PhD Candidate in Electrochemistry

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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

We have a vacancy for a PhD Candidate at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the field of Electrochemistry. PhD candidates are expected to complete the degree of PhD within three or four (including teaching duties) years.

Electrochemistry is a truly interdisciplinary field drawing on chemistry, physics, materials science, electronics, and nanotechnology alike. Electrochemistry therefore offers unique possibilities for interesting scientific work and an exciting career. Electrochemistry is essential in current pursuit of the green transition and the establishing of a sustainable society, as it is critical to some pivotal technologies such as hydrogen technology (water electrolysis and fuel cells), and batteries. It is also critical to the manufacture of materials that go into a diverse set of technologies related to energy storage and renewables. The demand for staff with expertise in Electrochemistry is therefore soaring.

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.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The available PhD position is affiliated with the research HYDROGENi centre for hydrogen technology (https://hydrogeni.no/), one of several Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research funded by the Norwegian Research Council and major energy and industry companies. The HYDROGENi centre constitutes a strong team of research and industry partners and globally leading universities and research centres. The PhD student will participate in a network of PhD students and industrialists across disciplines and will participate in summer and winter schools organised by the centre in addition to the training offered by the PhD programme itself. The primary objective of the PhD work will be to establish analysis tools for performance and degradation of electrocatalyst layers for alkaline electrolyte membrane water electrolysis.

The PhD student will have access to state-of-the-art equipment for manufacture and in situ characterization of performance and degradation processes in electrocatalyst layers.

Duties of the position

• Experimental electrochemistry (voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear-sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry and others, including in-situ methods)
• Characterization of degradation processes using in-situ ICP-MS and electrochemical methods (linear sweep voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and others)
• Manufacture electrocatalytic layers (preparation of inks, spraying, templating techniques)
• Structural and morphological characterization (X-ray diffraction, microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and others)
• Analysis of results
• Communicate with industry and the research community
• Scientific and technical reporting through regular dissemination channels, public dissemination through social media and other channels, and participation in international conferences and project meetings.
• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Participate in the research group and mentor master students

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in (experimental) electrochemistry and nanotechnology.
• Experience in cell assembly and operation of single cell test stations.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program, see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in chemistry, nanotechnology, materials science, physics or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• You must have a strong and relevant 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.
• Fluent in written and oral English.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
• Experience in manufacture of electrocatalyst layers, MEAs and characterization of such.
• Experience in assembly of AEM water electrolysis cells.
• Experience in using single cell test stations.
• An ability and willingness to interact with students (teaching and supervision) students at all (five-year integrated) MSc levels will be considered an advantage.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language.

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

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• 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 580 000,-per annum. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Materials Science and Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmt) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout 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. Examples of this could be your Master’s thesis and scientific publications.

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.
• 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 Professor Frode Seland, email: frode.seland@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Marie Kristiansen, e-mail: marie.kristiansen@ntnu.no 

Application deadline: 16.11.2026

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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.