PhD Candidate in High Performance Computing and Simulation

EURAXESS Czech Republic; Trondheim; Hybrid; NOK 480,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology invites applications for a PhD Candidate position in the System Software Group. The project focuses on performance modeling for CFD simulations on HPC hardware, including scalable parallel programming and collaboration with Uninett Sigma2.

The successful candidate will pursue doctoral education while contributing to research, publishing, and engaging in international activities.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in computer science or equivalent with a major independent project (≥30 ECTS)
• Excellent written and spoken English; good Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
• Experience with MPI/OpenMP and GPU programming (CUDA/OpenCL/SYCL) and ability to contribute a CFD simulation program

Responsibilities

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of high quality within the described framework
• Publish academic works and disseminate science to general audiences
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and research stays
• Coordinate and manage practical exercises in a course on parallel computing

Skills

MPI programming

OpenMP programming

CUDA programming

OpenCL programming

SYCL programming

English proficiency

Norwegian language

CFD simulation

Education

Master's degree in computer science or equivalent

Tools

MPI

OpenMP

CUDA

OpenCL

SYCL

Job description

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Organisation/Company NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department Department of Computer Science Research Field Computer science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 7 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Country Norway Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer 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.

About the position

Long term management of large scale computing infrastructures requires detailed knowledge of the performance parameters that affect their application software, as it aids in making future technology choices, predicting performance and scalability, and adapting critical software to new developments.

The candidate will join the System Software Group , and study the performance and scalability characteristics of adapting scientific simulation software to current and future supercomputer hardware. The research work will be informed by collaborations with the scientific computing team that manages the local HPC resources at NTNU, and Uninett Sigma2, which manages both the Norwegian national infrastructure for HPC in Norway, and international connections.

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

The primary research goal will be to create quantitative performance models that describe a range of numerical methods, parallel programming models, and hardware platforms when we apply them to the CFD problem of simulating the sloshing motion of a fluid within a moving tank.

The purpose of these experiments will be to identify the hardware/software interactions that dominate the parallel scalability of similar simulations, with a view towards informing future technology choices in the HPC sector.

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 international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Coordinating and managing the practical exercises in a course on parallel computing.
  

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.
• 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.
• You must have prior experience with the MPI and OpenMP programming models, and provide an example of a CFD simulation program you have contributed.
  
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian, or another scandinavian language
• Experience with the CUDA programming model for general-purpose GPUs
• Experience with the OpenCL programming model
• Experience with the SYCL programming model

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
• 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.

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
• CV
• Copy of Master's thesis
• Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of methodological design for the project, and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages)
• Publications etc., other relevant research work, and any applicable certificates
• Names and contact information of at least one relevant reference
  

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 Jan Christian Meyer ( [e-mail] ), and

if you have any questions regarding the hiring process please contact HR at [e-mail] .

The city of Trondheim

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

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 .