PhD Candidate in the field of Solid-State Sodium batteries

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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.

About the job

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. 

We announce an opening for a PhD Candidate at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate to join our team and contribute to research on polymeric conductors for sodium batteries as part of the Galileo Research project between the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and SINTEF Industry.

The Galileo research project (Galileo, NFR 352501, Green, electrode agnostic, polymer electrolytes for Na-ion batteries) seeks to lay the groundwork to develop fluorine free, agnostic polymers combined with fluorine free Na-ion salts for recyclable by design, safe and scalable polymer electrolytes Na-ion batteries for use in stationary storage or mobility applications. The position is affiliated to the Functional Materials and Materials Chemistry research group (FACET) (https://www.ntnu.edu/ima/research/facet ) within our department. Research activities at the department cover a range of topics including functional materials, materials chemistry, nanomaterials, ceramics, electrochemical energy technology, corrosion, physical metallurgy, and both metallurgical and electrochemical process engineering.

If you are passionate about advancing the field of materials science and eager to be part of a dynamic research environment, we encourage you to apply.

Your immediate leader is Adjunct Associate Professor/Senior Scientist Nils Peter Wagner.

Duties of the position

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in at least one of the following areas: polymer chemistry, materials science, materials chemistry, solid-state chemistry, or electrochemistry.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level.
• 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 assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Master's students are encouraged to apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by August 2025. 
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program https://www.ntnu.edu/nv/phd 
• Good written and oral English language and communication skills.  

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant 

Preferred selection criteria

• A strong background in the synthesis and characterization of polymers is an advantage. 
• Background and understanding of Li or Na ion batteries is an advantage.
• Publication activities in the aforementioned disciplines will be considered an advantage but is not a requirement. 
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language is considered as a plus.

Personal characteristics

• Team-work oriented.
• Enthusiastic and curious.
• Willing to work interdisciplinary.

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• 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. 

Preferred start-up: August 2025.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Materials Science and Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmt) within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. 

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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.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

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.
• 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.
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

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

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

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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.

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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 Nils Peter Wagner, email: nils.peter.wagner@sintef.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-consultant Marie Kristiansen, e-mail: marie.kristiansen@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.