PhD Candidate to conduct research on Smart Yard Operations for Offshore Wind Manufacturing

The PhD candidate will explore the application of smart technologies to visualize yard operations in a digital form (such as virtual models and digital twins). Smart technologies can collect, analyze, and represent data from various sources, significantly enhancing the visibility of products, resources, materials, and activities. The PhD candidate will develop methods and processes that utilize such technologies to plan and coordinate manufacturing operations that are more efficient, and according to the needs of the current project mix and milestones at the yard.

The position is funded by the research project “TWinYards - Scaling up for offshore wind at Norwegian yards: Efficient operations through digital twins and artificial intelligence”. The project aims to contribute to the growth and competitiveness of Norwegian yards in the global offshore wind industry, ultimately accelerating the green energy transition.

The candidate will work in close collaboration with the industry partners and do research related to use-cases defined by the TWinYards project. The candidate will be part of the Production Management research group at NTNU’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. The group is internationally renowned for its applied and case-based research in engineer-to-order manufacturing.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

Norwegian yards are building engineer-to-order ships, platform modules, or steel substructures for offshore wind farms across large parts of the world. Each project is a complex and uncertain industrial effort, building or upgrading large, capital-intensive products composed of numerous parts. The yards are experiencing a substantial increase in demand, along with a growing pressure to reduce costs through more efficient operations. A critical gap exists between state-of-the-art knowledge and the practical requirements for planning and coordinating manufacturing operations in the complex, multi-project environment of a yard.

Duties of the position

• Apply qualitative methodologies, such as case studies and literature reviews, to gain insight into the characteristics and challenges of the engineer-to-order shipbuilding industry, and develop frameworks and knowledge on planning and coordination of resources within and across projects.
• Apply quantitative methodologies, such as simulation and analytical modelling, to develop decision support for efficient planning and coordination of outfitting and logistics activities at yards, to study the interactions in such industrial systems and analyze the domain of solutions, such as to create managerial insights and guidelines for practitioners.
• Collaboration with the Norwegian companies Ulstein, Brunvoll, and Aker Solutions.
• Take part in the mandatory PhD research education program.
• Conduct independent research and publish the result in recognised scientific journals and present them at international conferences.
• Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

You must have a relevant Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Logistics Engineering, Production Management, Supply Chain Management, Mechanical Engineering, or Project management. 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.

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. Good oral and written presentation skills in English. Experience in using a combination of qualitative methodologies, such as case studies and design science, and quantitative methodologies, such as simulation and advanced analytics, within the fields of operations and supply chain management.

Preferred selection criteria

Scandinavian language skills. Previous experience from industry or research in engineer-to-order manufacturing. This can be proven by the attendance of study courses or other relevant activities, such as a master’s thesis.

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: Ability to work independently as well as in teams. Good communication skills and ability to work in close contact with industry. Hard working, with drive and determination. Modest, open to feedback and input from others as well as able to respect, collaborate, and negotiate with others. 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.

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.

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 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, Research plan; 5-7 pages, where you show your capability to structure a 3-years research study with clear motivation, objectives, research questions, methodologies, expected results and dissemination plan. The research plan should refer to state-of-the-art research relevant for engineer-to-order manufacturing operations in the TWinYards project. The combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies should be emphasized and motivated, 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).