Professor/Associate Professor in the design and fabrication of wood constructions

About the job

NTNU has a vacancy for a permanent position at the Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering at Campus Gjøvik. Applicants at Professor and Associate Professor levels are invited to apply, and we encourage early career candidates to join our team.

The Department is expanding its portfolio of research projects into design of wooden constructions and buildings focusing on automatic manufacturing. In this context we are developing a master's program.

The focus of both research and education activities will be on the optimal design, flexible, automated, circular construction, and fabrication of wood-based structures. The candidate we are looking for will be one of the key resources for developing and sustaining research and education activities in this area.  

NTNU has a national responsibility for engineering education at Bachelor, Master, and PhD level in the field of timber/wood construction and manufacturing. NTNU Gjøvik is located close to some of the largest wood industry companies in Norway e.g. Moelven Industrier. This region is also densely populated with other advanced manufacturing industries, e.g. Raufoss Idustrial Park.

The department participates in several research centers, including SFI Manufacturing, which is a cross-disciplinary center for research-based innovation for competitive high-value manufacturing in Norway. Regarding the wood industry, NTNU is a member of the Norwegian Wood Cluster (www.nwcluster.no), where the department participates in the groups 1) Sustainability, 2) Digitalization and Automation, 3) Skills development and 4) Building solutions of the future.

The academic group (civil engineering and geomatics) is running several national and international  projects (i.e. SirkTRE/CircWOOD, which are focusing on the digitalization and optimization of  circular wood buildings, and automation of fabrication.

We have several labs, for example a full-scale robotics lab for the prefabrication of wood constructions.

You will report to the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• Teaching and supervision at PhD., Master and Bachelor level.
• Participate in ongoing research activities and engage in publication and dissemination of research results. contribute to strengthening the knowledge base of the academic community.
• Contribute to expand the research project portfolio by external funding nationally/internationally.
• Collaborate with colleagues to promote a supportive and dynamic academic environment.
• Applicants with the ability to work across disciplines are particularly encouraged to apply.

Required qualifications 

Professor:

You must have the qualifications required for the position of Professor in the field of wood science and technology, civil engineering, architecture or equivalent as outlined in § 1-2 of the regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts

• Your scientific experience must be primarily in the field of wood science and technology, civil engineering, architecture or equivalent.

In addition to the requirements for basic educational competence, you must also document:

• Strong competence in computational design, automated fabrication, or similar digital/physical workflows.
• The development of the quality of your own teaching and supervision of students over time.
• Broad experience as a supervisor, preferably at a master’s/PhD level.
• Participation in improving the quality of education in a professional environment.
• Excellent communication skills in written and oral English.

Associate professor:

You must have the qualifications required for the position of associate Professor in the field of wood science and technology, civil engineering, architecture or equivalent, as outlined in the regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts

• Your PhD, or comparable academic work, must be within the field of wood science and technology, civil engineering, architecture or equivalent.
• Show strong competence in computational design, automated fabrication, or similar digital/physical workflows.
• If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
• Excellent communication skills in written and oral English.

Applicable to all:

You must document relevant basic competence in teaching and supervision at a university/higher education-level, as referenced in the Norwegian national Regulations. 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 three of the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU.

Preferred qualifications

• Teaching experience from higher education.
• Competence in one or several of the following subject areas:

         -Design of wooden products and structures

         -Design for disassembly, circular use of wooden buildings

         -Experience in integrating sustainability principles into construction design and production

• Proven track record in initiating and managing research and development work.
• Experience from laboratory work.
• Teaching experience, including supervision of PhD or master’s students and development of education
• International network in academia and industry.

Personal qualities

• Communication: The successful candidate should show documented ability to communicate with clarity and ease, both orally and written.
• Taking initiative: The successful candidate will seek out new opportunities at work, and initiate activities and projects by working independently.
• Team player: The successful candidate will work excellently together with colleagues, students, and external stakeholders.

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities. 

We offer 

• opportunity to participate in ongoing projects and networks
• possibility to create your own projects
• use the labs in teaching and research projects
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable 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.

Salary and conditions

As a Professor (1013) you are normally paid from gross NOK 800.000 – 1.000.000 NOK per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority.

As a Associate Professor (code 1011) you are normally paid from gross 650 000 NOK – 800 000 NOK per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority.

As required by law, 2% of this salary will be deducted and paid into the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The engagement 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.   

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work. 

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily. 

About the application

Your application and supporting documentation must be in English. 

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

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 teaching qualifications in applications and appointments to academic positions at NTNU)
• Relevant Academic works – published or unpublished (three to ten items)
• A description of the scientific/artistic works you consider most relevant, which you particularly wish to be factored into the assessment
• A list of your previous works, with details on where they have been published
• A research plan
• 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

You are encouraged to use the Universities Norway’s NOR-CAM toolbox 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.

Only full applications with all documentation will be considered.

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 theCoalition 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

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

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

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 if the reservation is not accepted.

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

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Professor Christoph Merschbrock Christoph.merschbrock@ntnu.no or Group leader - Professor Lizhen Huang lizhen.huang@ntnu.no.

If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Kristine Rognlid Hagaseth, HR consultant, e-mail kristine.r.hagaseth@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation. 

About Norway

Norway is a politically stable, modern and highly developed country with a very strong economy. Norway is ranked second on the annual Human Development Index (http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/NOR). The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Public education and healthcare is almost free in Norway. Kinder gardens have a maximum price of around 3000 NOK/month, and there are generally enough spaces for all the children.

The city of Gjøvik has a population of 30 000 and is known for its rich music and cultural life. The beautiful nature surrounding the city is ideal for an active outdoor life. It's possible to get an affordable place to live close to campus.

NTNU in Gjøvik is located approximately 120 km north of Oslo, and 100 km from Oslo Airport where there are direct flights to many European cities. The campus is in walking distance from three kindergartens, one local primary school and an international school (IB).

"Innlandet", the region around Gjøvik, holds the biggest concentration manufacturing industry and forest and wood-mechanical industry in Norway.