Postdoctoral Fellow in Ion-Exchange Membranes and Electrodialysis
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 Department of Chemical Engineering (IKP), Faculty of Natural Sciences (NV), at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has a vacancy for a Postdoctoral Fellow in ion-exchange membranes and electrodialysis. The position is associated with BrinE-loop, a Horizon Europe EIC Pathfinder project developing an integrated electrochemical approach for valorization of desalination brines and recycling of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery materials.
Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? We offer an exciting 3-year/4-year (select employment period) postdoctoral position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher. You will also gain valuable experience that might be relevant for your further career.
The purpose of a postdoctoral position is to build up a researcher profile that qualifies for a position as associate professor. The position may also offer additional skills that are relevant to the postdoctoral fellow's future career.
Apply for this position to become part of our research environment and take the next step in your career with us.
The desired starting date is as soon as possible, and no later than 1 December.
Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.
About the project
BrinE-loop is funded under the Horizon Europe EIC Pathfinder Challenges programme and aims to develop a disruptive, integrated electrochemical process that combines desalination-brine valorization with recovery and recycling of critical materials. Instead of treating concentrated desalination brines as waste, the project aims to convert them into valuable products and process streams while integrating lithium recovery from LFP battery waste. The integrated process targets recovery or production of lithium carbonate, magnesium chloride, calcium carbonate and deionized water, while internally generating and recycling important chemical streams.
NTNU leads WP1, Electrified Mono/Di-valent Stream Separation, which develops a membrane-based electrodialysis process for separating monovalent ions from divalent ions. The Postdoctoral Fellow will have a central role in NTNU's activities, particularly in the design, fabrication, functionalization, characterization and performance evaluation of monovalent-selective ion-exchange membranes. The developed membranes will subsequently be incorporated into electrodialysis modules and ultimately into the integrated BrinE-loop process.
NTNU's membrane laboratories provide facilities for membrane fabrication and characterization and advanced electrodialysis performance evaluation.
Duties of the position
- Carry out high-quality, independent research within the BrinE-loop project on selective ion-exchange membranes and electrodialysis.
Collaborate with project partners on membrane/process integration, modelling and optimization, and participate in consortium meetings and project reporting.
Publish and disseminate research results in high-quality scientific journals and at international conferences.
Contribute to mentoring of students, research proposals and other career-promoting activities where relevant.
Required selection criteria
Applicants must
Have completed a doctoral degree in membrane science and technology, chemical engineering, materials science, polymer science, chemistry, electrochemistry, or another closely related discipline.
Have a strong experimental research background in membrane science and membrane-based separation, including hands-on experience in membrane fabrication and physicochemical characterization.
Have very good oral and written communication skills in English.
If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted or that the defence date has been confirmed, your application can be considered even if you have not yet defended. Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position.
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
The following qualifications will be considered an advantage
Research experience with ion-exchange membranes, particularly monovalent-selective membranes and selective transport in charged or multi-ion systems.
Experimental experience with electrodialysis or related electrochemical membrane separation processes.
Experience with membrane functionalization strategies for controlling ion selectivity and transport.
A strong publication record in relevant international peer-reviewed journals and experience with interdisciplinary and/or international collaborative research.
Personal characteristics
Working as a Postdoctoral fellow requires that you
Work independently and in a structured manner, setting research goals and developing plans to achieve them.
Have strong analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to draw well-founded conclusions from experimental data.
Show curiosity, creativity and strong motivation for membrane science, electrochemical separation and sustainable resource recovery.
Communicate effectively and contribute constructively to an interdisciplinary and international research team.
Are flexible and willing to adapt research plans as the project develops.
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
Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which containsthe skills and knowledge you will acquire
Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
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 years.
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 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-,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 research plan (2-3 pages) describing how your background and research ideas can contribute to development of selective ion-exchange membranes and electrodialysis within the BrinE-loop project.
A list of academic works/publications (published or unpublished).
Name and contact information of three referees
If all or parts of your education hasbeen 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 Liyuan Deng, email: liyuan.deng@ntnu.no.
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Lise Skorstad, email: lise.skorstad@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: 20.09.2026
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.