PhD Candidate in Risk-Based Design of Protection Structures

Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU); Trondheim; On-site; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU is offering a PhD Candidate position in structural engineering to develop a probabilistic, risk-informed design basis for protection structures. You will integrate hazard modelling, structural dynamics and reliability theory, supervised by leading experts at NTNU and SIMLab, with a strong emphasis on computational methods and real-case applications.

The position is full-time for three years, with a preferred start in December 2026 or as soon as possible, and collaboration with industry

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Structural/Mechanical/Computational Engineering or related field.
• English proficiency, written and spoken.
• Meet NTNU PhD admission requirements.
• Strong academic performance (B or better on NTNU scale).

Responsibilities

• Complete doctoral education leading to a PhD.
• Conduct high-quality research in probabilistic design and infrastructure resilience.
• Develop, implement and validate models linking hazard, vulnerability and decisions.
• Apply framework to real case studies with industry partners.
• Publish in international journals and present at conferences.
• Complete a research stay abroad.
• Supervise master's students.

Skills

English proficiency

Analytical skills

Independent work

Probabilistic methods

Education

Master's degree in Structural Engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Abaqus

LS-DYNA

Job description

About The Position

Rockfall, snow avalanches, debris flows and other gravity-driven natural hazards threaten roads, railways and communities in Norway and in mountainous regions worldwide – and climate change is making them harder to predict. Protection structures are our first line of defence, yet they are still designed with deterministic rules that say little about how safe they actually are. This project sets out to change that.

We are looking for a PhD Candidate to develop a probabilistic, risk-consistent design basis for protection structures: a framework in which the safety level is explicit, quantified and consistent across hazards, structures and decisions. You will combine hazard modelling, structural dynamics and structural reliability theory, and you will work with data and cases from real infrastructure.

You will be supervised by Professor Jochen Köhler (structural reliability and risk-informed decision-making; President of the Joint Committee on Structural Safety, JCSS) and Professor Vegard Aune (SIMLab; impact and blast loading on protective structures), as part of two of NTNU's strongest research environments in structural engineering.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a master's degree in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, computational mechanics or a related field, with strong analytical and computational skills and an interest in probabilistic methods.

The position is full-time for three years. Preferred start date: December 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About The Project

Infrastructure in mountainous regions is exposed to rockfall, snow avalanches, debris flows and similar gravity-driven, high-energy, low-frequency events. Protection structures – rockfall galleries, catch fences, flexible barriers, avalanche and debris-flow dams, impact-resistant walls – are what keep roads and railways open and people safe. Climate change is shifting both the frequency and the magnitude of these hazards: more intense precipitation, changing snow conditions and more frequent freeze-thaw cycles mean that the structures we design today must perform under conditions we can only partly foresee.

Today, these structures are designed largely by deterministic rules: a design event, a set of safety factors, and a check that capacity exceeds demand. This approach has a fundamental weakness. It does not tell us how safe a structure actually is, and the safety level it delivers varies widely between hazard types, structural systems and design situations. When hazards are changing and resources are limited, that is not good enough: owners need to know where the risk is, how large it is, and where investment reduces it most.

This PhD Project Will Develop a Risk-consistent Design Basis For Protection Structures – a Framework In Which The Safety Level Is Explicit, Quantified And Consistent. You Will Build And Connect Models Along The Whole Chain From Hazard To Decision

• Hazard modelling – intensity and frequency of rockfall, snow-avalanche, debris-flow and similar gravity-driven events, and how these change under future climate scenarios, expressed as probabilistic load models suitable for structural design
• Structural response and vulnerability – the behaviour of protection structures under impact and dynamic loading, drawing on SIMLab's experimental facilities and expertise in nonlinear numerical simulation
• Reliability and risk assessment – probability of failure and its consequences, using state-of-the-art structural reliability methods and target reliabilities consistent with ISO 2394 and the JCSS Probabilistic Model Code
• Decision support – performance metrics that make risk, cost and sustainability comparable, so that infrastructure owners can prioritise where it matters most

The outcome is a coherent framework for climate-adapted, risk-informed design and management of protection structures. The results are intended to feed into design guidance and standards, and into engineering practice.

The project is a collaboration between the Structural Mechanics research group and SIMLab (Structural Impact Laboratory) at NTNU, and is part of NTNU's strategic research area on civil security (https://www.ntnu.edu/civil-security). Within this frame, you will have considerable freedom to shape the direction of your work.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education leading to a PhD degree
• Conduct high-quality research within probabilistic design and infrastructure resilience
• Develop, implement and validate models that link hazard, structural vulnerability, reliability and decision metrics
• Apply the framework to real case studies in collaboration with the industry partner and infrastructure owners
• Publish in leading international journals and present at international conferences
• Complete a research stay abroad
• Contribute to the supervision of master's students

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required Selection Criteria

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Mechanics, or a closely related field. The degree must be equivalent to a five-year Norwegian programme (120 ECTS at the master's level).
• Strong academic performance, with an average grade equivalent to B or better on NTNU's grading scale (or a comparable level of achievement).
• You must meet the requirements for admission to NTNU's PhD programme and the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Engineering.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Selection Criteria

• Background in structural reliability theory, probabilistic methods or statistics
• Strong computational skills, including programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB) and nonlinear finite element analysis (e.g., Abaqus, LS-DYNA)
• Knowledge of structural dynamics and impact loading
• Knowledge of risk analysis or decision theory
• Interest in natural hazards, climate adaptation and sustainable infrastructure

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

• A research topic of high societal relevance, where your results are meant to be used – in design guidance, in standards and in engineering practice
• Daily contact with two internationally recognised research groups in structural reliability and impact mechanics
• Close collaboration with relevant industry partners throughout the PhD, with access to real projects, data and industry experience
• 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
• Training during working hours and company sports at NTNU
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

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.

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 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 employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in [subject area] (link to possible website)within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out 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
• 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.
• Letter of motivation (400-800 words/1-2 pages)
• 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 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 Professor Jochen Köhler, email: [e-mail], or Professor Vegard Aune, email: [e-mail].

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant June Hovde, e-mail: [e-mail].

Application deadline: 15.10.2026

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.

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The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Structural Engineering

We teach mechanical engineering, engineering and ICT, and civil and environmental engineering. The Department conducts internationally leading research and participates in several large national research projects. The Department of Structural Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.