Postdoctoral Research Fellow in studying the role of batteries in future electricity systems

About the position

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow studying the role of batteries in future electricity systems available in the Energy Systems Section, at the Department of Technology Systems (ITS) of the University of Oslo (UiO). 

Starting date as soon as possible.

The fellowship period is three years. A fourth year may be considered with a work-load of 25 % which is devoted to other career promoting work, usually in the form of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.

Project description

We seek a PhD-holding research enthusiast, with an interest in developing high-impact research modeling future electricity systems in Norway and Europe. The successful candidate will work on the recently funded Research Council of Norway project NORBAT (“Batteries as flexibility providers for the Norwegian electric power system – drivers, opportunities, and challenges”) in close collaboration with the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI). The position will also contribute to the UiO Convergence Environment EMPOWER, which examines the role of battery production and use in electric vehicles in Norway. The candidate will be part of the Energy Systems Modelling Group of ITS which has a number of projects integrating socio-ecological factors into energy system modelling to support more robust decision-making. This provides the candidate with several exciting collaboration opportunities, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie project SAMVIND, FME Solar and the recently awarded NFR Toppforsk project FEASIBILITY in collaboration with FNI and NTNU.

The role involves close collaboration with FNI, other departments across the University of Oslo, industry partners and University College London (UCL). The successful candidate will work with and further develop the electricity system model highRES to analyse the role of batteries in future electricity systems, with a particular focus on Norway within an interconnected European context, including crosscountry comparisons and spatial co-benefits and trade-offs. Please contact the project lead if you have further questions about the project.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

What skills are important in this role?

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Qualification requirements:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in in Energy or Power Systems Modelling or equivalent. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment.
• Programming skills in GAMS and Python.
• Experience with HPC. 
• Experience with electricity system model development and upkeep using Git/Github. 
• Experience with processing large spatial datasets. 
• Familiarity with the European and Norwegian energy discussions as well as energy justice concepts. 
• Experience collaborating with social scientists and integrating social aspects into energy system models. 
• Experience working with different stakeholders. 
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian or other Scandinavian language skills.
• Teaching and/or supervision experience.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience developing/using the highRES electricity system model.
• Experience with Snakemake.
• Experience with policy.

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

• Strong interest and motivation to communicate across various research disciplines and to work interdisciplinarily.
• High interest in the research topic and methodology, including 
  sustainability-oriented research and contributing to the energy transition.
• Collaborative and open attitude. 
• Interest in supporting junior modelers and enthusiasm to contribute to a number of research projects. 
• Ability to be a team player, interested in co-developing research ideas, but also capacity to work independently in a well-organized, attention-focused and timely manner.
• Ability to express yourself, orally and write in a clear and concise way.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal skills.

We can offer you

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.  
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Postdoctoral development programmes.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK 595 000 - 690 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.