Researcher within Sustainability assessment (LCA) of soil stabilization

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About the Job

We have a vacancy for a 2-year position as researcher at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (IBM). The researcher is to take part in “WP5 Sustainability assessment” of the ongoing research project “Sustainable, Stable Ground” funded by “The Research Council of Norway”.

WP5 will assess the sustainability of soil stabilization, by a comparative LCA analysis of the different stabilization systems; the production of additives, transport, mixture, service-life, waste-production, and runoffs.

The objectives of the researcher (WP5) are to determine the system boundaries and accounting ranges; build an inventory for the life cycle assessment and develop waste handling plans for the different stabilization processes of soil stabilization.

The researcher will be taking part in the following three activities: 

• In activity 5.1 we will produce an inventory of all energy consumption and waste discharges during production of different alternative stabilizers and the stabilization processes (construction) over the whole service-lifetime of the stabilized soils. This requires collection of data related to soil stabilization processes, resources, energy, transportation, materials and waste management. Further we will do uncertainty assessments of the data
• In activity 5.2 we will provide comparative LCAs for the different alternative stabilizers (as described in WP3) and their applications, used to stabilize different types of clays typically found in Norway. Each soft soil stabilization project has its own soil-characteristic and volume that needs to be stabilized. This requires input from simulations in WP4 for the amount needed per unit volume and the corresponding environmental impact over the lifetime
• Finally, activity 5.3 will develop optimal waste handling plans for the different stabilization processes

Your immediate leader is Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• LCA of soil stabilization as described above
• Publish in highly ranked international journals
• Supervise master students
• Support interdisciplinary work within and between research groups on the topic

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in civil engineering, industrial ecology, or natural sciences, or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree
• 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 at the deadline for the application. NOTE: Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position
• The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant.

Other required selection criteria

• Competence in life cycle assessment or civil engineering
• Relevant Programming software skills (Python, R, MatLab, BIM, GIS)
• Evidence of an interest in the research, articulated in a cover letter or research proposal
• Excellent written and oral English language skills (equivalent to level B2)

Preferred selection criteria

• Motivation for environmental research of practical relevance
• Genuine interest in life cycle assessment
• Knowledge in Scandinavian language is an advantage

Personal characteristics

• Confidence in working independently and in teams
• Ability and willingness to work in inter- and transdisciplinary teams
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Appreciation of safe working practices

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Employee benefits

Salary and conditions

As a researcher (code 1109) you are normally paid from gross NOK 620 000 – 750 000 NOK per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. As required by law, 2% of this salary will be deducted and paid into the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.   

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work. 

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. 

About the application

Your application and supporting documentation must be in English. 

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. 

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.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

Your application must include:

• CV, diplomas, and certificates
• Evidence of an interest in research, articulated in a cover letter or research proposal
• Academic works – published or unpublished – that you wish to be considered during assessment of your application (up to 10 items)
• Documentation that the thesis is submitted, or documentation of your defense date
• Names and contact information for three relevant referees

It is important that you both document and reflect on your competence. You are encouraged to use the NTNUs competence matrix as a guide for  documentation of your competence.

Joint work will also be considered. If it is difficult to identify your specific input to a joint project, you must include evidence of your contributions. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. Open scientific practice will be recognized.

NTNU is obliged by the evaluation criteria for research quality in accordance with The San Fransisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA and The obligations in the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment ( CoARA) on responsible assessment of research and recognition of a wider range of academic contributions to science and society. This means that we will pay particular attention to the quality and academic range demonstrated by your scientific work to date. We will also pay attention to research leadership and participation in research projects. Your scientific work from the last five years will be given the most weight.

Your application will be considered by a committee at the department. Candidates of interest will be invited to an interview.

General information

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.

As an employee at NTNU, you must continually maintain and improve your professional development and be flexible regarding any organizational changes.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself 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 reservation is not accepted.

For the sake of transparency, candidates will be given expert evaluations of their own and other candidates. As an applicant you are considered part of the process and are stipulated by rules of confidentiality. 

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Rolf André Bohne, telephone +47 99705363, email rolf.bohne@ntnu.no 

 If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Tone Måsøval Arntzen, e-mail:  tone.m.arntzen@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line 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: 07.04.2026

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation 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.