Professor/Associate Professor in Industrial Ecology

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About the position

We have a vacancy for a permanent Professor/Associate Professor at the Industrial Ecology Programme (IndEcol), Department of Energy and Process Engineering. 

The announced position is instrumental for the overarching ambitions of IndEcol to foster its internationally leading role in research and education of sustainability analysis, renewable energy and materials, resource management and climate change mitigation. 

We are seeking a highly motivated scholar with strong expertise in industrial ecology or sustainability systems analysis. The successful candidate will advance research on sustainable production and consumption, with a focus on the interconnections between trade flows, resource use, and environmental impacts. The ideal candidate will generate new knowledge on how national and global value chains can be optimized from a sustainability perspective, integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and exploring the sustainability implications of new policies. They will analyse and develop strategies for alternative socio-economic development pathways (at the consumer, corporate, and policy level) under the perspectives of mitigation of and adaptation to environmental degradation.

The Industrial Ecology Program currently consists of 7 professors/associate professors and about 65 employees in scientific positions (PhD students, postdocs, and researchers). IndEcol is a well-established interdisciplinary research group in the field of sustainability analysis, with publications featured in high-ranked scientific journals, participation to multiple national and European research projects, and direct contributions to assessment reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). 

You will report to the Head of Department. 

Duties of the position

• Undertake research in the field of sustainability analysis, focusing on production-consumption networks and the interactions between the socio-economic system and the environment. 
• Apply quantitative methods from industrial ecology or related disciplines to conduct advanced analyses that integrate environmental, economic, and social dimensions in the assessment of existing systems and on the implications of future developments. Particular attention will be given to addressing the growing challenges posed by resource competition, global market instabilities, and environmental changes, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and the effects of new policies.
• Teach two courses per academic year at Bachelor or Master levels and supervision of bachelor, master and PhD students, thus integrating sustainability perspectives and systems thinking into education and student research training.
• Participate actively in the development of Indecol as a research group and in both acquisition of new research grants and implementation of innovative education methods.
• Extensive use of analytical tools, numerical approaches, and digital technologies as important elements in daily education, research and dissemination of knowledge.
• Build-up and strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations in education and research across NTNU departments, as well as within Norway and internationally.

Required selection criteria

Professor

The position of Professor requires that you meet the criteria in the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts section 1-2. 

• Your academic work must be within the field of industrial ecology, sustainability analysis, production-consumption network, or other topics that are relevant to the above specified duties.
• A PhD in the field of industrial ecology, sustainability analysis, environmental sciences, natural sciences, civil engineering, or any other relevant to the field specified above.
• You must have documented experience and ability in creating and leading a new research group.
• Your recent research activities must be in the field of the call, with relevant and consistent track records (15+ primary research articles in well-recognized scientific journals with demonstrated significant contributions from the applicant).
• You have demonstrated ability to secure external research funding as Primary Investigator, and managed research projects successfully. 
• You have documented pedagogical training and previous experience from teaching courses at bachelor or master level, with documented high-quality feedbacks from students
• You have experience and a good reputation in the supervision of students, PhDs and post doc (until completion of their studies)
• An extensive network of collaborations with both research and industry partners, both nationally and internationally. 
• You must have excellent written and oral English language skills

Associate Professor

The position of Associate Professor requires that you meet the criteria in the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts section 1-4. 

• Your academic work must be within the field of industrial ecology, sustainability analysis, production-consumption network, or other topics that are relevant to the above specified duties.
• A PhD in the field of industrial ecology, sustainability analysis, environmental sciences, natural sciences, civil engineering, or any other relevant to the field specified above.
• Your recent research activities align with the thematic area of this call, and you must demonstrate competence in the field of industrial ecology through relevant scientific publications (primary research articles in well-recognized international journals where you have made significant contributions).
• You have demonstrated ability to lead or contribute to secure external research funds, and contributed to research projects successfully. 
• You have experience and a good reputation in the supervision of students.
• A network of collaborations with both research or industry partners, both nationally and internationally. 
• You must have excellent written and oral English language skills

Requirements for professor and Associate Professor

You must document relevant basic competence for teaching and supervision at university/higher education-level, ref. Regulations. If this cannot be documented, you are required to complete an approved course in university teaching within two years of commencement. NTNU offers qualifying courses. 

It is a prerequisite that within three years of appointment, new employees who do not speak a Scandinavian language can demonstrate skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level three in the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU.

Please see the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Among the Industrial Ecology research methods, preferred options are Input/Output analysis, environmental footprint analysis, integrated assessment models.
• Expertise and/or experience with digital tools for environmental analysis and teaching.
• Documented experience in communicating own scientific research to the public. 
• Demonstrated experience in active participation and collaboration within a research group, showing the ability to work effectively within larger teams and to take initiative and responsibility for collective success and growth of the group.
• Proven ability to contribute positively to team dynamics, demonstrating collaboration, shared responsibility, and commitment to collective goals and professional growth.
• Teaching experience in several sub-fields of Industrial Ecology
• Good written and oral knowledge in at least one Scandinavian language.

Personal characteristics

• Innovative, development-oriented and initiative-oriented
• Ability to work organizationally and purposefully
• Independent, but team-oriented and good at interactions, cooperation and sharing group responsibility

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 an Associate Professor / Professor (code 1011 /1013 ) you are normally paid from gross NOK 800 000 - 1 000 000 NOK 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 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.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation must be in English. 

Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline.  You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. 

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.

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Full list of academic articles published or currently under review. Also mark up to 10 articles that you would like to be considered in the assessment, and indicate your specific role within those. 
• A description of the academic/artistic works that you regard as most relevant and that you particularly want to be considered in the assessment
• Provide reference letters from 2 previous employers that summarize your experiences in research, teaching, and as team player. In total, provide name and address of three referees
• A detailed yet concise research plan (maximum 5 pages) and teaching plan (maximum 2 pages), outlining your short- and long-term ambitions and directions in research and teaching.
• Details of teaching qualifications based on "Documentation of applicant’s teaching qualifications in connection with appointment to an academic position at NTNU”
• Details of the projects you have managed, with information about funding, duration and size

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.

In the assessment of the best-qualified applicant, we will emphasize education, experience and personal suitability as well as your motivation for the position. You will be expected to deliver high-quality teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and undertake supervision of Masters and Doctoral candidates. Evaluation of these skills will be based on documented experience and relevant teaching qualifications. Applicants with teaching experience at university level are preferred. Quality and breadth of the teaching qualifications will be evaluated. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. This means that we pay special attention to the quality and professional breadth of these works. We also consider experience from research management and participation in research projects. We place great emphasis on your scientific work from the last five years. 

Your application will be considered by an expert committee and the most suitable applicants will be invited to interview and to deliver a lecture. 

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs. 

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.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

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. 

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Francesco Cherubini, Professor and Director of the Industrial Ecology Programme, email francesco.cherubini@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Guro Hoel Sjøberg, email guro.h.sjoberg@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: 15.02.2026.