PhD Candidate in Project Management

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering  has a vacancy for a PhD candidate in the Project and Quality Management Research Group (PKL).

The PKL Research Group is involved in research related to various aspects of project management, including digitalization of project management, industrialized project production, shorter project execution time, performance measurement of project processes, etc. Much of the work is done in collaboration with the partner businesses at the centre Project Norway .

You are expected to be an active and integrated part of the academic environment at the institute and to participate in cooperation with a number of different industries in the private and public sectors. You will specifically focus on stakeholders and work with the LIFELINE-2050 project, as it is the LIFELINE-2050 project that funds the PhD position.

The LIFELINE-2050 project aims to optimize the utilization of resources in a synergetic way during the life cycle of built environments, this includes the design, construction, operation, and demolition phases.

Centre for Green Shift in the Built Environment (GREEN 2050 ) is a newly established center at NTNUs Faculty of Engineering. The center aims to be an arena of networking and collaboration between academia and the industry. A hub for accelerating existing, planned, and new projects. The goal is to transition into a carbon neutral built environment within 2050.  GREEN 2050 will provide research of excellence and educate candidates with high digital- and sustainability competence ready to take on the green shift.

Resource efficiency is one of the major focus area in the center. At least seven PhD positions are funded to project LIFELINE-2050: Optimal Utilization of Resources towards Neutral Climate Built Environments in Europe by 2030-2050 under the umbrella of GREEN-2050. The aim of LIFELINE-2050 is to optimizing the utilization of our limited resources (i.e., materials, water, energy, ICT, spaces, and humans) in synergetic ways during the life cycle (i.e., the design, construction, operation, and demolish phases) of built environments in the line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 3 (Healthy lives and well-being), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), and 17 (Partnerships for the goals). The main objective of the project LIFELINE-2050 is to develop a holistic assessment framework, digital optimization toolbox (including number of sub-digital twins), and education-innovation hub for achieving resource-effective built environments (e.g., university campuses, district areas) where complex resource-intensive sociotechnical systems need to be holistically optimized.

The PhDs in LIFELINE-2050 will work together as a multidisciplinary team across six departments at the Faculty of Engineering at NTNU addressing various type of resources including material, water, spaces, energy, ICT, as well as human. Where, each PhD is expected to focus on a one or two resources and collaborate with the other candidates for developing a holistic framework, a digital toolbox, and an education hub, aiming at optimizing the utilization of resources in built environments.

We are looking for someone who wants to focus on business models, project business cases, key performance indicators (KPIs) and decision-making tools enabling a resource-efficient Built Environment.

Due to the nature of the LIFELINE-2050 project, circularity is a natural underlying concept. Considering the digital aspect of the LIFELINE-2050 project, you should consider the influence that digital technologies and digital transformation of built environments has on sustainable business models and project business cases, as such, concepts as twin transition and EUs Taxonomy for sustainable activities are relevant. Public procurement is also an underlying concept, due to the cases that the LIFELINE-2050 project studies. The project cases of the LIFELINE-2050 project concerns public-built environments, as such the studied project environments relate to EU public procurement procedures. Consequently, innovative mechanisms as green public procurement (GPP), incentive contracts, collaboration contracts and/or vested contracts are relevant.

With regards to built environments, the focus of this PhD position will be on all project stages and thus start by mapping all internal and external stakeholders involved, including their current business models and the project business cases that are relevant to the LIFELINE-2050 project. Stakeholders in this regard are to be interpreted broadly (ecosystem view), e.g., also including the stakeholders behind the digital technologies used in relation to the built environment. Following this, you should develop a multi-actor decision-making framework or tool spurring stakeholder co-creation and innovation. The other PhDs in the LIFELINE-2050 project will support this with technical KPIs. You can build on these and assess the impact on stakeholders. 

For this PhD position, the ZEN report no 29 (2020) , is recommended reading prior to developing the project proposal for consideration.

You need to have clear thoughts on relevant topics for the doctoral dissertation. All applicants must enclose a brief description / project proposal that indicates thoughts on the research questions and methodology for the PhD project.

The position reports to Associate Professor.

• execute a PhD project within 3 years
• complete training as part of the PhD degree, a minimum of 30 ECTS
• prepare scientific journal articles and conference papers under supervision
• present results from the research at international scientific conferences and in dissertation

• you must have a professionally relevant background in project management, real estate/facilities/ construction, service, business administration, management, ICT, or equivalent education
• your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, 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. 
• you must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program
• you must have 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 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  

• work experience from project-oriented business
• it is an advantage that applicants are fluent in a Scandinavian language (or quickly acquire Norwegian language skills)

• analytical, respectful and excellent at thinking «out-of-the-box»
• motivated, ambitious and eager to «walk new paths»
• collaborative, open-minded and able to take initiatives, able to work independently and in team, with high degree of personal responsibility
• excellent communication skills, both written and orally
• eager to disseminate knowledge, both nationally and internationally

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 491 200 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 in Engineering  within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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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 daily.

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English (ta stilling til dette)

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. 

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas 
• 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. 
• 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) . Pakistan applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma .
• Project proposal  
• Research plan 
• Name and address 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.

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. The project description will also be put emphasis on in this evaluation.

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. 

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.

In accordance with The Public 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 Nora Johanne Klungseth, telephone +47 97573148, e-mail [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Linn-Cecilie Felle, 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 - SO-19/22 when applying.

Application deadline: 15.02.2022

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 Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

We educate graduates who can create new products, operate and maintain products, and manage projects. The Department has a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. We conduct wide-ranging research in fields such as technology, energy, product quality and development, and productivity. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.