PhD Candidate in Structural Monitoring and Digital Twins of Wind Turbines

19th April 2026
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English

• English

English

The Department of Structural Engineering has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in Structural Monitoring and Digital Twins of Wind Turbines
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About the position

The Structural Mechanics group (https://www.ntnu.edu/kt/research/sm ) is searching for a motivated candidate for a PhD position in the field of structural monitoring of wind turbines for digital twins. 

The project focuses on monitoring wind turbines at both the individual turbine level and across entire wind parks. Modern turbines are equipped with sensors that collect large amounts of operational and environmental data, yet translating these heterogeneous data streams into reliable information about structural and aerodynamic behaviour remains a challenge. The PhD will develop data-driven methods that combine measurements, physics-based models, and machine learning to extract meaningful information about loads, structural response, and aerodynamic conditions.

A central objective is to integrate heterogeneous data sources such as SCADA data, structural sensors, and environmental measurements with structural and aerodynamic models. The candidate will explore physics-informed machine learning and system identification techniques to improve monitoring, uncertainty quantification, and condition assessment. The potential for methods to scale from individual turbines to park-level monitoring will also be investigated, enabling improved understanding of turbine interactions and operational variability.

The overall aim is to support improved monitoring and digital twin frameworks for wind turbines, contributing to safer and more efficient operation and to extended lifetime of renewable energy infrastructure.

Your main supervisors will be Associate Professor Øyvind Wiig Petersen, with and Professor Ole Øiseth and Professor Trond Kvamsdal as co-supervisors. 

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up 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 research is conducted within the research centre FME NorthWind . 

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the Structural Mechanics research group  
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within structural engineering, mechanical engineering, or computational engineering (or a closely related field).
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, computational engineering or equivalent. 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 September 1st, 2026.
• 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 maybe considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme  
• You must have good written and oral English language skills.

• Experience with programming in Python or similar languages

   

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

• Experience with numerical modelling of structural or aeroelastic systems
• Experience with structural monitoring or experimental structural dynamics
• Experience with data-driven or machine learning techniques relevant in the context of engineering

Personal characteristics

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

• Work independently in a structured way
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation to learn new skills
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

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
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free 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 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.

The position is conditional on external funding.

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.
• A short project outline containing a proposed description of research questions and progress plan (maximum 1000 words/2 pages), drawing on your own relevant experience where appropriate.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• 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 associate professor Øyvind Wiig Petersen, email: oyvind.w.petersen@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: 19.04.2026

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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. 

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NTNU - knowledge for a better world

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 .

 

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Deadline

19th April 2026

Employer

NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Municipality

Trondheim

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Duration

Temporary

Place of service
Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim

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