Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology

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 can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

     

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About the position

Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? We offer an exciting 3-year position postdoctoral position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher. If the candidate has the relevant qualifications the appointment may be extended with a fourth year that includes teaching duties. You will also gain valuable experience that might be relevant for your further career.

The purpose of a postdoctoral position is to build up a researcher profile that qualifies for a position as associate professor. The position may also offer additional skills that are relevant to the postdoctoral fellow's future career.

Apply for this position to become part of our research environment and take the next step in your career with us.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. 

About the project 

Within the collaborative and knowledge-building project Valoras awarded from the Research Council of Norway (RCN) (KSP25: industry-oriented research on Biotechnology), we will apply environmental and industrial biotechnology concepts to valorise residual streams, supporting resource circularity in Norwegian aquaculture and agriculture.

You will join the research group of Prof. David Weissbrodt (URL) and collaborate closely with  Prof. Per Bruheim and Prof. Ingrid Bakke within the Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology research theme of the Microbial Biotechnology division at IBT, as well as research and industrial partners.

Our division offers state-of-the-art facilities for bioprocess engineering, microbial cultivation, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, mass spectrometry, multi-omics, bioinformatics, and modelling. Our group is embedded in a highly collaborative research environment with strong links across NTNU, national research centres, and international biotechnology, microbiology and water networks.

Duties of the position

• Conduct high-quality, innovative research in environmental and industrial biotechnology.
• Develop as an independent, collaborative scientist with a strong academic profile.
• Participate in the environmental & industrial biotechnology theme of the ‘Analysis and Control of Microbial Systems’ and ‘Bioprocess and Microbial Physiology’ research groups, working closely with colleagues of the Microbial Biotechnology division at IBT.
• Collaborate with internal and external research, innovation, and industrial partners.
• Be active on academic publications and popular science dissemination.
• Apply for research funding and write applications and report on progress to funding sources.
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays. 
• Contribute to teaching in the fields of Microbiology, Environmental Biotechnology or Biochemical Engineering depending on departmental needs.
• Obtain the Uniped pedagogical basic competence in parallel to research and teaching activities, to qualify for a future academic career.
• Mentor students and PhD candidates, helping them with their research projects, and advising on methodology and academic writing. 
• Readiness to relocate in Trondheim, Norway.

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in biotechnology or a related discipline with a strong background in environmental biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, aquaculture and ocean resources, agricultural bioengineering, or related research areas.
• Ability to integrate principles in mixed-culture, co-culture, and pure-culture biotechnology.
• Strong experimental and theoretical background combining hands-on expertise in biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, microbial cultivation, (eco)physiology, systems microbiology, microbial ecology, (bio)analytics, bioinformatics and mathematical modelling.
• Demonstrated ability and motivation for collaborative research and innovation, scientific publishing, student supervision, and teaching.
• If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted or that the defense date has been confirmed, your application can be considered even if you have not defended. NOTE: Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position. 
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, CAE, CPE or an equivalent qualification). 

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

If you do not already have educational competence that meets the requirements for a position as associate professor in Norway, NTNU will arrange for you to acquire such competence during the employment period. In such cases, you will also be assigned relevant teaching as part of the career-promoting work.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Strong disciplinary knowledge in environmental and industrial biotechnology.
• Experience engaging with complex scientific questions in resource biorecovery.
• Interdisciplinary skillset in biotechnology, bioanalytics and modelling.
• Relevant experience in research and innovation projects.
• Proven ability to design and conduct experimental research toward definite outcomes.
• Ability to seek, obtain, and implement research projects.
• Experience with professional interaction with the public and private sectors.
• Experience with supervising or collaborating with PhD candidates and BSc/MSc students.
• Motivated by science, innovation, and education, with a strong interest in pursuing an academic career.
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language is an advantage for teaching, local integration, and interaction with partners but is not a prerequisite. NTNU offers Norwegian language courses and community workshops for international staff.

Personal characteristics

Working as a Postdoctoral fellow requires that you

• Are motivated by research, innovation and education, while contributing to the organisation
• Have a curiosity-driven, creative, and analytical competence with strong experimental design, critical thinking, and scientific writing skills with a goal-oriented, self-driven, well-organised, collaborative and communicative mindset.
• Work independently and collaboratively in a team
• Are work structured, set goals and make plans to achieve them 
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals 
• Engage and contribute constructively with feedback 
• Work constructively
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject 
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 
• Are flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer 

• Being part of a leading, disciplinary, and cross-disciplinary research group and consortium.
• Working in a strong and stimulating national and international academic environment.
• Interesting research project promoting intellectual growth and career advancement.
• An exciting job with an important social mission
• Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which contains the skills and knowledge you will acquire
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues 
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)As a Postdoctoral Fellow 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. 

In addition, at our research group, we promote the effective management of all relevant dimensions in equality, diversity and inclusion.

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid 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. If the candidate has the relevant qualifications the appointment may be extended with a fourth year that includes teaching duties. 

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to 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:

• Brief cover letter highlighting your motivation specific to the scope of the position.
• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's-, Master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or confirmation that your PhD thesis has been submitted. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic CV and publication portfolio, highlighting information about education, relevant experience in research, teaching and supervision, and outputs.
• Short CV filled in the Jobbnorge.no platform.
• A weblink to the open-access PhD thesis file (or a copy of the doctoral thesis). If you are close to submitting, you can attach a draft of the thesis (if allowed by your PhD supervisor). Else you can enclose a 1-2 page summary of your PhD thesis.
• A short statement of research and teaching interests within the scope of this postdoctoral position (approx. 1000 words).
• Academic works - published or unpublished (up to 5 selected items that are most representative/relevant for the position). Publications and any other work that the applicant wishes to be considered should clearly indicate the applicant’s contribution.
• Name, affiliation and contact information (email and phone number) of three referees. At least one referee must be an academic actively working in the field of the position and independent of the applicant and of any previous organisations where the applicant has been involved, in order to provide an impartial assessment of the candidate’s qualifications and anticipated future research and academic impact.

If all or parts of your education hasbeen taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation requiredcan 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 works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and is committed to follow evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA and the obligations in 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 list of applicants, 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 have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. David Weissbrodt, email: david.weissbrodt@ntnu.no, indicating “Postdoc in Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology” in the header. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact our HR-advisor Cecilie Skagfjord, email: cecilie.skagfjord@ntnu.no.

If you find this position interesting, and in accordance 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.

Application deadline: 15.08.2026

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.