Postdoctoral Fellow in Welding Process–Performance Relationships for Recycled Aluminium Alloys

Ntnu; Trondheim; Hybrid; NOK 570,000 - 697,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU invites applications for a three-year Postdoctoral Fellow in Welding Process-Performance Relationships for Recycled Aluminium Alloys. The candidate will join the SFI FAST research program and work across NTNU, SINTEF, and industry partners to advance data-driven welding routes for recycled aluminum.

The postdoctoral fellow will develop new welding processes, monitor systems, and correlations between process data, microstructure, and performance.

Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field with strong welding research experience.
• Documented track record in welding process research including fusion and solid-state welding.
• Experience with material testing focusing on fatigue and fracture of welded or AM structures.
• Excellent English, oral and written; strong publication record.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize welding processes for recycled aluminium.
• Develop in-situ monitoring and control systems for defect detection and mitigation.
• Characterize microstructure and mechanical performance of welded components.
• Establish process-performance correlations using real-time data, microstructure, and mechanical data.
• Collaborate with NTNU, SINTEF and industry partners; contribute to EU and national proposals.
• Coordinate PhD/MSc projects and disseminate results in journals and conferences.

Skills

Welding research

Material testing

Publications

English language

Robotic welding

Welding monitoring

Aluminium alloys

Data modeling

Industrial experience

Proposal writing

Education

PhD in Mechanical Eng

Welding Engineering

Tools

Robotics programming

Job description

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering has a vacancy for a

Postdoctoral Fellow in Welding Process-Performance Relationships for Recycled Aluminium Alloys

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-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 can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here .

About the position

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MTP) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has a vacancy for a postdoctoral candidate within process-performance correlation for welding of recycled Aluminium, funded through the Centre for Research-based Innovation SFI FAST Future Aluminium Structures.

The position is a 3-year Postdoctoral research fellowship starting in 2027. The postdoctoral candidate will be embedded in the welding and structural integrity research activities of SFI FAST and will work closely with NTNU, SINTEF, and leading international industrial partners in the aluminium value chain.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About SFI FAST - Future Aluminium Structures

SFI FAST (Future Aluminium Structures) is a national Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI) funded by the Research Council of Norway and the aluminum industry. The centre is led by NTNU in close collaboration with SINTEF and a broad consortium of 16 leading industrial partners across the aluminium value chain. FAST runs from 2026 to 2033 and represents one of Norway’s most ambitious long-term research initiatives within aluminium materials, manufacturing technologies, and circular economy.

The primary objective of FAST is to establish the scientific and technological knowledge base required to enable the large-scale use of postconsumer scrap (PCS) Aluminium in high-value, structural, and safety-critical products. FAST adopts a through-scale and through-process research methodology, integrating materials science, manufacturing processes, product and structural design, and lifecycle performance.

A key outcome of FAST is the development of the FAST Virtual Lab, a digital framework combining experimental data, physics-based models, and data-driven methods to support design, manufacturing, and decision-making across Aluminium value chains.

Education and competence building are central pillars of FAST. The centre will educate more than 18 PhD and postdoctoral researchers and over 100 MSc students, strengthening Norway’s international position in Aluminium research and innovation. The two positions posted here will be among the first ones to start in the centre.

This postdoctoral position aims to address the following topics as critical steps toward the reliable fabrication of recycled aluminum structures through sustainable, data-driven welding routes. Therefore, the main tasks of the position are as follows:

• Process Parameter Development: Development and implementation of optimal arc and solid-state welding characteristics
• Monitoring & Control: Developing an in-situ monitoring and control system to detect, characterize, and correct/mitigate defects during welding
• Characterization: Evaluating the microstructure and mechanical performance of fabricated aluminum components
• Process-performance correlation and data-assisted analysis: Establishing experimentally grounded relationships between real-time process monitoring data, microstructure, and mechanical performance to support process optimization and reliability assessment.
• Proposal development: Development of nationally (NFR) and internationally (EU) funded proposals, particularly with close collaboration with industry.
• Collaboration of PhD and M.Sc. projects: You will have a central role in connecting WP4 and WP5 in SFI FAST, where two PhD students will work on Welding Process Development and Fatigue Performance and Enhancement
• Dissemination: Presentation of research outcomes in the SFI FAST Center and publishing the project outcomes in high-quality journals
• Contribute to project meetings, workshops, seminars etc.

You will report to Prof. Hosseini and Assoc. Professor Nima Razavi.

Requiredselectioncriteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Production Technology, Welding Engineering or related topics.
• Documented track record in welding process research, including fusion and solid-state welding
• If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted 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.
• Documented track record in material testing with particular focus on testing fatigue and fracture behavior of welded or AM structures
• Documented track record in welding metallurgy and materials characterization
• Experience with hands-on experimental welding, robot programming, and testing work
• Excellent English language skills, oral and written
• Good track record of publications in Q1 journals

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.

• Documented track record in processing of Aluminium alloys
• Basic knowledge of robotic welding
• Knowledge in the development of weld monitoring systems
• Background in modelling (like thermal, thermodynamic, machine learning)
• Industrial experience, particularly in the Nordic region
• Good language skills in Norwegian or one of the Nordic languages
• Experience of writing national and EU proposals

Personal characteristics

Working as a Postdoctoral fellow requires that you

• Work independently
• Work structured, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• 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
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed.
• Enjoy interdisciplinary research and take keen interest in working in project teams

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• 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
• 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.

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

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 period of employment is 3 years.

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 be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed

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 Professor Vahid Hosseini ([e-mail]) or Assoc. Professor Nima Razavi ([e-mail]).

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Senior Consultant, e-mail: [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

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 Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

We educate graduates who can create new products, operate and maintain products, and manage projects. The Department has a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. We conduct wide-range research in fields such as technology, energy, product quality and development, and productivity. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.