PhD Candidate in Efficient Edge Intelligence Models

Di Liu; Trondheim; On-site; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentor programme as a new employee

Membership in SPK pension fund

Free Norwegian language training

Job summary

NTNU invites applications for a PhD position in Efficient Edge Intelligence Models within the Department of Computer Science. The selected candidate will join an international, collaborative research environment and contribute to efficient AI systems.

The position is four years with 25% career-enhancing duties, and requires admission to the PhD programme within three months. You will work under the Computing Unit head and collaborate internationally.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science or equivalent.
• Degree must include a major independent project (≥30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• Strong oral and written English skills (IELTS 7 or TOEFL >100).

Responsibilities

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate.
• Carry out high-quality research within the project scope.
• Publish academic works and disseminate results widely.
• Participate in the research group and international activities.
• Assume career-promoting work as assigned by the unit.

Skills

IELTS/TOEFL English proficiency

Independent work

Education

MS in Computer Science

Major independent project (≥30 ECTS)

Job description

This is NTNU

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.

Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0

About the position

We invite applications for a PhD position in Efficient Edge Intelligence Models at the Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research at the intersection of deep learning and computer systems. The successful candidate will join an international and collaborative research environment and contribute to advancing efficient AI systems.

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 the Computing Unit.

About the project

Deleted if not applicable. Here you can enter brief information about the project, funding sources, partners and/or a link to the project's website.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the research group system software group
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Career-promoting work as assigned by the unit or department

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme , see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.
• 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.
• 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 equivalent to IELTS score of 7 or equivalent with TOEFL scores of above 100.

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

Preferred selection criteria

• First-author publication in a recognized journal or conference on a relevant topic in machine learning, embedded systems, and edge intelligence
• Hands-on experience on Nvidia Jetson boards or other edge platforms
• Strong knowledge in deep learning, particularly large language models or multi-modality models
• Knowledge in deep learning optimization, such pruning and quantization
• Strong academic writing skill

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

• 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.(delete if not applicable)

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 four years, with 25% of the time devoted to career enhancing work assigned by the unit or the department.

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 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 and Master's degrees in English or a Scandinavian language
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) not exceeding four pages
• Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions (maximum 2 pages)
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Publications and other relevant research work
• Documentation of proficiency in English
• 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 have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Di Liu, [e-mail].

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

Application deadline: 23.09.2026

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.