Senior Engineer

About the position 

The Oral Research Laboratory at Institute of Clinical Dentistry seeks a Senior Engineer for a permanent position to support and further develop laboratory activities in a research-intensive environment. 

The position includes responsibility for the operation of the laboratory, maintenance and upgrading of equipment, and training and guidance of users and students. The Senior Engineer will also be responsible for selected instruments within the laboratory.

The role involves close collaboration with students and researchers and contribution as a specialist in research projects and working groups. A key part of the position is ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) regulations, including chemical handling, biological safety, waste management, and training of students in HSE protocols. 

Applicants are expected to be flexible in relation to the varied laboratory-technical challenges that arise in a research environment.

The Oral Research Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research facility with a strong focus on biomaterials, bone and soft tissue regeneration, and integration of biomaterials into tissues. The laboratory provides advanced research infrastructure and technical expertise to internal and external research projects and is open to new scientific collaborations.

The research environment brings together expertise in molecular biology, cell biology, odontology, medicine, microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry, and materials science. The laboratory is well equipped for advanced material characterization, surface analysis, cell and molecular biology, and imaging, and benefits from close collaborations within the local research network, providing access to complementary high-end instrumentation and professional animal facilities for experimental models related to bone healing and implant performance.

Your main tasks will be 

In practice, the candidate will:

• Work closely with students (Bachelor, Master, PhD, and Postgraduate) and researchers on biomaterial synthesis (e.g. hydrogels, ceramics, fibre production) and characterization (SEM, FT-IR, profilometry, QCM-D, zeta potential).
• Provide hands-on support in experiment planning, sample preparation, and development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure reproducibility and safety.
• Collaborate with the technical team to coordinate training sessions and ensure proper use of shared laboratory infrastructure.

The succesful candidate will contribute to:

• Method development, troubleshooting, and implementation of new protocols and analytical techniques.
• Contract work and service assignments for external customers, ensuring high quality and timely delivery of analyses in accordance with institutional policies.
• The daily operation, maintenance, and upgrading of laboratory equipment.

 Qualifications 

You must have

University-level education within relevant natural sciences, with a minimum of three years of engineering education or equivalent competence.

         Furthermore, you must also have documented experience in

• Use of 3D optical profilometer, SEM, FT-IR, and QCM-D, including experience in independent research-related work and further development of technical platforms involving these instruments.
• Material production, such as sintering and fibre production.

• Analysing results related to surface profiling and characterization (e.g. surface energy, absorption).

  You must also have

• Ability to work independently in a structured, systematic, and solution-oriented manner.
• Strong practical skills related to maintenance, upgrading, and operation of technical equipment.
• Good written and oral communication skills in English.

You should have 

• Experience with blow spinner.
• Experience contributing to method development, troubleshooting, and implementation of new protocols and analytical techniques.
• Experience working in a research-intensive laboratory environment.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and supporting users at different academic levels.

• Ability to stay up to date with technical developments within the field.

  Applicants who do not master a Scandinavian language will be required to attend Norwegian language courses.

 Personal skills

• Ability to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary research environment and work constructively with students and colleagues at different academic levels.
• Service-oriented approach towards users of shared laboratory infrastructure, including interaction with external collaborators and suppliers.
• Reliability, sound judgment, and a high sense of responsibility, particularly in relation to laboratory operations and HSE.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and personal suitability for the position.

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

We offer 

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. 
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Senior Engineer, position code 1181 in salary range NOK from 700 000 to 770 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application letter. The application letter should briefly describe the applicant’s relevant laboratory experience, independent technical responsibility, and motivation for applying for the position.
• CV.
• Transcripts and certificates.
• Contact information for 2-3 references.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.