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 can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.
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About the position
Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? We offer an exciting 4-year postdoctoral position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher in applied ecology. You will also gain valuable experience that might be relevant for your further career.
The purpose of a postdoctoral position is to build up a researcher profile that qualifies for a position as associate professor. The position may also offer additional skills that are relevant to the postdoctoral fellow's future career.
Apply for this position to become part of our research environment and take the next step in your career with us.
Your immediate leader will be the Director of the Gjærevoll centre.
About the project
The Gjærevoll Centre for Foresight Analysis of Biodiversity is looking for an ambitious ecologist with excellent skills in biodiversity informatics and modelling. The position is funded by the TRACE – Transport Research Centre for Nature, Environment and Land Use project, funded by the Research council of Norway and the Ministry of transport through the Transport 2050 program.
The position is within the research area "nature and biodiversity impacts of the transport sector" within the TRACE centre and will be part of a larger interdisciplinary group of recruitment positions at the Gjærevoll Centre for Biodiversity Foresight Analysis and the new Centre for Biodiversity Forecasting (both at NTNU) working to better understand biodiversity and how this is impacted by natural and anthropogenic drivers.
The successful candidate will work with spatial scales of biodiversity patterns in terrestrial ecosystems, using theoretical models and empirical analyses to assess robustness and sensitivity of ecosystems to environmental change. The main aim is to improve our understanding of spatial scales of anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. The empirical work will include collection and analyses of new data, as well as previously collected data and information from public biodiversity databases. A main aim will be to develop indicators and metrices of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, which can be implemented in planning tools for minimizing nature and biodiversity losses while developing the transport system according to the principles of Avoid, Shift and Improve.
The candidate will conduct the work in collaboration with a highly interdisciplinary team within the TRACE centre and the Gjærevoll centre. Stakeholder engagement and communication with user groups, both in other fields of research, private and public enterprises as well as the society at large is expected.
The position is based in Trondheim with Dr Ivar Herfindal as the mentor and be part of a vibrant and expanding research environment at the Gjærevoll centre and collaborating departments at NTNU, as well as SINTEF and partners at the TRACE centre.
Duties of the position
- Conduct high-quality research on spatial patterns of biodiversity in multiple taxa in Norwegian nature with various anthropogenic impact
- Plan and conduct field work with particular emphasis on biodiversity impacts of the transport sector, also including necessary laboratory work associated with biodiversity monitoring
- Participate in the research groups at the Gjærevoll centre and TRACE
- Apply for research funding and write applications and report on progress to funding sources
- Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
- Communication and involvement with various stakeholder groups to ensure relevance of research and end products
- Take the lead in writing relevant scientific articles
Required selection criteria
- You must have completed a doctoral degree in applied ecology
- If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted prior to the application deadline (1. August) or that the defense date has been confirmed, your application can be considered even if you have not defended. NOTE: Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position.
- Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English equivalent level
- Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian equivalent level [B2]
- Experience with statistical modelling of spatial ecological patterns or processes
- Experience in biodiversity informatics and state-of-the-art genomic taxonomic methods (e.g. metabarcoding)
- Experience with fieldwork and biodiversity monitoring of biodiversity from multiple trophic levels in terrestrial ecosystems
PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.
If you do not already have educational competence that meets the requirements for a position as associate professor in Norway, NTNU will arrange for you to acquire such competence during the employment period. In such cases, you will also be assigned relevant teaching as part of the career-promoting work.
The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and for general criteria for the position.
Preferred selection criteria
- Publications of research in recognized international journals within the field
- Experience with statistical modelling in the R-environment
- Experience with interdisciplinary research
- Drivers permit (category B or higher)
- Good knowledge about Norwegian terrestrial ecosystems and the Nature in Norway (NiN) framework
Personal characteristics
Working as a Postdoctoral fellow requires that you
- Work independently, set goals and make plans to achieve them
- Present and discuss your research with other professionals, engage 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
- Are 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 social mission
- Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
- Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
- An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
- Possibilities to conduct research that makes an impact on biodiversity conservation
- Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which contains the skills and knowledge you will acquire
- Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
- Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
- Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
As a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits. The teaching and didactics duties will be conducted within the 4 years of employment and in agreement with the successful candidate.
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. (deleted if not applicable)
Salary and conditions
As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 633 400,- per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
The position is conditional on external funding.
As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to 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-,Master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or confirmation that your PhD thesis has been submitted. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
- CV
- A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting,you can attach a draft of the thesis.
- Research plan
- Academic works - published or unpublished(up to 3 items)
- Possible recommendation letters
- Name and contact information of three referees
If all or parts of your education hasbeen taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation requiredcan 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 works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.
If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result.
In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of the candidates.
NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and is committed to follow evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA and the obligations in 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 list of applicants, 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 have any questions about the position, please contact researcher Ivar Herfindal, phone +47 73596253, email: ivar.herfindal@ntnu.no .
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-consultant Gerd Flataas, email: gerd.flataas@ntnu.no
If you find this position interesting, and in accordance 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.
Application deadline: 1. August 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.
Om arbeidsgiveren:
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.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences
The Faculty of Natural Sciences is a key player in national and international research and education programmes in natural sciences and technology. Our research focuses on global challenges in the areas of energy, climate, the environment, food, water, health and welfare. The Faculty consists of seven departments as well as the Faculty Administration.
