PhD Candidate in AI-Assisted Software and Systems Engineering

Ntnu; Trondheim; Hybrid; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Open and inclusive working environment

Free Norwegian language training (A2)

Exciting mission in society

Job summary

NTNU in Trondheim invites applications for a PhD Candidate in AI-Assisted Software and Systems Engineering. The position combines doctoral education with research and international collaboration in critical systems.

You will work under the Leader of the Software Engineering unit and contribute to education activities. The ideal candidate holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent, with a major independent project (≥30 ECTS).

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science or equivalent with a major independent project (30 ECTS)
• Strong academic background with a grade of B or better on NTNU's scale
• Excellent oral and written English skills

Responsibilities

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out high-quality research within the described framework
• Publish academic papers and popular science material
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and research stays
• Support education activities in Software Engineering courses
• Engage in career-promoting activities and grant preparation

Skills

English proficiency

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science or equivalent (with major independent project)

Job description

The Department of Computer Science has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in AI-Assisted Software and Systems Engineering

NTNU is a broad-based university with atechnical-scientific profile and a focusin 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.

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About the position

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 Leader of the Software Engineering unit.

About the project

Software is today prominent in many critical systems and infrastructures, such as power distribution systems, railway infrastructure, or flight control systems. These systems are subject to complex development and verification processes, including certification and audits, and in general different activities that span the Software Engineering and the Systems Engineering disciplines.

Generative AI and AI agents are rapidly changing how software-based systems are being designed, developed, and evaluated. While AI agents have become common in certain Software Engineering tasks, such as programming, documentation, and vulnerability detection, their adoption for other tasks such as software architecture design, or safety and hazard analysis, is still limited.

The objective of this position is to investigate and evaluate solutions for software engineering and systems engineering tasks in critical systems and infrastructures. Within this context, the project can be tailored to the interests and background of the successful candidate.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Author academic publications and popular science dissemination material
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Support to education activities in courses within the Software Engineering area
• Other career-promoting work, such as learning grant preparation fundamentals

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Computer Science or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 30.10.2026.
• 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. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English.

The following characteristics will be considered an advantage during the selection process:

• Good understanding of Software Engineering or Systems Engineering fundamentals
• Experience with modeling of software and/or system architecture
• Experience with agentic frameworks (e.g., LangChain, Microsoft Agent Framework)
• Good knowledge of AI concepts, particularly Generative AI
• Knowledge of aspects related to critical systems and infrastructures

Personal characteristics

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

• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
• Be good at anticipating problems and identifying logical solutions as well as contradictions and inconsistencies
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

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• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

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.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 580 000,-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 the doctoral work in addition to 1 year of career promotion work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Computer Science 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 be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

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 have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Leonardo Montecchi, [phone], [e-mail].

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact our HR hiring team at [e-mail].

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.

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 Computer Science

We are the leading academic IT environment in Norway, and offer a wide range of theoretical and applied IT programmes of study at all levels. Our subject areas include hardware, algorithms, visual computing, AI, databases, software engineering, information systems, learning technology, HCI, CSCW, IT operations and applied data processing. The Department has groups in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Computer Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering .