PhD Candidate in Marine Electrification – Smart Charging Infrastructure

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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

   

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About the position

The Department of Marine Technology at NTNU has a vacancy for a PhD candidate in Marine Electrification, with a specific focus on vessel charging systems and port-side electrification. 

The PhD project aims to develop smart, sustainable, and universal solutions for onshore/offshore power supply, enabling multi-vessel charging and scalable maritime electrification. Advanced control strategies and data-driven optimization methods will be considered to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and integration of charging systems with onshore grid infrastructure.

This research is initiated by the R&D Centre MarTrans, and the successful candidate will be part of a vibrant community of PhD candidates, and scientists, working on cutting-edge maritime technologies. You will join the Marine Electrification Lab at NTNU, a world-leading research environment, and will collaborate closely with leading academic and industrial partners on this multidisciplinary and high-impact topic. 

This PhD project is supervised by Professor Mehdi Zadeh, and your immediate Line Manager is Head of the Department.

About the project

The proposed PhD position will be part of the recently established R&D Centre for Maritime Energy Transition – MarTrans: https://martrans.no/

MarTrans is funded by the Research Council of Norway under the prestigious Research Centre for Environment-friendly Energy (FME) program. It brings together over 60 partners from industry, research, and academia, forming one of the largest and most comprehensive maritime research initiatives to date. 

Duties of the position

• Completing the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate.
• Carrying out research of good quality within the framework described above.
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination.
• Actively participating in and contributing to the activities of the research group at NTNU and the FME MarTrans R&D Centre.
• Participating in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions based on research needs. 
• Other career-promoting work such as attending seminars, lectures, and other dissemination. and networking activities to enhance research skills and build a professional network.

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within marine technology and cybernetics, electrical engineering, control engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, or a related discipline.
• You must have a Master's degree or equivalent within one of the specified disciplines. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian MSc, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position. 
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv)
• Strong English communication skills, both written and verbal.

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

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in electrical system modeling and analysis, applied control, power electronic conversion systems and/or optimization techniques. 
• Experience and interest in experimental work and laboratory-based research.
• Experience with data analysis and relevant programming tools (Python, MATLAB, etc.). 

Personal characteristics

To complete a high-quality doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them.
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback.
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity.
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed.

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)  

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 

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

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 541 800,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Engineering within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding 

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary academic 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 or Norwegian/a Scandinavian language. 

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: 

• CV 
• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• Copy of final Master's thesis. If you are currently in the process of completing a Master's degree, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Relevant publications or other related research works
• Any certificates relevant for the position
• Names and contact information of three relevant 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, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also 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 work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and 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 applicant list, 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 think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Mehdi Zadeh, email: mehdi.zadeh@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Senior Executive Officer HR Marit Gjersvold, e-mail: marit.gjersvold@ntnu.no.

 

Application deadline: 20.07.2025
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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.