Post Doctor in Safety, Design and Human Factors in the MAS project

Updated: over 2 years ago
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 18 Jan 2022

About the position

We have a vacant Postdoc position for three years within the NTNU Shore Control Lab  at the Department of Design , a research group working on human factors and design of safety critical systems related to the maritime domain.
The candidate will work in the research project Meaningful Human Control of digitalization in safety critical systems (MAS) in close collaboration with SINTEF Digital , The Institute of Transport Economics  and Delft University of Technology .

The MAS project is a joint Norwegian-Canadian collaboration effort to improve methods addressing human factors, to provide a roadmap for a new wave of international collaborative, multidisciplinary research on risk, safety and human factors within major industrial operations undergoing digital transformation.

The key objectives are to (1) identify the main safety challenges in design when implementing increased level of digitalization, (2) to identify the main reasons for successful digitalization, and (3) to develop design guidelines for meaningful human control.
Industrial actors involved in the project are Equinor, Vår Energi, Aker BP, ABB, DnV, Safetc. Llloyds/Vysus, Kongsberg, Nice Industridesig, and Halogen. 

Why apply for a Post doctor position?

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.
Being part of a cross disciplinary project like MAS gives you a unique arena for research, collaboration and networking, also across disciplines and with industry. The Norwegian industry needs personnel with research competence to stay competitive and develop new jobs for the future. Further, a Postdoc also opens new attractive career opportunities at NTNU and other universities and research institutes.
The Post doctor will be supervised by Associate Professor Ole Andreas Alsos at Department of Design and Senior Researcher Stig Ole Johnsen at SINTEF.

The position reports to Head of Department

Duties of the position

The main objective for the position is to build knowledge of how to:

  • design and operate control systems to avoid accidents in automation and remote operations
  • utilize successful automation and remote operations in design
  • build on this knowledge in guidelines and methods that are used in the industry

In addition, the post doctor will also have to take on some teaching and grading duties in master courses relevant to the MAS project.

Required selection criteria

  • you must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD 
  • a professionally relevant background in key areas such as interaction design, human factors, safety science and/or automation
  • 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   

Preferred selection criteria

  • documented networking skills
  • background combining technology and human factors
  • good written and oral Scandinavian language skills

Personal characteristics

The candidate is expected 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 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 534 400.- 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 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. 

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: 

  • 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) 
  • An account of prior obligations related to teaching and/or supervising 
  • 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. 

General information 

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. 

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. 

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 Associate Professor Ole Andreas Alsos, telephone (+47) 915 44 825 email [email protected] o, Senoir Researcher Stig Ole Johnsen, [email protected] telephone (+47) 957 27 788. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Astrid Steine Lyngby, 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. 

Application deadline: 18.01.22 

NTNU

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 Design

We are located in both Trondheim (industrial design) and Gjøvik (graphic design and web technology). Both groups have expertise in interaction design and share research interests in health and welfare technology. The design environment links many technology communities at NTNU, and nationally the Department has extensive collaboration with Norwegian industrial companies. The Department of Design  is one of four departments in the Faculty of Architecture and Design .

Deadline18th January 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Trondheim, Gløshaugen



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