PhD Candidate in Risk-Consistent Design of Protection Structures for Climate-Adapted Infrastructure

Organisation/Company

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Department

Department of Structural Engineering

Research Field

Engineering

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

PhD Positions

Application Deadline

1 Apr 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo)

Country

Norway

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

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.

About the position

Are you ready to take on the challenge of a PhD and contribute to advancing resilient and sustainable infrastructure? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work toward earning your doctorate while developing strong expertise in probabilistic modelling, structural reliability, and decision-oriented engineering.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a background in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, computational mechanics, or related fields who wants to contribute to developing the next generation of risk-informed design methodologies for infrastructure exposed to natural hazards and climate change.

About the project

Infrastructure systems such as roads, bridges, and protection structures form the backbone of modern society. However, increasing exposure to natural hazards — including rockfall, debris flow, and impact-type events — combined with climate change, challenges traditional deterministic design approaches.

This project aims to develop a probabilistic and risk-consistent design basis for protection structures and exposed infrastructure. The research will integrate:

• Hazard intensity modelling under changing climatic conditions
• Structural response and vulnerability modelling
• Reliability and risk assessment
• Decision-relevant performance metrics for sustainable and cost-efficient solutions

The overarching objective is to establish a coherent framework that supports climate-adapted infrastructure design and risk-informed decision support, enabling resilient and resource-efficient engineering solutions.

The project is a collaboration between the Structural Mechanics research group and SIMLab at NTNU and is aligned with NTNU’s strategic strategic research area on civil security by focusing on the vulnerability assessment of urban environments, sustainability, resilience, and knowledge for a better world (https://www.ntnu.edu/civil-security ). 

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a PhD degree
• Conduct high-quality research within probabilistic design and infrastructure resilience
• Develop models integrating hazard, vulnerability, and decision metrics
• Publish scientific articles in leading international journals
• Participate in international conferences and research stays abroad
• Contribute to supervision of master’s students

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Mechanics, or a closely related field. The degree must be equivalent to a five-year Norwegian program (120 ECTS at the master’s level).
• Strong academic performance, with an average grade equivalent to B or better on NTNU's grading scale (or a comparable level of achievement).
• Applicants must meet the criteria for admission to NTNU’s PhD program .
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme of the
• Faculty of Engineering .
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

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

• Strong computational skills
• Background in structural reliability theory or probabilistic methods
• Knowledge of risk analysis or decision theory
• Interest in climate adaptation and sustainable infrastructure

Personal characteristics

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

• Work independently
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions
• 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
• A 3-month research stay at a renowned foreign university.
• Collaboration with an engineering consulting company during the PhD, gaining real-world industry experience.
• 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
• working capital  that can be used to implement the project
• mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• training during working hours and company sports at NTNU
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)  

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 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 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 bein 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
• 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.
• Letter of motivation (400-800 words/1-2 pages)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• Possibly certificates
• 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 Professor Jochen Köhler, email: jochen.kohler@ntnu.no , or Professor Vegard Aune, email:  vegard.aune@ntnu.no  

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant June Hovde, e-mail: june.b.hovde@ntnu.no .

Application deadline: 01.04.2026

-----------------

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. 

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Structural Engineering

We teach mechanical engineering, engineering and ICT, and civil and environmental engineering. The Department conducts internationally leading research and participates in several large national research projects. The Department of Structural Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering .

Website

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/297270/phd-candidate-in-risk-con…

Research Field

Engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Department of Structural Engineering

Country

Norway

City

Trondheim

Postal Code

7491

Street

Høgskoleringen 1

Geofield

City

Trondheim

Website

http://www.ntnu.no

Street

Hogskoleringen 1 N-7491

Postal Code

7491

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Whatsapp
• 
  More share options
  • E-mail
  • Pocket
  • Viadeo
  • Gmail
  • Weibo
  • Blogger
  • Qzone
  • YahooMail