This is NTNU

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

We invite applications for a 3-year PhD Candidate position focused on the design and planning of large-scale circular supply chain systems that upcycle food waste into valuable resources. The position is part of the research project FOOD2FEED – Transforming Food Waste into Sustainable Feed through Circular Logistics and Insect Bioconversion.

The successful candidate will develop conceptual frameworks and planning principles for the structural design of reverse logistics and circular supply chain systems, enabling reliable and scalable upcycling of food loss and waste into sustainable feed resources.

The position is based at NTNU’s campus in Trondheim, Norway, within the Operations Management (VIL) research group at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management. The candidate will be affiliated with a strong research environment in logistics, operations management, and supply chain management, characterized by close collaboration with industry partners and an active international research network.

The purpose of the PhD position is to complete a doctoral education and develop research competence through scientific work leading to a PhD degree.

About the research project

Global food systems face major sustainability challenges: approx. one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted, while food production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. FOOD2FEED aims to transform food loss and waste side streams (FLWS) into valuable resources by developing circular supply chains that convert waste into sustainable livestock feed through insect bioconversion.

The project brings together research partners NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, and Wageningen University & Research with leading industry partners such as Norsk Kylling (poultry producer and feed user), Bama (fruit/vegetable supplier) and NorInsect (insect protein producer). A central challenge is to develop efficient and robust reverse logistics structures and planning principles that ensure reliable, cost-effective, and scalable collection, processing, and utilization of heterogeneous and uncertain waste streams.

Your role in the project

The PhD Candidate will contribute to research on circular supply chain management and reverse logistics, with emphasis on structural design and planning principles for large-scale, supply-driven and uncertain material flows in circular systems.

The specific PhD topic will be defined and refined in dialogue with the selected candidate, based on their academic background, research interests, and the needs of the project and industry partners. The PhD research will be anchored in circular supply chain management and reverse logistics, and may address themes such as:

Structural design of reverse and circular supply chains, including material flow configuration, collection, sorting, storage, redistribution, and allocation of roles and interfaces across actors
Planning and control principles for supply-driven and highly variable material flows
Strategies for balancing supply and demand under uncertainty in volumes, timing, and quality
Applications of digitalization and emerging technologies to enhance planning, visibility, and robustness in circular supply chain systems

The methodological approach will primarily be qualitative and exploratory, grounded in a design science research perspective. This entails iterative problem identification, solution development, and evaluation, using methods such as case studies, interviews, workshops, and process mapping. The research will contribute to theory development within circular supply chain management and reverse logistics, while developing practically grounded planning principles and structural frameworks.

The research will be conducted in close collaboration with industry partners and other project researchers. The PhD Candidate will actively engage with partner companies to analyze operational and structural challenges and to co-develop and pilot new supply chain structures and planning approaches. Proposed concepts will be discussed, refined, and evaluated together with practitioners to ensure feasibility, relevance, and scalability in real-world settings.

The PhD Candidate will be part of a core research team at NTNU that leads the FOOD2FEED project and two of its scientific work packages. The PhD Candidate will mainly contribute to the work package on circular supply chain management under the supervision of Associate Professor Anita Romsdal. The candidate will also have the opportunity to engage with the Managerial Economics, Finance and Operations Research (BEDØK) group, in particular Associate Professor Steffen Bakker, and work alongside a Postdoctor Fellow who will be hired as part of the project at the same time.

Required selection criteria

A completed Master’s degree in industrial engineering, logistics, supply chain management, operations/production management, mechanical engineering, engineering and management (e.g., industrial economics), or a closely related field with documented specialization in production systems, operations management, or supply chain management. Applicants with a Master’s degree from relevant NTNU programmes will be preferred, but applicants from other universities and programs will also be considered.
Applicants who are in the final stage of their Master’s program are encouraged to apply. Employment may be offered conditional upon successful completion of the Master’s degree with satisfactory results.
Applicants must have a weighted average grade for the last to years of their Master’s degree (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits) of B or higher in accordance with NTNU’s grading scale.
Excellent English writing and oral communication skills.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Factors that will contribute positively to the evaluation (must be documented in the application)

Competence within reverse logistics, circular supply chain management, waste/resource recovery systems, or food/agri-bio supply chains
Competence in supply chain planning and control and supply chain design, and/or digitalization in supply chains
Competence within qualitative and mixed-method research approaches (e.g., case study research, interviews, workshops, process mapping) and close collaboration with industry
Proficiency in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish), facilitating close interaction with Norwegian industry partners

Research motivation and personal qualities

We are looking for a motivated and academically strong candidate who:

Works in a structured, systematic, and goal-oriented manner
Is curious and motivated to develop new knowledge within circular supply chain management and logistics
Is comfortable working with complex, real-world problems involving uncertainty and multiple stakeholders
Thrives in collaborative research environments and is motivated to engage actively with industry partners
Demonstrates analytical thinking and the ability to connect empirical insights to theory
Has strong writing and communication skills and the ability to present research clearly to both academic and industry audiences

We offer

An exciting and international academic community with opportunities for competence development
Opportunities for collaboration with significant industrial companies
Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
Working capital that can be used to implement the project
An active PhD community with approx. 30 other PhD Candidates at the department
An open and inclusive work environment with engaged colleagues
Employee benefits
Favorable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

Information about working and living in Norway can be found at the following link: https://www.workinnorway.no/en/Home

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, 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.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality.

Salary and conditions

PhD Candidates are remunerated in code 1017, at gross NOK 550.800,- per annum before tax. 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 admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Economics and Management, with a specialization in Industrial Economics and Technology Management, see https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiot. As a PhD Candidate, you are obligated to participate in an organized PhD program during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are qualified for admission to the PhD program within three months from the appointment date.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act.

The position is subject to external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you stay updated on academic and organizational changes and adapt to these.

Your work place will be at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management (https://www.ntnu.edu/iot). For necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be employed.

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 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. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The application must include:

1) Application letter concerning your motivation for completing a PhD (400 words/1 page)

2) A CV with information on education, previous research experience, together with authorized documentation of certificates and study records.

3) Copy of Master's thesis or other relevant publications. If you have recently 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.

4) A short research proposal (maximum 1,000 words) outlining a tentative PhD project within the position’s thematic scope. The proposal should contain a problem statement and research questions, identify relevant theoretical perspectives, describe a proposed methodological design, and include a progress plan.

5) Name and address of three references

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. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

In the evaluation of candidates, emphasis will be placed on academic potential, motivation for doctoral studies, and personal suitability for the position.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered.

General information

A public applicant list with names, ages, job titles, and municipalities of residence will be prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to reserve yourself from inclusion on the public applicant list, this must be justified. The assessment will be made in accordance with applicable laws. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is Norway's technology capital with a population of over 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens, and general equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized childcare is readily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers excellent educational opportunities (including international schools) and opportunities to enjoy nature, culture, and family life, with low crime rates and clean air quality.

Questions about the position can be directed to Associate Professor Anita Romsdal (+47 92 25 99 20/ anita.romsdal@ntnu.no / PhD supervisor and workpackage leader) or Professor Heidi Carin Dreyer (heidi.c.dreyer@ntnu.no / project manager).

If you have any questions regarding the employment process, please contact HR Advisor Hilde Selli Egelie at hilde.s.egelie@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 21.04.2026

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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.

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