
NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology · Trondheim
This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three ci...
NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.
At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.
You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.
The NTNU University Museum is seeking a highly qualified, ambitious, and motivated PhD candidate for a project focusing on the genomics of cryptic coloration in anurans (frogs and toads).
Anurans display a diversity of colors and patterns that enable them to avoid detection by predators through background matching, masquerade (e.g., resembling leaves or bird droppings), or disruptive coloration. In many cryptically colored species, multiple color morphs co-occur within populations, and similar polymorphisms have evolved repeatedly across distantly related taxa. Proposed mechanisms for the maintenance of such polymorphisms include spatial and temporal variation in selection, heterozygote advantage, and pleiotropic effects linking coloration to other fitness-related traits.
The PhD project will generate and analyze genomic and transcriptomic datasets derived from both samples collected in the field (e.g., Ethiopia, Borneo), and tissue collections in natural history museums. Using population and comparative genomics approaches, the candidate will have opportunities to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms underlying (i) the maintenance of cryptic color polymorphisms within species, and/or (ii) the repeated evolution of similar cryptic color traits across lineages. While the project will primarily be computational and lab-based, there will be opportunities to develop complementary field experiments. The focal study system will be defined in collaboration with the successful candidate.
The successful candidate will be employed at the NTNU University Museum’s Department of Natural History. The NTNU University Museum is the natural and cultural history museum of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. The Department of Natural History conducts research in systematics and taxonomy, evolutionary genomics, as well as in phylogeography, population genetics, and ecology with an emphasis on conservation biology.
Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.
The team of supervisors will consist of Ass. Prof. Sandra Goutte (main supervisor), as well as co-supervisor Prof. Michael D. Martin. The candidate will use the NTNU University Museum’s collection, genomics laboratory facilities, and computational resources.
The work of the PhD candidate will likely consist of field work abroad (e.g., Ethiopia, Borneo) in remote locations, genomics lab work and bioinformatic analyses. For a position as a PhD candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. Publication of project results in peer-reviewed journals are expected. Main duties of the position are:
The successful candidate should expect changes to their work duties after employment.
Required selection criteria
PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.
The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.
Preferred selection criteria
The PhD candidate should be self-motivated, enthusiastic, goal and solution oriented. Good cooperative skills and a desire to work collaboratively with people having diverse research interests are essential.
To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:
Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.
We offer
You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts.
Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.
We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.
If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.
In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.
The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work in addition to 9 months of career promotion work, altogether 3 years and 9 months.
For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Biology (PhD programme in Biology - NTNU) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.
As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.
For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.
The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.
The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in English.
Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.
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. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.
We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.
When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.
NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).
A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt 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 exemption is not granted.
If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Sandra Goutte - email: sandra.goutte@ntnu.no.
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Anne Karin Henning - anne.karin.henning@ntnu.no / Kristin Skogen – kristin.skogen@ntnu.com
For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.
The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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.
This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here. Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position The position is part of the research project “Prediction of genetic values and adaptive potential in the wild (GPWILD)” (https://www.ntnu.no/gjaerevoll/gpwild), funded through a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). A major goal of the project is to develop cutting-edge statistical methodology to analyse and make predictions from large-scale genomic data, which is currently generated for many wild animal populations. To this end, the project combines modern statistical methodology and builds on the current state-of-the art in animal breeding, human genomics, ecology and evolutionary biology. The post-doc will thus work with a cross-disciplinary team of researchers and can contribute towards the development of methods that will make an impact to better understand evolution and the robustness of wild anmial populations, with the ultimate goal to help preserving biodiversity. The post-doc will work at NTNU in Trondheim, and the fellowship will be hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences (https://www.ntnu.edu/imf). The project is a close collaboration with evolutionary ecologists from the Department of Biology (https://www.ntnu.edu/biology) and the Gjærevoll Centre (https://www.ntnu.edu/gjaerevoll) at NTNU, as well as with international researchers in the field. The successful applicant will be offered a 3,5 year position, including 6 months for career enhancing work. Duties of the position • Develop and implement new efficient and accurate statistical methods for genomic prediction, as well as for the decomposition of phenotypic variance into components relevant for evolutionary processes. This is done using genomic data from wild animal populations. • Use the new methods to derive insight into evolutionary processes of the study systems of our collaborators. • Core components of the research involve, among others, Bayesian hierarchical modelling, shrinkage methods, machine learning (ML) or dimension reduction approaches, generalized linear mixed modeling, and performing simulations using specialized statistical programming tools. • Writing and publishing papers in international, peer-reviewed journals. • An important part of the project is collaboration with evolutionary biologists, mostly at NTNU, but also internationally. The post-doc is therefore expected to maintain and nourish these collaborations, as well as disseminate their statistical research to a broader scientific audience. • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions. • Teaching and other career enhancing duties such as mentoring PhD and Master students. • The cadidate is expected to show a high level of initiative, motivation and independence for research and writing. Required selection criteria • You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in Statistics or equivalent. • If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted or that the defense date has been confirmed, your application can be considered even if you have not defended. NOTE: Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position. • Keen interest in ecological statistics and cross-disciplinary scientific research. • Solid background in statistical modelling. • Experience with the use of large datasets. • Strong skills in computer programming and computational statistics. • Very good oral and written skills in English. • Strong academic background documented with publications in international peer-reviewed journals. PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”. If you do not already have educational competence that meets the requirements for a position as associate professor in Norway, NTNU will arrange for you to acquire such competence during the employment period. In such cases, you will also be assigned relevant teaching as part of the career-promoting work. The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and for general criteria for the position. Preferred selection criteria • Knowledge and experience with statistical analysis of genomic data. • Documented background in evolutionary ecology, genomics and/or quantiative genetics, for example from courses or the PhD. • Experience with teaching. • High level of motivation. Personal characteristics • Ambitions to deliver high-quality research. • Willingness to learn new fields of research in a multidisciplinary research environment. • Excellent communication skills. • Drive to communicate and convey new research results to biologists. • Excellent writing skills, capable of synthesizing and expressing complex ideas clearly. • Self-motivated, resilient, resourceful, result-oriented, and independent. • Curiosity and strong motivation for the subject. • Structured work mode, able to set goals and make plans to achieve them. Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities. We offer • An exciting job with an important social mission. • Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment. • Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues. • Favorable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. • Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2). As a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits. Diversity Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time. At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. Salary and conditions As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 633 400,- 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 3,5 years, including 6 months for career enhancing work (i.e. courses within educational competence and teaching). The position is conditional on external funding. As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to adapt to them. For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis. The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed. About the application The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request. The application must include: • Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's-,Master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or confirmation that your PhD thesis has been submitted. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position. • CV. • A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, you can attach a draft of the thesis. • A maximum of 3 academic works - published or unpublished. • 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 requiredcan be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), 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. If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result. In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of the candidates. NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and is committed to follow evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA and the obligations in CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission). General information A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public list of applicants, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted. If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Stefanie Muff, stefanie.muff@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Lisa Wedershoven, lisa.wedershoven@ntnu.no. If you find this position interesting, and in accordance 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: 09.08.2026. For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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.
This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here. Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position Aerial robotics have scored significant successes yet – interestingly – they have long employed body morphologies that merely represent miniaturizations of manned aviation concepts or have resorted to biomimicry. However, novel missions and environments require that we look into new designs and concepts both for the robot’s morphology as well as its control and autonomy. To that end, soft bodies offer the possibility to create flying robots with unique capabilities. By exploiting advanced materials, we can achieve anisotropic compliance – offering softness only in the desired directions of interaction – while maintaining light weight and high control authority. Importantly, body softness can be exploited by appropriately designed control in order to achieve enhanced safety and the ability to navigate particularly cluttered and high-risk environments. In turn, deriving such control laws represents its own challenge calling for the utilization of advanced techniques including but not limited to deep reinforcement learning and model predictive control. The position is part of the Autonomous Robots Lab activities in resilient robotic autonomy across diverse operational conditions and environments. The Autonomous Robots Lab has leading research in robotic autonomy and demonstrated performance in a collection of world-class projects funded by both European and US sources. For more details about our team and our publication track record, see: https://www.autonomousrobotslab.com/publications.html. Recent examples of our work can be seen in the following videos of our robotic experimentation: https://youtu.be/l8Su8OXsM-E & https://youtu.be/nS2WgZldIv4 & https://youtu.be/OO2P4N0drGc & https://youtu.be/C6l7Vklbc9k & https://youtu.be/o56wAkelRzU For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. Your immediate leader is Professor Kostas Alexis as the main scientific supervisor of the research. About the project The activity will be part of the funded Horizon Europe project “RESSORT: Resilient Efficient Soft and Sustainable Optimized Robotics Technology” in which NTNU is partner (Coordinator: VUA, Brussels). Research collaboration with the consortium partners is also expected. Duties of the position • Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above • Fundamental contributions in soft aerial robot design • Fundamental contributions in control for flying robots • Contributions in robot learning, model predictive control or other key method • Focus on robust sim2real transfer, robot realization and testing Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must have a professionally relevant background in any or all of the domains of machine learning, evolutionary algorithms, optimization, robotics and other synergistic domains. • 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. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program (see: https://www.ntnu.edu/ie/research/phd) PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”. The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position. Preferred selection criteria • Knowledge and skills in software engineering including strong background in C++ and/or Python. • Experience with robot modeling and design in CAD • Experience with reinforcement learning or model predictive control. • Experience with the Robot Operating System (ROS). • Experience with simulators for robotic systems. • Experience with implementation of real-life robotic systems. • Good written and oral English skills. Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: • Be scientifically curious and open to new research challenges. • Demonstrate independence and persistence in addressing technical problems. • Be flexible and reliable, with ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team. We offer • Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment • An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues • Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period • Working capital that can be used to implement the project • Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU • Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits. Diversity Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time. At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. Salary and conditions In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be from NOK 550 800,-per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. The employment period is 3 years. For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD program in Engineering Cybernetics within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral program through out the period of employment. The position is conditional on external funding. As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them. For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis. The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed. About the application The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request. The application must include:(decide on what must be included - remove what does not fit): • 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. • Name and contact information of mimimum two referees • If you have publications, software that you have developed or other relevant research work please include it (or a summary for it) 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. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well. Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation. When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates. NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission). General information A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt 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 exemption is not granted. If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply. If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Konstantinos Alexis, email konstantinos.alexis@ntnu.no If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Berit Dahl, e-mail: berit.dahl@ntnu.no Application deadline: 25.08.2026. For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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.
This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here. Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position Are you motivated to pursue a doctorate while working on real-world challenges in public asset management and decision-making? As a PhD Candidate in this position, you will work towards your doctoral degree while gaining valuable experience in applying artificial intelligence and data-driven methods to complex decision-support processes. The project focuses on developing AI-supported approaches to improve how large public building portfolios are evaluated and managed. You will work with real use cases and contribute to research that aims to make decision processes more consistent, transparent, and evidence-based. You will collaborate with a broad network of internal and external partners, including practitioners, domain experts, and researchers. This provides a unique opportunity to combine academic research with practical application in a highly relevant societal context. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. About the project The PhD project is part of a broader effort to develop AI-supported decision frameworks for public asset management, with a focus on improving evaluation, prioritization, and long-term planning of building portfolios. The work will explore how AI can support more consistent and data-informed assessments while maintaining a human-in-the-loop approach where expert judgment remains central. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NTNU, SINTEF Digital, and the Department of Engineering Cybernetics. It is conducted in close collaboration with Statsbygg and other relevant public building owners and authorities. The research is embedded in the Norwegian Center on AI for Decisions (aiD), ensuring strong interdisciplinary collaboration between academia, research institutes, and public sector partners. Duties of the position • Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out high-quality research within AI-supported decision-making for asset management • Academic publications and popular science dissemination • Participate in the aiD research network and relevant national research and applied practice environments • Contribute to research and knowledge exchange activities in the research group Building Process at the department • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays abroad • Contribute to teaching and supervision activities if required Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must have a relevant master’s degree in facility or asset management, property and real estate, engineering, economics, computer science, data science, or a related field. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. • You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme - PhD - Faculty of Engineering Science - NTNU • Good written and oral communication skills in English PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”. The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position. Preferred selection criteria • Experience or strong interest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or data-driven decision support systems • Knowledge of asset management, infrastructure planning, or public sector decision processes, preferably in a Norwegian or Scandinavian context • Relevant work experience in asset or facility management, infrastructure planning, or related fields is an advantage. Experience with data-driven methods or analytical tools is a plus • Familiarity with explainable AI or human-in-the-loop systems is beneficial • Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level B2-C. Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: • Work independently, take initiative and be proactive • Are structured and able to plan and execute research tasks • Are curious and motivated to explore complex problems • Can analyze data and draw well-founded conclusions • Communicate research clearly with both academic and non-academic audiences • Contribute constructively to collaboration with others • Are flexible and able to adapt research direction when needed • Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities. We offer Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position. • An exciting job with an important mission in society • Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment • Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period • Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues • Working capital that can be used to implement the project • Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU • Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) • Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2) As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits. Diversity Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time. At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. Salary and conditions In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work. For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme PhD in Engineering (Doctoral Programme) 3 years - Trondheim - NTNU within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment. As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them. For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis. The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed. About the application The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request. The application must include: • Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees • CV • Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently 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 outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages) • Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page) • Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work • Possibly certificates • Names and contact information of three relevant 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, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well. Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation. When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates. NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission). General information A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt 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 exemption is not granted. If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply. If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Savis Gohari, 94484660, Savis.gohari@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Ragne Matberg (HR Consultant), email: ragne.matberg@ntnu.no Application deadline: 31.07.2026 ----------------- For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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.