Postdoctoral Fellow position for smart algorithms for railway track

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You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

     

About the job

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has a vacancy for a postdoctoral fellow position for smart algorithms for railway track health monitoring, issue warning and optimize maintenance routine using measured data from a train in regular traffic and train-track dynamic modelling tool.

NTNU is collaborating with the Norwegian Railway Directorate on challenging engineering projects for our future railway systems. This collaboration involves continuous monitoring and evaluation of railway infrastructures' status. Utilizing measuring system on the train, data from passenger trains in regular service will be recorded and analysed for multiple purposes. The focus of this position is to explore the recorded train data and employ train-track dynamic modelling (using Multibody Simulation Software) to develop smart algorithms. These algorithms will provide information about the condition of the railway infrastructure and establish smart routines to warn of and maintain it effectively.

Currently, railway track conditions are monitored either manually or through dedicated measurement cars. However, these methods have a significant drawback: track conditions are assessed infrequently, leaving the track vulnerable to issues that may arise between measurements. This project aims to address this challenge by leveraging data collected from regular trains in traffic.

The responsibilities of this position include:

• Analyzing data from instrumented trains, with a primary focus on acceleration, displacement, and images
• Simulate data from train-track dynamic modeling to supplement the collected data for algorithm development. This step is crucial in cases where the data collected from the instrumented trains is lacking, of poor quality, or insufficient
• Developing smart and innovative machine learning algorithms to effectively monitor the condition of railway infrastructure, issue warnings, and optimize maintenance routines
• Managing and disseminating findings actively

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.

You will report to Associate Professor.

Duties of the position

• Conduct scientific research relevant to the research topic above
• Write scientific papers under supervision and draft project applications
• Contribute to supervision of bachelor/master and PhD students
• Contribute to improvement of course teaching materials

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in engineering, data science and equivalent. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position. 
• Prior knowledge and experience in one or more of the following: railway engineering, vehicle engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, mathematical and statistical science, machine learning, or other education based on quantitative methods
• Excellent written and oral English

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience in programming knowledge and experience
• Experience in data analysis and experimental research
• Experience in train-track dynamic modelling is appreciated
• Enthusiasm for research, teamwork, capability of independent problem-solving, able to handle stressful working condition
• Knowledge of Norwegian or Scandinavian language is appreciated

Personal characteristics

• Highly capable to work both independently and in a (virtual) team environment and a high level of personal responsibility
• Ability to meet deadlines, punctual, and produce work of a consistently high standard
• High motivation for research work
• Well organized and positive attitude
• Capable to point out problems and suggest solutions

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment 
• An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues 
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund 
• Employee benefits 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 594 400 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 2 years.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.  

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application 

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must be attached to the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.  

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result. 

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your PhD thesis has been submitted
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 10 items)
• A max 5 pages research plan  (application is automatically rejected if research plan is not provided)
• Name and contact information of three 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. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well. 
 
Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. 

General information 

Working at NTNU 

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

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The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation 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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As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted. 

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself 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 reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Albert Lau, telephone: +47 94258319, email: albert.lau@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Tone Måsøval Arntzen, e-mail: tone.m.arntzen@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation. 

Application deadline: 05.04.2024