Postdoctoral Fellow, Multiregional Input-Output Model Development and Impact Assessment

About the position 

The Industrial Ecology Program (IndEcol ), Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is seeking a Post-Doctoral Scholar for the continued development, updating and scientific application of the environmentally extended multiregional input-output model EXIOBASE and the global life cycle impact assessment methodology LC-IMPACT.

EXIOBASE  and LC-IMPACT   are two major pillars of the digital research infrastructure of the Industrial Ecology Programme as well as of the Industrial Ecology community (together over 80,000 downloads in the last years). The successful applicant will take responsibility for maintaining and extending this infrastructure, with a focus on Open Science/FAIR data and code management. The outcome of this process will be a fully automated, parallelized data pipeline integrated into the NTNU digital infrastructure (OpenStack and HPC cluster). Another major part of the work will be the further increase of the uptake of these databases through web-presence development, development and end-user focused software and workshops/presentations of these at relevant conferences.

EXIOBASE and LC-IMPACT are crucial for two upcoming EU-fundend projects (RAINFOREST and BAMBOO, both led by NTNU) which focus on mitigating biodiversity loss caused by global (non-)food and biomass production systems. Together with the project teams, the PostDoc will identify synergies between the projects and integrate novel methods developed in these projects into the data-pipelines of EXIOBASE and LC-IMPACT.

IndEcol is a pioneer in the development and application of industrial ecology methods, as well as the use of large data sets and scientific computing in industrial ecology. We focus on understanding resource use and environmental pollution associated with human activities, assessing the environmental aspects of different technologies and modeling society’s use of materials. IndEcol combines world-class competence in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Input-Output analysis (IO), and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) with scientists’ contribution to IPCC assessment reports, the International Resource Panel, active participation in the Life Cycle Initiative hosted by Un Environment, and numerous publications featured in high-ranked journals. IndEcol hosts its own International MSc program and contributes to NTNU’s engineering education. The research team  consisting of eight faculty members, the Industrial Ecology Digital Laboratory , and about 70 researchers, post.docs and PhDs.

The Head of Department is Professor Terese Løvås. The work will be done under the guidance of Dr. Konstantin Stadler and academic supervision of Professors Edgar Hertwich, Richard Wood and Francesca Verones.

Trondheim is the place of duty.

Duties of the position

• Maintain, refine and extend the EXIOBASE and LC-IMPACT data pipeline
• Translate and integrate previous MatLAB scripts into Python
• Integrate methodological outcomes of previous and current projects into both data-pipelines
• Draft and submit scientific manuscripts and present at scientific conferences
• Developing, improving, and revising documentation, web-presence and visualizations
• Identify novel research topics and lead publications efforts
• Co-supervise PhD and Master’s students.

Required selection criteria

The position is funded for four years with a negotiable start date. It is envisaged as a PostDoc, but for highly qualified candidates who have already completed at least two years of relevant PostDoc training in Norway, hiering in a researcher position will be considered. 

Postdoctoral fellow:

A postdoctoral research fellowship is a qualification position in which the main objective is qualification for work in academic positions. You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree in industrial ecology, economics, engineering, applied mathematics, informatics, or a related field that provides adequate training in computer programming and data processing, or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral.

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.

Selection criteria: 

• IO or LCA, quantitative sustainability background
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent coding skills and familiarity with the Python scientific stack (Numpy, Pandas, etc.)
• Research competence and productivity, demonstrated through research output
• Interest expressed in a cover letter or research proposal.
• Fluent English language skills

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

• Experience with the compilation of (MR)IO models
• Previous work with National Economics/Trade Data
• Familiarity with economic analysis
• Any of the following IT skills:
  • Modeling of (non-)linear optimization problems, particular in GAMS
  • Version control in Git, using Github and Gitlab
  • Distributed / high-performence computing
  • (Big) data management with a focus on Open Data
  • Development of automated data pipelines including data retrieval via API
  • Design on interactive (web)-visualizations

Personal characteristics

• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated
• Ambitious and goal-oriented
• Ability to solve complex technical tasks independently
• Team player
• Excellent communication skills

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability

We offer 

• Excellent subsequent job prospects through gaining experience with data science and high-performance computing in combination with sustainability analysis
• Shape the development of one of the most successful global MRIO databases
• 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 4 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. 

The application must include (Departments to choose from the following): 

• 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 XX 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 Edgar Hertwich, telephone: +47 975 12 109, email: [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Mathilde Smith-Nilsen, e-mail: [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. 

Application deadline: 12.10.22 

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 Energy and Process Engineering

We conduct research and teaching covering the entire energy chain, from resources to the end-user. We look at how energy is produced and used by humans and machines in a sustainable way with regard to health, climate change and the resource base. The Department of Energy and Process Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 12th October 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Gløshaugen