PhD Candidate in Hydraulic and Geotechnical Engineering of Embankment Dams

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About the position

Embankment Dam Safety under Flexible Hydropower Operation: Internal Erosion and Filter Performance

About the position

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (IBM) NTNU is seeking a PhD Candidate for a research project in the RenewHydro research centre. This position focuses on understanding and mitigating the effects of flexible hydropower operation on potential internal erosion processes in embankment dams. The research will involve experimental investigations, data analysis, and possible field work, in collaboration with the Norwegian Hydropower Industry.

The prospective candidate will be part of the relevant research groups at IBM but will also collaborate with other NTNU departments within the RenewHydro Center and relevant stakeholders.

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 leader will be the Head of Department and the supervisors of the project will come from both the Hydraulic Research Group and the Geotechnical Research Group.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The PhD project will generate knowledge to address the challenges of maintaining and extending the lifetime of embankment dams while increasing the flexibility of hydropower technology. In doing so, the PhD project will support the RenewHydro centre objective of providing knowledge and solutions that enable flexible hydropower to support the energy transition and reach national energy, climate and nature targets.

The main objective of PhD research is to develop knowledge that supports the hydropower industry in the safe design of future dams and management of existing embankment dams, including those subjected to flexible hydropower operation. Emphasis will be placed on the performance of filters protecting moraine (glacial till) cores against internal erosion. The research will combine studies of existing embankment dams in Norway with extensive laboratory testing of core and filter materials, providing a unique opportunity to contribute to the future safety and sustainability of hydropower infrastructure.

Duties of the position

 

• Complete doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Take responsibility for the progress of the research project and for developing an industrial and academic network
• Conduct high-quality research, including experimental research, within the framework of the project
• Participate in the Hydraulic Research Group and the Geotechnical Research Group.
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Collaboration with other PhD candidates and partners within RenewHydro
• Supervision of master’s thesis students that are contributing to the PhD project with their MSc thesis
• Dissemination of research through scientific publications and presentations at national and international conferences

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in hydraulic or geotechnical engineering or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis. 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 at NTNU can apply, provided they can start contributing to the research project through their master’s thesis. The Master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position, and no later than summer 2027. 
• You must have a strong and relevant 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 academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• You must have completed at least one course in geotechnical engineering and one course in fluid mechanics or hydraulic engineering
• You must be able to conduct research in both laboratory and field environments and demonstrate your interest in experimental research work
• You must have knowledge of embankment dams, including internal erosion and seepage problems
• You must have excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme, see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.

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 for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with laboratory testing in geotechnical and/or hydraulic laboratories
• Experience with experimental research and data analysis 
• Analytical and programming skills for scientific computing and data analysis (e.g. Python, MATLAB, R, or similar)
• Experience with numerical modelling is an advantage
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level C2

Personal characteristics

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

• Work independently and take responsibility for research progress
• Work in a well-organized and structured manner, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Collaborate effectively and communicate clearly with colleagues, students, and industry partners
• Show curiosity and strong motivation for the research topic
• Work in laboratory environments, analyze data, evaluate different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 
• Work carefully and systematically, with attention to detail and the ability to follow research protocols, technical procedures, and scientific publication standards
• Be flexible and open to adapting the project plan as needed, and able to work effectively under pressure and changing circumstances

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

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 580 000 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 for the doctoral work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in civil and environmental engineering within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out 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 professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

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.

The candidate holding the announced position will work with critical national objects and infrastructure in Norway. Candidates with the potential of not fulfilling requirement for security clearance, access clearance and authorization as described in the Act Relating to National Security, cannot be considered for the position.

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 English. 

The application and the associated attachments must be organized and structured.

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 and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• CV 
• Copy of Master's thesis, or a publicly accessible link to the thesis in a university repository (e.g. NTNU Open) or another trusted repository. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation confirming a completed Master's degree must be provided before taking up the position
• Short letter of motivation describing your interest in this position, and why you are interested in the proposed PhD project (maximum 400 words/one page)
• A summary of your coursework related to embankment dams and any additional experience with embankment dams (maximum 400 words/one page)
• A summary of your geotechnical and/or hydraulic coursework involving experimental laboratory work, as well as any additional experience with experimental research and/or fieldwork (maximum 400 words/one page)
• If applicable, a list of publications or other relevant research outputs
• Relevant 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 work 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).

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

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Fjola Gudrun Sigtryggsdottir, email fjola.g.sigtryggsdottir@ntnu.no If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Tone Måsøval Arntzen, e-mail: tone.m.arntzen@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 18.09.2026

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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.