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

The rapid integration of AI and robotics in manufacturing presents significant challenges and opportunities for enhancing human-technology collaboration. While these technologies can improve efficiency and productivity, their impact on human workers—particularly concerning stress, behavior, and personality—remains underexplored. Understanding these factors as enablers or barriers is critical for fostering effective human-robot/AI interaction and for advancing cognitive AI systems that align with human needs and capabilities.

The Production Management Research Group at NTNU’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is a leader in human-centered manufacturing research. This PhD position will deepen the group's focus on cognitive behavior in industrial settings, contributing to the development of innovative methodologies for human-centric design in Industry 5.0. Your work will investigate the psychological and physiological aspects of decision making in human-robot/AI interaction, aiming to identify and mitigate barriers while leveraging enablers to improve collaboration and safety in industrial environments.

By integrating principles from neuromanagement and incorporating insights from research on human-centered digital transitions, this position will explore the neural and behavioral underpinnings of decision-making in production and logistics processes. Drawing on the goals of projects the group is participating (e.g. SkillAIbility, X-HuLOG), this research will focus on developing adaptive AI methodologies that account for stress, cognitive load, and emotional responses, while promoting resilient and sustainable production systems. These methodologies will aim to enhance human-robot collaboration, optimize decision-making, and contribute to regenerative and human-centered value chains.

Your research will address key challenges such as developing innovative AI methodologies to enhance human-robot collaboration, creating advanced perception technologies to predict human intentions, and assessing human factors like ergonomics, user experience, and trust in modern production facilities. NTNU's state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Logistics 4.0 Lab, will provide a dynamic environment for experimentation and validation of your research findings.

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, 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.

Your immediate Line Manager will be the Head of Department. You will be supervised by Associate Professor Sotirios Panagou.

Duties of the position

conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of cognitive psychology, decision neuroscience, and production management, with a focus on human-robot/AI interaction and human-centric design in manufacturing environments
apply qualitative methodologies (e.g., interviews, observational studies) to understand the psychological and physiological factors (e.g., stress, behavior, personality) influencing human-robot/AI symbiosis and identify barriers and enablers to effective collaboration
develop and apply quantitative methodologies (e.g., machine learning, neural activity modeling, decision analysis) to create decision-support tools and adaptive AI systems that optimize human-AI interaction and decision-making processes
investigate the neural and behavioral underpinnings of decision-making in production and logistics environments, integrating insights from decision neuroscience and neuromanagement
participate in the mandatory NTNU’s PhD research education program
conduct independent research and publish the results in recognized scientific journals and present them at international conferences

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

you must have an academically relevant background within Industrial Engineering, Production Management, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering or a related field
you must have a Master's degree in subject area above. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than starting of the position.
you must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. 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 Programme
demonstrated experience in using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in operations management, production systems, or related fields.
submission of a research plan that clearly demonstrates the relevance, rigor, and potential impact of your proposed research within the field.
excellent written and oral English language skills

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

If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 upon employment, you must complete Norwegian courses corresponding to at least 15 credits before the end of the employment period. NTNU will facilitate this.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) 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.

Preferred selection criteria

scandinavian or other European language
knowledge or prior experience in decision neuroscience, or human-robot interaction is highly advantageous
experience working with collaborative robots, Sensors, or other technologies relevant to human-centric design
proven ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams or international research projects
previous experience from industry or research in human factors or human-centric approaches. This can be proven by attendance of study courses or other relevant activities (i.e. master thesis)
knowledge of European and Norwegian manufacturing industrial procedures, regulations and policies

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

ability to work independently as well as in teams
good communication skills
ability to work in close contact with companies and organizations
hard working, with drive and determination
modest, open to feedback and input from others
respect, collaborate and negotiate with others
Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts.

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

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 536 200 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.

The employment period is 3 years. If learning Norwegian (level A2 corresponding to at least 15 credits) is to be completed before the end of the employment period, the employment period can be extended by 10 weeks.

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

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English.

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates The application must include:

transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
CV
copy of Master's thesis. 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.
project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages)
possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
possibly certificates
names and contact information of three relevant 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, 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.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.
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).

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 able to be employed.

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt 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 exemption is not granted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Sotirios Panagou, e-mail: sotirios.panagou@ntnu.no.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Hedda Winnberg, e-mail: hedda.winnberg@ntnu.no.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

Application deadline: 04.03.2025

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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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