PhD Candidate in AI-native Orchestration and Resilience Assurance for 5G/6G Networks

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

   

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About the position

The Department of Information Security and Communication Technology invites applications for a fully funded PhD position on AI-driven network operations for cloud-native 5G/6G networks. The project will explore the mechanisms, control loops, and open interfaces needed to use Generative AI (GenAI) and Agentic AI safely and efficiently to operate modern softwarized network infrastructures.

Telecom networks are rapidly moving to cloud-native network functions (CNFs) and microservices deployed across core, regional cloud, and edge. This enables fast innovation, but it also makes operations harder as services have many dependencies, failures and performance degradations can cascade across domains and slices, and platforms are often multi-vendor with different APIs and data formats. At the same time, GenAI and Agentic AI can help engineers understand alarms and logs, propose recovery steps, and even execute actions—yet in carrier-grade networks every action must be correct, controllable, auditable, and SLA-compliant.

The PhD work is grounded in the systems reality of deploying AI agents against real network platforms, where decisions about whether to execute at the edge or in the cloud carry direct consequences for latency, bandwidth, and privacy. Any action an agent proposes must be validated and verified before it is applied, e.g., through policy gates, invariants, staged rollouts, and rollback mechanisms so that automation remains within sanctioned boundaries. Underpinning both is the need for dependability models that, combined with telemetry-driven learning, can guide self-healing decisions in a way that reduces downtime without inducing oscillation or cascading secondary failures.

The research focus is hands-on and systems-oriented: the candidate will build a closed-loop, verifiable self-healing prototype for cloud-native 5G/6G operations, evaluate it under realistic degradations (failures/underperformance), and produce results that matter for both academia and industry—fewer SLA violations, faster recovery, and safer automation.

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open for exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. The successful candidate will be offered a 4 year appointment that includes teaching responsibilities.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of the Communication Technology Unit at the Department of Information Security and Communication Technology. The workplace will be located in Trondheim.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral training and successfully obtain a PhD degree
• Conduct high-quality research within the scope outlined for the position
• Publish scientific results in recognized venues and contribute to their public dissemination 
• Actively participate in the Networking research group and its ongoing research activities
• Engage in international activities such as conferences and/or undertake research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Teaching and supporting of learning activities in courses related to networking
• Contribute to career-development activities that support your progress as an independent researcher

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant master’s degree in telecommunications, computer networks, computer science or equivalent, with a strong background on theoretical and applied ML/AI. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. 
• Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position, and no later than 1-st of September 2026. Eligible candidates may, where applicable, pursue an Integrated PhD programme. Further information is available in Integrated PhD.
• 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.
• A project outline (max. 1000 words / 3 pages) describing research questions, theoretical perspective, methodological approach, and an initial progress plan for the project.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the to the PhD program in Information Security and Communication Technology.
  • Applicants who do not master a Scandinavian language and are not native English speakers must provide evidence of good written and spoken English language skills. The following tests can be used as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are:
  • TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test).
  • IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted).
  • CAE/CPE: grade B or A

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 NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions 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

• Practical experiences with networked systems and multi-vendor softwarized environments
• Exposed to hands-on experience with 5G access/core testbeds and open-source solutions
• Good experience with Infrastructure as Code tools, DevSecOps and/or AIOps practices 
• Relevant publication activities will be considered an advantage
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian language

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you can: 

• Work independently, in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Be highly motivated by fundamental scientific research of practical relevance
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation, in terms of the qualifications specified in the advertisement.

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
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate 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.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-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 4 years for the doctoral work including teaching duties. Integrated PhD study candidates are welcome to apply. For more information on the Integrated PhD programme you may check here.

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

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 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 Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or 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 and Master's degrees
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) 
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• A project outline (max. 1000 words / 3 pages) describing research questions, theoretical perspective, methodological approach, and an initial progress plan for the project.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Publications or other relevant research work (if applicable)
• Certificates or other relevant documentation (if applicable)
• Link(s) to public GitHub (or similar) repositories or other code portfolios demonstrating relevant programming experience (e.g., in C++, Python, or Java) (if available)
• If the thesis has been recently submitted, a draft may be attached.
• 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 work 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 Associate Professor Besmir Tola, email: besmir.tola@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Julie Lindland, email: julie.lindland@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 26.04.2026.

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.