Postdoctoral Fellow - manganese dioxide (MnO2) production and testing for battery applications.

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 42,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here .

A postdoctoral fellowship is available at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU. The PostDoc research is about manganese dioxide (MnO2) production and testing for battery applications.

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.  

We are seeking candidates with strong interest in hydrometallurgical processes holding PhD degree (or defend PhD very soon) in materials science and engineering, or chemical engineering. The research activities are in an EU project (HAlMan) in Horizon Europe program. In HAlMan manganese and manganese alloys, manganese oxides, and aluminum oxide are produced via new approaches, and are further used to make a variety of commercial products in different industries.

The PostDoc researcher will work mainly on hydrometallurgical treatment of manganese ores including leaching, solution purification and electrolysis. Good knowledge about hydrometallurgical processes, thermodynamic fundamentals, solutions behaviour are important, in addition to experience on using thermodynamic software such as FactSage and HSC-Chemistry. The applicant must do significant experimental research in hydrometallurgy lab and therefore it is important that the applicant has good experiences in this field. The project will require the use of different metallurgical equipment and advanced materials characterization techniques such as SEM, ICP-MS, XRF, XRD, etc.

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in materials science, materials chemistry or solid-state physics or related field. 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. The PhD must be completed before December 2022. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position. 
• Excellent written and oral English language skills as well as presentation skills are required. 

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.

Previous experience with metallurgical/chemical processes, hydrometallurgical processes. 

• The successful candidates can take responsibility for progress and can work independently.
• The candidates have good communication skills and can collaborate closely with other members of the research group.
• The candidates must be diligent and able to show initiative on behalf of their own work.

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

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 3 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.

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. The PhD must be completed before December 2022
• A copy of the doctoral 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
• 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. 

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 .

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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.  

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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 Jafar Safarian, telephone +47 48061765, email [email protected] . 

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. 

Please refer to the application number NVD-291/22 when applying.

Application deadline: 30.09.2022

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 Materials Science and Engineering  

We are Norway's leading educational and research environment in materials engineering, materials chemistry and materials science.  In collaboration with business and industry, we are a driving force for the development of innovative materials as well as new applications and manufacturing processes.  Activities in our disciplines are vital for the green shift. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences .