PhD Candidate in Advances in Hydropower Inflow Forecasting

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About the position

Do you want to take part in the development of the energy sector? Are you interested in programming and developing the next generation models for inflow forecasting? Work with us, SINTEF and the Hydropower industry to develop State of the art models for better water management. 

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in the Norwegian Research Centre for Renewal of Hydropower Technology, RenewHydro. RenewHydro is a new research center for environmentally friendly energy that will develop hydropower to be more flexible and contribute to more sustainable renewable energy. With increased cooperation and new knowledge in technology, markets, environment and society, RenewHydro will work to reach national energy, climate and nature targets. The PhD position is in the Hydraulic Research group at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

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 key positions within the hydropower industry and for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

Your immediate leader will be a professor.

About the project

The PhD position is a part of a project focused on adaptation and opportunities for hydropower due to changed hydrological inflow and seasonality. The hypothesis for the PhD study is that higher spatial and temporal resolution of the inflow to the watercourses can create synergies between hydropower production and environmental conditions. Based on state of the art hydrological inflow models applied in the Norwegian Hydropower Industry, the PhD will develop, test and implement new methods for higher spatial resolution of the inflow to the watercourses and investigate opportunities in combining physical meteorological/hydrological/hydraulic modelling and AI methods to improve the inflow prediction, and optimize the control of and use of water in the water courses considering both hydropower production and ecological and environmental conditions. The PhD candidate will work together with other PhD students and researchers in RenewHydro and adapt the model to provide.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the Hydraulic Engineering research group 
• Cooperate with researchers at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research and other partners in RenewHydro
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Teaching (clarified and specified in more detail if desired)

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have strong programming skills and an interest in combining this with inflow forecasting and water resources management
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in one of the fields Informatics, physical geography, hydrology, hudraulic engineering, hydropower or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting 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 maybe considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty of engineering's Doctoral Programme 
• Programming skills in relevant languages
• Good oral and written communication skills in English

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.

Preferred selection criteria

• Knowledge of the energy sector and the hydropower industry
• Hydrological and Hydraulic knowledge and knowledge of hydrological inflow forecasting and tools in the hydropower industry
• Competencies on IOT, AI, Sensor technologies
• Oral and written proficiency in Scandinavian languages

Personal characteristics

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

• High cooperative skills and ability to work in a team, as well as independently.
• 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

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• 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)

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 550 800,- 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 employment as a PhDCandidate, 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 participatein an organized doctoral programmethroughoutthe 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). Please note that the person hired will work with critical infrastructure and areas affected by controls on the export of strategic goods, services and technology. 

Candidates who do not meet the requirements for the necessary security clearance, access clearance and authorization as described in the National Security Act, and the Act on the Implementation of International Sanctions (Sanctions Act) cannot be considered (e.g., candidates from, among others, Russia, Iran, North Korea, China). Relevant countries are listed as examples and as such the list is not exhaustive (as a result of any changes in the world situation, other countries may be added at short notice).

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompanythe application as these documents formthe basis ofthe applicationassessment. 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 besent 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. 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) 
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Answers for the six screening questions related to some of the criteria asked for in this announcement (max 200 words per answer)
• Possibly publicationsetc. 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 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 Oddbjørn Bruland, e-mail: oddbjorn.bruland@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Oda Aune, e-mail: oda.aune@ntnu.no. 

Application deadline: 16.11.2025

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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.