PhD Candidate in Thermo-Chemical Plastic Recycling

This is NTNU

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

Plastic pollution is a major concern and drives the development of new recycling technologies. Food packaging is a main contributor to plastic waste due to its short lifespan. Once discarded, food packaging forms a mixed, soiled, and unsortable plastic waste fraction that, as of today, is not recyclable. High-temperature gasification is a promising method for recycling these mixed wastes. By subjecting the plastics to temperatures of 800°C, the organic structure of the plastic is atomized. The resulting product gas can be reacted into new mono- and polymers of the same quality as fossil-based plastics, and a circular economy is created.

The Ph.D. position is part of the HighRec project, and the main research topic for this position is to investigate the thermal break-up of pure polymers and composites using a  combination of experimental techniques and chemical modelling.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is to complete a doctoral education and obtain a doctoral degree. 

Your immediate leader is Associate Professor Corinna Schulze-Netzer.
 

Duties of the position

Duties of the position:

• Follow the faculty’s PhD program 
• Plan design and carry out experiments and their analysis
• Prepare research articles for peer-reviewed journals (min. 3)
• Be willing to present results at conferences
• Prepare a PhD thesis
• Collaborate with researchers involved in the project and master's students
• Be willing to conduct a research stay in Sweden 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• Experiences with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) 
• Good programming skills for scientific post-processing of simulations (phyton, Matlab, C)
• Proven theoretical education in technical and/or organic chemistry
• Proven theoretical education in combustion and thermal conversion
• You must have a professionally relevant background in process or chemical engineering
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you maybe assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by start of the position (January 2026).
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program.
• Proficient written and oral English language skills 

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.

Personal characteristics

• Ability to work independently and in a team
• Drive to learn new methods and applications
• Curiosity and creativity in finding problem-related solutions
• Contribute actively to a respectful, inclusive and open work atmosphere

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.
 

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. 

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. 

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.

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 3 years for the doctoralwork in addition to x months/year of career promotion work. 

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

For us to be able to evaluate your application, it must include:

• CV and certificates 
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have 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 one-page research proposal for how the topic can be addressed including your learning goals and development of new skills
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

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 Corinna Schulze-Netzer, e-mail: corinna.netzer@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Renate Fjellheim, e-mail: renate.fjellheim@ntnu.no. 

Application deadline: 25.08.2025

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.