Doctoral student (licentiate) in digital twins for electrified construction

Kungliga Tekniska högskolan; Stockholms kommun; On-site; SEK 424,080 - 513,360; Full time

Job summary

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Built Environment, invites applications for a two-year licentiate doctoral position in DISSECT, developing data-driven models and decision support for emission-free, resource-efficient and electrified construction.

The doctoral student will work with material and logistics layers, GeoBIM, and 3D voxel models, focusing on model predictive control and reinforcement learning for digital-twin decision support.

Qualifications

• Master's or equivalent in a relevant field (geoscience/geoinformatics).
• Strong analytical and programming skills.
• Experience with data science, ML, simulation or optimization.
• Strong communication in English and Swedish.

Responsibilities

• Develop data-driven models for emission-free, resource-efficient construction.
• Work with GeoBIM and 3D voxel models for materials and logistics.
• Contribute to digital-twin based decision support for electrified groundwork construction.
• Collaborate within the DISSECT consortium and supervision team.

Skills

Simulation/Optimization

Cloud environments & containers

Large datasets

Energy systems & sustainability

Research/industry projects

English & Swedish communication

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Built Environment

Third-cycle subject: Geodesy and Geoinformatics, with specialisation in Geoinformatics

We are seeking a doctoral student for a two-year licentiate position in DISSECT, which develops data-driven models and decision support for emission-free, resource-efficient and electrified construction.

The doctoral student will work with DISSECT’s material and logistics layers. The research may include GeoBIM and 3D voxel models of ground conditions, quantities and material flows; material tracking; volume and mass estimation; inverse geological modelling; and analysis of sensor and telematics data from machines and transports. The logistics part may include optimization of construction processes, mass transports, circular material flows and charging constraints.

Methodologically, the work may combine geospatial data management, database technology, data science, machine learning, simulation and optimization, including model predictive control and reinforcement learning. The aim is digital-twin-based decision support for electrified groundwork construction.

The position is placed at the Division of Geoinformatics, KTH, and linked to ITRL and the DISSECT consortium. The initial goal is a licentiate degree after two years, but the research and doctoral studies are planned to continue toward a doctoral degree, subject to continued funding and formal decisions.

Supervision: Associate Professor Gyözö Gidofalvi is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Professor Jonas Mårtensson is proposed as co-supervisor. Decisions are made on admission.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues.

Preferred qualifications are:

• Experience with simulation, optimization, or digital twin systems,
• Experience with cloud environments and containerized applications,
• Experience handling large datasets,
• Interest in energy systems and sustainability.
• Experience from research or industry projects.
• Good communication skills in both English and Swedish, as they are required in day-to-day work.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

Doctoral Student’s network

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must include the following elements:

• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified.
• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

First day of employment 2026-09-01 or according to the agreement

Salary: Monthly salary according to KTH's doctoral student salary agreement

Location: Stockholm, Sweden