Postdoctoral Fellow within carbon foot-printing of construction activities

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 .

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (IBM) has a vacancy for a Postdoctoral Fellow.

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

Construction of Buildings and infrastructure are a significant contributor to global warming, due to its high involvement of construction machinery, land use change and material consumption.  So far, construction activities have been given relatively little attention versus material consumption and in-use-energy consumption when calculating greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment. However, as we are lowering the impacts from materials and the use phase, the emissions from construction activities becomes more important. There is thus a need to better understand the greenhouse gas emissions of the many different construction processes, in order identify the potential to reduce emissions from these activities.

The aim for this postdoctoral research is to systemize knowledge in ground improvements methods, tunneling, excavation, earth moving, infrastructure- and building construction in order to develop models for the estimation of carbon-emissions from construction activities. These models will provide the basis for a carbon- calculator for construction and building activities. The models will be built on time series of machine use and efficiency for the various technologies. The work is innovative in nature and requires deep insight in construction and building processes and life cycle assessment.

The postdoc will be affiliated to the center for “Green Shift in Built Environment” which is under establishment and will work in close collaboration with NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Program.

You will report to the main supervisor.

• Create the carbon-emission calculator for construction activities
• Publish in highly ranked international journals
• Supervise master students
• Support interdisciplinary work within and between research groups on the topic

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD 
• You must have a professionally relevant background in engineering/natural science
• PhD within civil engineering, industrial ecology, or natural sciences
• Competence in life cycle assessment or civil engineering
• Relevant programming software skills (Python, R, MatLab, BIM, GIS)
• Evidence of an interest in the research, articulated in a cover letter or research proposal
• Good written and oral English language skills

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant   

• Motivation for environmental research of practical relevance
• Genuine interest in life cycle assessment
• Knowledge in Scandinavian language is an advantage

• Confidence in working independently and in teams
• Ability and willingness to work in inter- and transdisciplinary teams
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Appreciation of safe working practices

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 553 500 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 2 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. 

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, certificates and diplomas 
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees 
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 10 items) 
• Name and address 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 

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background.  

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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. 

Under the freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants. 

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Rolf André Bohne, telephone +47 99705363, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Tone Måsøval Arntzen, e-mail: [email protected]

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI) .  

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number IV-122/22 when applying.  

Application deadline: 27.05.2022

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 Civil and Environmental Engineering

We conduct research and teaching in civil and transportation engineering, technical planning, structural engineering, water and wastewater engineering and hydraulic engineering. Graduates from our programmes become employees – in both the public and private sectors – with a sustainability mindset combined with competitive knowledge and skills. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.