and especially if that is in connection to EU projects.

Incomplete applications and applications not meeting the background criteria, will not be considered. Nominations and applications will be considered until the position is filled.

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. (tas bort hvis ikke aktuelt)

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.

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.

For informal information about the position, interested applicants are very much encouraged to contact Professor Sotirios Grammatikos.

Professor Sotirios Grammatikos, Research Group Leader for Sustainable Composites, Director of Laboratory of Advanced & Sustainable Engineering Materials (ASEMlab), sotirios.grammatikos@ntnu.no, phone: + 4790577561.

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: 15.03.2023

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 Manufacturing and Civil Engineering

Our profile of expertise can help to solve the world’s most important societal challenge: the development of sustainable solutions in industry and society. This profile includes research on modern industrial processes, use of new and recycled materials, new technological solutions and the application of new forms of organization and business models. The Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 29th March 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Gjøvik
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service NTNU Campus Gjøvik