PhD Candidate in Process Design and Optimization

17 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU

Research Field

Engineering
Chemistry
Engineering

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Established Researcher (R3)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

4 Feb 2024 - 00:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Other

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

About the job

The Sustainable Energy Systems research group in Department of Energy and Process Engineering at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is searching for excellent applicants for a PhD position. For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

The topic of the PhD work will be design and optimization of processes for methanol production from biogas in an EU project focused on developing sustainable shipping fuels and building a full-scale demonstration plant. The overall objective of the PhD project is to improve the performance of the methanol production process and develop the concept further. Modelling, simulation and optimization of unit operations and the overall process are important research activities to reach this target. In addition, opportunities for integration of hydrogen produced from renewable energy and captured carbon dioxide for increased production and flexibility will be investigated. The potential for heat and work integration to further improve the energy efficiency of the process will also be examined.

You will report to Associate Professor Bjørn Austbø.

Your immediate leader is Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• Plan and execute comprehensive, independent research under supervision
• Interact and collaborate with researchers and project partners 
• Communicate results effectively through research journal publications, conference presentations and other forms of communication to a diverse range of audiences

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering or a closely related field 
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by the start date of the position.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program, https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme
• Demonstrated knowledge of process design, simulation and/or optimization
• Demonstrated knowledge of process modelling and simulation software such as Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS or similar 
• Proficiency in at least one common programming language (Python, MATLAB, C++, etc.)

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate  and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant 

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with process modelling, design, simulation and optimization
• Knowledge of power-to-liquids, methanol synthesis, steam methane reforming
• Experience with detailed process modelling
• Experience with exergy analysis
• Experience with work and/or heat integration
• Experience with life cycle assessment
• Good written and oral English language skills

Personal characteristics

• Enthusiastic and highly motivated
• Able to work effectively on their own and in a team
• Diligent, thorough, and hard-working
• Able to work structured and goal oriented with a drive to get projects finished
• Creative, good at finding solutions

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• 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 PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 532 200 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.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme, https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme  within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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 daily.

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 be attached to the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Candidates are required to submit a one-page sketch on how they plan to use their scientific background and research ambitions to address the research challenges of this position. 
• Name and contact information of three referees.
• If you have publications or other relevant research work.

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, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short 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 our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.  (tas bort hvis ikke aktuelt)

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 Associate Professor Bjørn Austbø, email: [email protected]  If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Ingrid Wiggen, 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: 04.02.24.

This position is funded by the European Union

EU Grant Agreement Number: 101136225

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.

Questions about the position

Bjørn Austbø
Associate Professor
[email protected]

Truls Gundersen
Professor
[email protected]

Deadline 4th February 2024
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Fixed Term
Place of service Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim

Requirements
Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU

Country

Norway

City

Trondheim

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/363260/phd-candidate-in-pr…

Contact

City

Trondheim

STATUS: EXPIRED