Postdoctoral Fellow in System-Level Analysis of Deep-Learning Acceleration

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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

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral position in system-level analysis of deep-learning acceleration at the Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The position is supported by the EU Horizon project CIRES and offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research at the intersection of deep learning and computer systems. The successful candidate will join an international and collaborative research environment and contribute to advancing efficient AI systems through close interaction with academic and industry partners within the CIRES project.

Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? We offer an exciting 3 or 4-year postdoctoral position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher. 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 Computing Unit.

About the project 

This Postdoctoral position is part of the EU Horizon project CIRES, which brings together leading academic and industry partners to develop new technologies supporting the objectives of the EU Chips Act. The project focuses on strengthening Europe’s capabilities in semiconductor technologies and intelligent computing systems.

At NTNU, the goal is to create a European open-source platform for deep-learning acceleration and investigate methods for analyzing deep-learning use cases and map them to the most appropriate accelerator given a set of performance, power, energy and area requirements. The Postdoctoral fellow will collaborate closely with international project partners and contribute to advancing next-generation AI systems for edge computing. The scientific outcomes are expected to be published in top-tier conferences and journals in the field.

Duties of the position

• Carry out research of high quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the research groups Computer Architecture Laboratory (CAL) and Systems Software Group (SSG)
• Help in reporting to EU on the progress related to the project
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and project meetings
• Mentoring students, helping them with their research projects and academic writing
• Other career-promoting work 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent.
• 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 written and oral English language skills.

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 Regulations concerning the degrees of philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

As a result of the new Act relating to universities and university colleges with associated regulations of 01/08/2024, NTNU has, during a transitional period (for decisions on employment in recruitment positions before 1 August 2025), chosen to use the terms of employment in the old regulations of 31 January 2006 no. 102 on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, research fellow, scientific assistant and specialist candidate

Preferred selection criteria

• At least one publication at a top-tier international venue within computer architecture (i.e., ISCA, MICRO, HPCA, or ASPLOS) as first author.
• Hands-on experience with evaluation of computer architectures, using prototyping and simulation.
• Familiarity with system software.
• Familiarity of a hardware description language, such as Chisel, VHDL or Verilog.
• Familiarity with contemporary software frameworks for AI (e.g., PyTorch or ONNX).
• Norwegian oral language skills.

Personal characteristics

Working as a Postdoctoral fellow requires that you

• Work independently
• 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 under pressure or in the face of adversity
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Are flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed 

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer 

 

• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment 
• Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which containsthe skills and knowledge you will acquire
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues 
• Favorable 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.

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 633 400,- per annum before tax, 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 or 4 years, depending on the suitability of the applicant and after an agreement of contributing to departmental work, e.g., teaching, in addition to the research.

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 be in 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 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-, 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.
• CV (maximum 4 pages).
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, you can attach a draft of the thesis.
• A short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page) that clearly explains how you meet the selection criteria and your motivation for applying to the position.
• Published academic works (up to 3 articles). If there are multiple authors, the candidate must explain their specific contributions.
• Name and contact information of three 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. 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 Professor Magnus Själander, +47 904 78 775, email Magnus.Sjalander@NTNU.no.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact hr@idi.ntnu.no.
Application deadline:

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: 20.05.2026

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.