PhD Candidate in glacier hazard evolution modelling

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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 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

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About the position

Are you motivated to take the step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. This 3-year position does not involve teaching, but teaching may be added, leading to the prolongation of the employment by up to one year.

The position is part of the EU Horizon project “CryoSCOPE” (Cryospheric Observations for Productive Exploitation) with project partners from 7 European countries and India. The project aims at improving our knowledge of cryosphere-atmosphere interactions in the areas of arctic permafrost, snow hydrology, glaciers and glacier lake outburst floods. With the help of specialists in the field you will use and adapt advanced modelling tools and field data to improve our understanding of the impacts of climate change on Glacier Lake Outburst Floods and on changes in seasonal hydrological droughts due to glacier retreat. Such knowledge is essential for natural hazards management, water resources management and energy production in Europe and beyond. 

You will be part of the Earth Surface Science research group and co-supervised by Pascal Egli. Your immediate leader is the head of department.

Duties of the position

• Undertake doctoral research with the goal of completing the degree
• Use the models Elmer/Ice and IGM to investigate the processes and probabilities leading to glacier lake outburst floods for past, present and future events for a glacier in Norway
• Use the same models to investigate the influence of glacier retreat in Switzerland on hydrological drought periods in summer under the influence of climate change
• Help collect relevant field data at glaciers in Norway and Switzerland
• Contribute to data management within the project
• Participate in the Earth Surface Science research group 
• Collaborate with international partners in Finland, Germany, Switzerland and India
• Publish research in top-tier international scientific journals 
   

Required selection criteria

•    You must have a professionally relevant background in Geosciences, Physics, Computational sciences, Mathematics, or a related field
•    You must have a master's degree in Geosciences, Physics, Engineering or equivalent. Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by April 30th 2025 
•    Experience with one or several programming languages such as Python, FORTRAN, R, or Matlab
•    Experience using command-line tools, a Linux environment and version control on GitHub 
•    Very good written and oral English skills
•    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 considered 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
 

As a result of the new University of Applied Sciences Act with associated regulations of 01.08.2024, NTNU has, during a transitional period (for decisions on employment in recruitment positions before 1 August 2025), chosen to use the terms of employment in the old regulations of 31 January 2006 no. 102 on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, research fellow, scientific assistant and specialist candidate

The appointment is also made in accordance with Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
 

Preferred selection criteria

•    A background in glaciology or in fluid dynamics
•    Experience with working on High Performance Computing platforms is an asset
•    Ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork in challenging mountain environments, where the use of skis or snowshoes is required
•    Glacier safety and skiing skills 
•    Norwegian language skills are not required but are an asset. French or German language skills can be an asset as well. 

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree, you should be able to: 
•    Be a team player
•    Be self-motivated
•    Work independently and find solutions to technical and scientific problems
•    Be prepared to go beyond the average 
•    Collaborate internationally (both traveling and remote meetings)
Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

Diversity

Inclusion and diversity are strengths, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

We offer

•    exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment with an important mission in society
•    the opportunity to collaborate with an international team from 14 institutions across Europe and India
•    the opportunity to learn from some of the best glacier modelers in Europe and worldwide 
•    participation in international conferences
•    fieldwork in Norway and in Switzerland
•    collaboration with private companies in the areas of hydropower and natural hazards management
•    an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
•    excellent working and living conditions as a PhD in Norway
•    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. If teaching duties will be included in addition to the 3 years, the period of employment will be prolonged accordingly.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Social Sciences with a specialization Geography within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

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.

For the necessary academic and social interaction, 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 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. 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 (normally documented with Diploma Supplement). Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT/HK-dir, please attach this as well.
•    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.
•    Project proposal with an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages) 
•    Name and contact information of three referees
•    If you have publications or other relevant research work, please attach those

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 Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, 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

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 over 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 Pascal Egli, email pascal.egli@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-Advisor Renate Lillian Johansen, e-mail: renate.johansen@ntnu.no

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: 15.02.2025