Postdoctoral Fellow in thermomechanical metal forming and aluminium extrusion

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 .

About the position 

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering has a vacancy for a Postdoctoral position within the field of thermomechanical metal forming and aluminium extrusion of aluminium based on increasing post-consumer scrap contents.

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

We are looking for someone to be part of a research group investigating how increasing post-consumer scrap contents in aluminium affect manufacturing processes, mechanical properties of the material and end-product as well as lifecycle performance.

You will be part of the recent research project, AluGreen, owned by Norsk Hydro ASA and funded by the Norwegian Research Council and a consortium of 16 industry partners. Moreover, this project is aligned to long-term research programs such as SFI PhysMet and NAPIC (NTNU Aluminium Product Innovation Centre).

Your immediate leader is Professor.

Duties of the position

• perform theoretical and experimental work related to advanced metal forming, thermomechanical processes, and manufacturing
• support PhD students and MSc students working in the AluGreen research project as well as the research group
• contribute to project meetings, workshops, seminars, etc.
• conduct academic writing and publish project results in acknowledged peer-reviewed journals

Required selection criteria

• you must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in materials science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or other relevant programs
• if you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position
• good English language skills, written and oral
• you must have a professionally relevant background within one or several of the following subject areas: Mechanical and industrial engineering, Materials technology and/or Physical metallurgy

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 from theoretical and experimental thermomechanical processes like aluminium extrusion, understanding the relationship between tool design, friction, temperature, flow stress and the effect of cooling on final product geometry tolerances
• being able to conduct FE analysis of extrusion/complex forming processes by tools like Deform, QForm, Abaqus, Hyperextrude etc, and thereby optimize cross section geometry, process parameters and product quality
• understand basic principles of flexible manufacturing and how to apply such to manufacturing of large-scale aluminium structures
• ability to conduct high quality research and publish results in acknowledged peer-reviewed journals is an asset
• programming skills for developing design codes to connect different material, process and product models for multicriteria decision making
• Norwegian language skills will be beneficial

Personal characteristics

• creative, with a strong ability to work goal-oriented and independently
• good skills to deliver oral and written presentations of research results
• enjoy interdisciplinary research and take keen interest in working in project teams

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 
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 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.

The position is subject to external funding through the Green Platform project AluGreen.

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 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
• cover letter (including motivation and why you are the right person for this position)
• academic works – published or unpublished – that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 10 items)
• 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 . (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 Professor Geir Ringen, telephone 41679834, email: [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Linn-Cecilie Felle Brattheim, 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: 13.11.2022

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.