Research Assistant in Sustainable Architecture

This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus on 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.

About the position

At the Department of Architecture and Technology, there is a vacancy for a fixed-term 100 % position as a research assistant in architectural design associated with the two-year master program in Sustainable Architecture (MSc in Sustainable Architecture).

The department's goal is to contribute to the development of circular architecture and built environments through research, architectural and artistic practice, and the education of independent candidates with integrated knowledge within architectural design and aesthetic expertise, tectonics and construction understanding, preservation and further development of existing built environments, and energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment.

The employment period is 2 years with the desired start no later than 01.08.2024. The Research assistant will primarily contribute to strengthening and further developing the teaching in the international master program (MSc) in Sustainable Architecture. The position is particularly linked to teaching tasks (including supervision of students) in the design courses in the program. As a research assistant, you report to the study program coordinator for the MSc in Sustainable Architecture when it comes to the scientific and professional aspects, while personnel responsibility lies with the head of department.

Your immediate leader is Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• Planning, coordination and management of practicalities, and teaching in the two-year, international master’s program in sustainable architecture (MSc in Sustainable Architecture) which has English as the language of instruction.
• Contribute to teaching design, theory and method, and the use of digital tools (climate, daylight, wind, heating and energy demand, life cycle assessment (LCA), building information modeling (BIM)). This includes independent supervision of students who perform design tasks and different assignments.
• Contribute to the communication, promotion, and outreach activities of the MSc in Sustainable Architecture, which also includes daily management of social media accounts and organization of various events with external audiences.
• Other tasks at the department or group level may include participation in research and development projects.
• 20 % of the working hours can be set aside for relevant professional specialization. This time can be used for the preparation of PhD studies.

The position provides very good opportunities for competence development in a solid professional environment. The position as research assistant will give you the opportunity for insight into scientific and artistic work and methods. The assignments are at an academic level and must consist of scientific or artistic tasks in line with the level.

Required selection criteria

Relevant applicants must have taken a master’s degree in architecture, master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture or equivalent. You can apply if you are in the last phase of education and the education will be completed by June 2024 at the latest.

Relevant work experience and / or teaching experience, diploma / master theses, and master's courses are given significant weight in the assessment of the application. In addition, theoretical and methodological competence should be documented. Both the quality and scope of relevant competence will be assessed.

You must be fluent in both written and oral English, fluency in one of the Scandinavian languages is an advantage.

The position as Research Assistant should give you the opportunity to gain insight into scientific or artistic work and method. The assignments are at an academic level and must consist of scientific or artistic assistance.

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The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant

Preferred selection criteria

• Interest in teaching and supervision of students
• Skills in different software tools for architectural design and energy/environmental assessment of buildings
• Experience in architectural design, with emphasis on sustainable architecture and especially on how digital tools can be used to support architectural design. Particular emphasis is placed on:
  • Knowledge and interest related to sustainable architecture, climate- adapted design, emissions-driven design processes, integrated energy design, and activities in the Climate HubLAB (Laboratory for Climate and Architecture)
  • Knowledge and interest in simulation tools such as CAD / BIM (e.g. Revit, ArchiCAD, etc.), parametric tools (Rhino, Grasshopper + plugins), BPS (e.g. IDA-ICE, EnergyPlus, TRNSYS, SIMIEN, etc), LCA software (Reduzer, OneClick LCA, etc.)
• Experience with studies or work in multicultural settings (e.g. international masters, Erasmus study exchanges), preferably with activities carried out in multidisciplinary teams (e.g. teams of architects and engineers)

Personal characteristics

• Initiative and ability to work systematically and independently.
• Good collaboration and communication skills.

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

Research assistants are remunerated in code 1020 depending on competence, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 472 900 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. For a period of two years.

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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 follow 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.

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• motivation letter with emphasis on interest in teaching and research activities
• publications or other relevant research work
• name and contact information (email and phone number) of three relevant references

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. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability.

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 our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

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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 questions about the position, you can contact Professor Patricia Schneider-Marin, email: patricia.schneider-marin@ntnu.no. If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Natalia Swahn, email: natalia.swahn@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: 09.06.2024