About the position

The Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences (TNM) has a vacancy for a 100 % position as PhD Research Fellow in “Digital Twins for Multi-Use of Mobile Battery Fleet Systems” from 2025.11.01.

The position is located at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, and Cybernetics and reports to the Head of Department. The PhD Research Fellow will be working in the research group, “Electrical Power Systems” (EPS). The place of employment is Porsgrunn.

The employment period will be three years full time, and there is a premise for employment that the PhD Research Fellow is enrolled in USN’s PhD-program in PhD in Technology within three months of accession in the position. It may be possible to get a four-year full-time period consisting of 75 % PhD Research Fellow and 25 % teaching duties.

About the PhD-project

As mobile energy storage systems become more widely adopted, managing them efficiently is becoming increasingly complex. Variations in terrain, road conditions, and traffic patterns increases the complexity further to effectively plan their movement and deployment. Existing methods rely on fixed data and static models, which struggle to adapt to real-time changes and unpredictable conditions. This limits the ability to optimize energy storage use for critical applications like emergency response, grid balancing, and off-grid power supply. The aim of this project is to develop a platform that will enable better planning and utilization of mobile energy storage across different scenarios, including emergency power supply, energy trading, grid balancing, islanded operations, and disaster recovery. In the initial phase, the supervisors, the candidate (based on the candidate's profile), and research partners will work together to identify the comprehensive research questions to be addressed to meet the overall objective of the PhD work.

The key research directions in this project includes:

Geospatial and temporal analysis of the transportation dataset
Multi-agent system modeling for fleet optimization
Identifying optimal multi-use portfolio considering battery degradation
Digital twin and cloud platform mechanisms to facilitate decision support system

Qualifications

Eligibility Requirements:

A master degree equivalent to a Norwegian master degree (120 ECTS).
Applicants with a strong background in STEM fields (e.g., Electrical power engineering, control system engineering, Physics or environmental engineering, Mathematics (Operations research) or Computer Science or Machine Learning).
The master thesis must be included in the application.
Documented proficiency in English, please see requirements below.

Documentation of skills in English language
Strong communication skills in English language skills are required for participation in the doctoral program. International applicants must document this with a valid certificate from one of the following tests:

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (IBT). Minimum result: 90
IELTS - International English Language Testing Service. Minimum result: 6.5
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from Cambridge University PTE Academic
Pearson Test of English Academic. Minimum result: 62

The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements:

applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States
applicants with a completed master's degree with English as the language of instruction in an EU/EEA country
Nordic applicants may submit their high school diploma as proof

Ideal Candidate:

Demonstrates experience or strong interest in modelling, programming, systems thinking, and qualitative/quantitative research methods
Documented programming experience for example GitHub project on Python, Julia, JavaScript and cloud computing platforms
Possesses a strong academic record, with relevant experience in either industry or academia.
Has prior professional experience and a solid understanding of workplace responsibilities and expectations, which will be considered a key advantage.
Shows a deep interest in interdisciplinary research, is capable of independent work, and actively engages with the supervision team to foster collaborative research.

For admission to the PhD program the weighted average grade is B or higher is usually required. The applicant must have gained the degree within the start date of the position, so applicants in the last semester of their master’s degree are also encouraged to apply.

Personal characteristics

work independently, but also participate in teamwork work in a structured way
set goals and make plans to achieve them
present and discuss your research with other professionals
get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions
be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
have the professional and personal qualifications to complete the doctoral education within the employment period
Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

License or security clearance requirements

Employment in this position requires a license under the Export Control Act and the Export Control Regulations. Applicants must therefore state their citizenship and the citizenship of any spouse/partner in the application. Citizenship must also be documented, for example by attaching a copy of their passport.

Applicants who hold citizenship in countries that make it likely that a license will not be granted, may be excluded from the further application process. The same applies to applicants who have a spouse/partner with citizenship in such countries, or where it is likely that a license will not be granted for other reasons.

We offer

a stimulating and active research environment
good opportunities to develop your career and your academic skills
access to well-equipped laboratory facilities
access to a large international research network
access to a unique industry network
a good social environment and partner in a unique research team
attractive welfare benefits in the State Pension Plan
opportunity for physical activities within working hours

Salary

PhD Research Fellow (code 1017): NOK 550 800, - a year. Further promotion will be based on time served in the position. A statutory contribution to the state pension plan will be deducted from the employee’s salary.

Other information

The Academic Appointments Board for PhD Research Fellowships is responsible for the appointment. An expert assessment of applicants will be carried out. The candidates deemed best qualified will be invited to an interview.

The person appointed must comply with the laws, regulations and agreements that apply at any given time to the post. Please note that an approved work permit is a prerequisite for the employment.

According to its human resources policy, the University of South-Eastern Norway targets a balanced gender composition and aims to recruit persons with a background as an immigrant.

The Department has few women appointed in scientific positions, and women are therefore particularly encouraged to apply.

The University contributes to the Inkluderingsdugnaden (a voluntary scheme to promote inclusion), and it is our aim that our employees, to the fullest extent possible, shall reflect the diversity of the general population. We therefore encourage qualified applicants with disabilities to apply for the post. The University will facilitate the workplace for employees with disabilities.

Pursuant to section 25, 2nd paragraph of the Freedom of Information Act, information on the applicant may be disclosed even if the applicant has requested not be included on the list of applicants. Applicants will be notified if such requests are not allowed.

Contact information

For more information about the position, please contact:
Main supervisor - Sambeet Mishra, e-mail/phone: sambeet.mishra@usn.no / +47 35 95 27 16
Co-supervisor: Thomas Øyvang, e-mail/phone: thomas.oyvang@usn.no / +47 35 57 51 55

For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact:
Britt G. Wien, britt.g.wien@usn.no.

How to apply

The University of South-Eastern Norway makes use of online application management. Applicants to the post must register their application and CV with enclosures online via the Jobbnorge recruitment portal by clicking on the link “Søk stillingen”/Apply for the post.

The following documents shall be attached to the online application:

Cover letter outlining motivation and a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Transcripts and diplomas of bachelor’s and master’s Degrees (120 ECTS). The transcript should clearly show the grades obtained for different courses taken at the bachelor’s and master’s Degree. The diplomas must be in a Scandinavian language or translated to English.
A 5-page (maximum) project description. The candidate should describe how he/she would carry out the tasks if offered this position. The description preferably also includes a plan covering schedule and research method(s) to implement the PhD project.
A copy of master thesis and any scientific publications and a list of these; GitHub profile with project is also relevant.
Documentation of proficiency in English language, see specifications in the advertise text
Three references (contact information).
Other relevant certificates (if applicable, must be specified)

Employment in this position requires a license under the Export Control Act and the Export Control Regulations. Applicants must therefore state their citizenship and the citizenship of any spouse/partner in the application. Citizenship must also be documented, for example by attaching a copy of their passport.

Applicants who hold citizenship in countries that make it likely that a license will not be granted, may be excluded from the further application process. The same applies to applicants who have a spouse/partner with citizenship in such countries, or where it is likely that a license will not be granted for other reasons.

Please note that all documents must be in a Scandinavian language or in English. Any translations must be certified. The selection process includes a test where qualified candidates shall complete a task to demonstrate their skills and competence. If your higher education is from a university outside of Norway, we require it to be recognized by the Norwegian Directorate of Higher Education and Skills. You must apply for the recognition before the application deadline for this position expires. Add a receipt on your application or recognition when applying. The recognition must be sent to us and is a requirement for being hired.

The application will be assessed on the basis of the attached documentation as requested above. Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that the required documentation has been uploaded by the application deadline.

The University has been awarded a Charter & Code certificate by the European Commission and is entitled to use the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) logo. The University is also a member of the EURAXESS network, which contributes to good working conditions for mobile researchers.

About us

The University of Southeastern Norway (USN) ranks as the country's fourth largest higher education institution. We are a vibrant community of approximately 18,000 students and 1,900 employees.

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