Associate Professor in Heterogeneous Catalysis

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 44,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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The Department of Chemical Engineering has a vacancy for a permanent position as Associate Professor in heterogeneous catalysis. The research and teaching in the catalysis group covers heterogeneous catalysis and related topics, such as solid sorbents for gas cleaning and CO2 capture, pyrolytic conversion of hydrocarbons, biomass and plastic wastes, synthesis of special carbon materials (fibers), and process analysis and design. The group is equipped with extensive and modern experimental facilities, with a strong emphasis on reliable activity measurements and catalyst characterization, while also employing theoretical methods and modeling.

We are seeking a candidate with a strong chemical engineering profile and expertise in experimental heterogeneous catalysis, who can combine hands-on experimental work with quantitative description of catalytic phenomena. The person filling this position will have a special responsibility for teaching chemical engineering research within industrial catalysis. You will join a dynamic research group with excellent student recruitment, a collegial environment, and strong project activity. In 2026, the group will move into newly renovated offices and laboratories, offering state-of-the-art infrastructure.

Your immediate leader is the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• build, manage and develop research programs complimentary to and in collaboration with colleagues, national and international partners. 
• attract external funding from the Norwegian and European research funding systems as well as from industry.
• teach and develop fundamental courses at BSc level (delivered in Norwegian), as well as other relevant courses offered by the chemical engineering department. 
• supervise master students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral/research fellows
• take part in the extensive collaboration around laboratories, research strategies and teaching that is established in the Catalysis group
• contribute to the development of the Department, take part in interdisciplinary research and education collaborations within NTNU and provide organizational and social contributions to the working environment.

Required qualifications 

You must have the following qualifications required for the position of associate professor:

• A doctoral degree in chemical engineering or a closely related field
• Minimum two years of research experience within the application deadline, in addition to your degree. Research performed in industry is also relevant and will be considered if sufficiently documented. 
• Documented and solid research background in experimental heterogeneous catalysis (synthesis, characterization, and catalyst performance assessment), reaction kinetics and chemical reaction engineering. 
• Documented ability and experience from research collaborations. 
• Documented basic competence in teaching and supervision at a university/higher education-level, as referenced in the NTNUs guidelines for academic positions, or willingness to develop this competence within two years: 
  • If you cannot document this, you will be required to complete an approved course in university pedagogy within two years of commencement. NTNU offers qualifying courses.
• Capability to teach in English. 
• Norwegian language skills at level B2, or willingness to achieve this within three years: 
  • New employees who do not speak a Scandinavian language by appointment are required, within three years, to demonstrate skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level B2 of the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU.

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You must document relevant basic competence in teaching and supervision at a university/higher education-level, as referenced in the NTNUs guidelines for academic positions. If this cannot be documented, you will be required to complete an approved course in university pedagogy within two years of commencement. NTNU offers qualifying courses.

New employees who do not speak a Scandinavian language by appointment is required, within three years, to demonstrate skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level B2of the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU. 

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in methods and catalytic chemistries relevant to the group’s research, such as: 
  • catalysis kinetics (experiments and modeling), first principles modeling of catalyst functionality, or advanced characterization and surface science methods, including in situ and operando methodology
  • heterogeneous catalysis relevant to Norwegian industry and the green transition (for example hydrogen and synthesis gas production, ammonia, CO/CO2 hydrogenation, methanol/Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, upgrading of hydrocarbons/carbohydrates, co-processing of biobased feedstocks)
  • Background in related topics, for example solid sorbents for gas cleaning and CO2 capture, pyrolytic conversion of hydrocarbons/biomass/plastic wastes, synthesis of special carbon materials, or process analysis and design
• Documented experience from process development and/or industrial collaborations
• Ability to teach chemical reaction engineering, heterogeneous catalysis, industrial chemistry and refining, or process analysis and design (BSc and MSc level)
• Documented pedagogical training and experience from teaching and tutoring
• Proficiency in Norwegian to the extent where you can teach BSc level courses in Norwegian
• Experience from (co-)supervision of MSc and PhD candidates
• Experience from grant application development and evaluation

Personal qualities

• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Motivation to contribute to a positive and inclusive work environment
• Enthusiasm for developing academic and industry partnerships

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

• An organization committed to knowledge for a better world
• An ambitious and acknowledged research environment with a good mix of fresh and experienced faculty members
• Good, shared research infrastructure and technical support
• Excellent student recruitment
• Opportunities for sabbaticals for permanent faculty staff
• A pleasant working environment
• A vibrant city with access to nature, sports, culture, public transport, and good residential areas, childcare, and schools
• Favorable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Employee benefits

Application Process

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

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Salary and conditions

The position as Associate Professor (code 1011) comes with a starting package for new research staff and is remunerated according to the Norwegian State salary scale, depending on qualifications and seniority. 

The employment 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.   

As an employee at NTNU, you must continually maintain and improve your professional development and be flexible regarding any organizational changes.

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. 

About the application

Your application and supporting documentation must be in English. The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. 

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.

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.

Your application must include:

• CV, diplomas, and certificates
• A teaching portfolio, in which your teaching competence is compiled and presented systematically,   (See guidelines for applicants: Documentation of educational competence)
• Academic works – published or unpublished – that you wish to be considered during assessment of your application (5-7 items)
• A description of the scientific/artistic works you consider most relevant, which you particularly wish to be factored into the assessment
• A complete publication list
• A research plan that describes complementarity to and potential for collaboration with existing members of the catalysis group.
• Details of projects for which you have served as project manager, including information on financing, duration, and scope
• Names and contact information for three relevant referees

It is important that you both document and reflect on your competence. You are encouraged to use the NTNUs competence matrix as a guide for  documentation of your competence.

Joint work will also be considered. If it is difficult to identify your specific input to a joint project, you must include evidence of your contributions. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. Our assessment of the pedagogical skills will be based on documented pedagogical material, forms of presentation in your academic works, teaching experience, PhD, and Masters supervision, and any other relevant pedagogical background. Both quality and scope will be taken into consideration, and an open scientific practice will be recognized.

NTNU is obliged by the evaluation criteria for research quality in accordance with The San Fransisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA and The obligations in the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment ( CoARA) on responsible assessment of research and recognition of a wider range of academic contributions to science and society. This means that we will pay particular attention to the quality and academic range demonstrated by your scientific work to date. We will also pay attention to research leadership and participation in research projects. Your scientific work from the last five years will be given the most weight.

Your application will be considered by an expert committee. Candidates of interest will be invited to an interview, and to deliver a trial teaching session.

General information

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.

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 and get the chance to withdraw if the reservation is not accepted.

For the sake of transparency, candidates will be given expert evaluations of their own and other candidates. As an applicant you are considered part of the process and are stipulated by rules of confidentiality. 

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Hilde Johnsen Venvik, tel. 73592831, e-mail hilde.j.venvik@ntnu.no. 

If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR-adviser Joakim Henriksen, e-mail joakim.henriksen@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 09.03.2026

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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.