PhD Candidate within Project Management in a VUCA World

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

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, but you will be part of the Project and Quality Management Group and will have a team of at least two supervisors.

About the project

The Project and Quality Management Group has started an internal research effort to build competence within the area of Project Management in a VUCA World. This project will encompass upgrading our internal knowledge base, developing one or more research grant proposals, and supervise a PhD student involved in the project.

Existing project management approaches and concepts can be understood using established schools of thought, many of which rest on assumptions of stability, predictability, linearity, and governability throughout the project life cycle. These assumptions, however, are frequently challenged by the realities of contemporary projects. In response, a growing body of research in project management has developed conceptual and practical tools to better navigate project complexity and uncertainty. Yet this work has largely proceeded without cross-examining the ontological or epistemological foundations of projects or project management.

Technological disruption, geopolitical instability, and global interconnectedness have fundamentally altered the landscape in which organizations and their projects must now operate. The result is a VUCA world, a term borrowed from military strategy, where Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity are no longer exceptions but intertwined defining features of project landscape. Volatility demands responsiveness to rapid, unpredictable change. Uncertainty requires sound decisions with incomplete information. Complexity means navigating interconnected systems where cause and effect defy simple explanation. Ambiguity compels action even when problems lack clear framing. Together, these dimensions render conventional planning, linear stage-gate models, and rigid governance structures ineffective and possibly counterproductive.  Another more recent development is that the border between operations of artefacts and projects/programs to construct or further develop these artefacts is less distinct. Conventional project management learning pedagogies, built for more stable worlds, will no longer suffice.

Addressing these developments calls for fresh conceptual thinking about the very nature of projects and project management. Many questions emerge: How do we lead when the destination is both unclear and shifting? How do we plan when the future resists our assumptions? How do we distinguish productive flexibility from chaotic decision-making? How do we prepare project managers for this world? In essence, VUCA environments challenge the foundational ways in which we perceive, enact, and learn project management. Bridging this practical and conceptual gap requires embracing alternative management approaches beyond the existing paradigms. These questions form the backdrop for this doctoral research position. 

We invite candidates to propose their own focused investigation within the broad terrain of VUCA project environments. A compelling research outline will articulate a specific problem worthy of study, justify its significance for both theory and practice, propose a rigorous methodological approach, and consider implications for how projects are conceived, governed, and executed under conditions of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

This PhD position is designed for a candidate who sees this gap not as a problem, but as a frontier. We are not seeking someone to merely document the failure of old models, but to help architect the next generation of them.

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
• Contribute to the writing of research grant proposals
• Participate in the Project and Quality Management Group
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in project management, industrial engineering 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 and no later than August 1st 2026. 
• 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's Doctoral Programme
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English
• Work experience, minimum 3-5 years, from large projects, typically construction projects, energy projects, or ICT projects
• Having developed a project proposal, 3-5 pages, for the PhD work to be carried out as part of the position

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

• Having published academic work at a conference or in a journal
• Experience in writing research grant proposals
• Experience from working in teams
• Skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language

Personal characteristics

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

• Work independently
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Good communication skills
• Demonstrate knowledge/experience in project management theory

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 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 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 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 bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

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 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)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• 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 and Head of Group Bjørn Sørskot Andersen, e-mail: bjorn.andersen@ntnu.no. 

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

Application deadline: 29.03.2026

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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.