Associate Professor in Geomechanics and Geohazards

About the Department and what they are looking for in this position

We invite applications for a full time position as Associate Professor in Geomechanics & Geohazards is available at the Department of Geosciences.

The Department of Geosciences (GEO) at the University of Oslo is part of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science and is a leading research unit in Europe. The Department covers a wide breadth of topics, from mantle and lithosphere dynamics on Earth and other planets, via surface processes in the boundary layers between Earth’s surface and atmosphere, to the dynamics and interactions in the Earth's crust, soils, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

The Department of Geosciences has defined a strategy focusing on four main themes that cut across the Department:

1. Dynamics of the solid Earth and planets
2. Climate change and the coupled Earth system
3. Environmental geosciences
4. Geoscience in the Arctic

The Department aims to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and hosts important contributors to the IPCC (UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).

The staff consists of approximately 40 professors and associate professors, in addition to postdoctoral fellows, PhD candidates, researchers, and technical and administrative staff. In total, the Department currently has around 200 employees, one Centre of Excellence and, at present, seven grants from the European Research Council (ERC), along with numerous other grants from public and private institutions. The Department is organized in six sections:

Basin Studies
Crustal Processes
Centre for Planetary Habitability [PHAB, Centre of Excellence]
Environmental Geoscience
Physical Geography and Hydrology
Meteorology and Oceanography

and a group in geoscience didactics. The Department offers two bachelor study programmes “Geology and Geography” and “Geophysics and Climate” and one MSc-programme in “Geosciences”.

This position is primarily associated with the Crustal Processes section that mostly works with geological processes related to rock deformation (fracture, friction, creep), fluid flow in crustal rocks (water, gas, magma), and fluid-rock interactions. Researchers develop studies from the atomic scale to the lithospheric scale, with applications in the domains of Solid Earth geohazards, porous media, critical raw materials, and large-scale tectonics. Research in the section uses field work, analytical and imaging techniques, modelling, data science, and experiments, and aims to unravel the processes that shape the evolution of the Earth’s crust, and their effects on the environment. The section consists of 40 people, and at present is organised under a Faculty centre between Geoscience and Physics ( Njord Centre ).

General information about the position

Applicants must document academic qualifications in their field at a level equivalent to an Associate Professor. The position will be based at the University of Oslo. The successful candidate must be able to teach at all levels and supervise Master’s and PhD students. The successful candidate may also be required to take on other teaching duties and administrative tasks when requested by the Department or the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The working time in the position is divided approximately as follows: 45% research, 45% education, and 10% administrative tasks.

The position is closely linked to the Department’s strategy by contributing to “research-based knowledge with societal relevance linked to climate, environment, energy, natural hazards, and sustainable use of resources”. The duties therefore include research, teaching, supervision, and dissemination/communication within both geomechanics and geohazards. The position will serve as a link between the Department’s expertise in various research fields relevant to geohazards (including geophysics, geomechanics, geomorphology, hydrology, hydrogeology and environmental geology). One of our aims is to advance the understanding of slow and rapid rock mass and granular material movements by developing and applying advanced methods and models that contribute to solving fundamental scientific and societal challenges related to geohazards.

Your main tasks will be

Your main research-related tasks will be:

Conduct cutting-edge fundamental research with broad international impact in geomechanics with applications to geohazards (earthquakes, landslides, and other gravitational instabilities).
Develop advanced numerical models for improving the simulation, the analysis, and the prediction of geohazards, as well as the application of tools and concepts from other disciplines (e.g. physics, data science) to geomechanics.
Attract substantial external research funding (e.g., from EU Horizon programmes, the Research Council of Norway, the Norwegian Directorate for Water Resources and Energy, and related funding bodies).
Promote collaboration with external partners such as the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), the Norwegian Seismic Array (NORSAR), and other relevant institutions.

Your main teaching-related tasks will be to actively contribute to teaching at both bachelor’s and master’s level in topics related to geomechanics and geohazards, including landslides in granular materials and water/rock interactions. At present, the following 10 ECTS courses are offered at the Department of Geosciences:

GEO3034 (Geohazards)
GEO4131 (Geomechanics)
GEO4151 (Earthquakes and Volcanoes)
GEO4171 (Floods, Avalanches, Landslides)

The candidate is expected to take primary responsibility for up to two courses and supervise master’s theses in these subject areas. Course responsibility does not imply giving all lectures, but to organise lectures and lab-exercises in the course. Experience and/or interest in fieldwork is also desirable.

We expect mainly physical attendance at the University of Oslo.

More information about the position

Applicants must document academic qualifications in their field, equivalent to an Associate professor position. The successful applicant must be able to teach at all levels and to supervise Master and PhD students.

The successful applicant may furthermore be required to take on other teaching duties and administrative tasks, by request from the Department or the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

What skills are important in this role?

Assessment of candidates will be based on scientific and educational excellence, as for example reflected in the quality of peer-reviewed publications, scientific relevance, ability to attract external funding, and other evidence of impact. The main emphasis will be on the candidate’s performance during the last five years. We expect the candidate having a scientific track record at a high international level that demonstrates the ability to fund and lead research projects.

Required qualifications:

The successful applicant must have completed a PhD in geology, geomechanics, or geophysics or related fields, with a focus on e.g., geomechanics, structural geology, civil engineering or geomorphology.
Documented post-doctoral or equivalent experience and a strong scientific track record within areas of the mechanics of geomaterials (solid rocks and/or granular materials), computational methods in mechanics or geophysics, and solid earth geohazards including earthquakes, landslides and other gravitational instabilities.
Ability to collaborate across scientific disciplines.
Documented potential for acquisition of external research funding.
Pedagogical qualifications and teaching and supervision experience at all levels will be an important factor in the evaluation process and should be well documented in a teaching portfolio. The applicant should describe her/his qualifications in view of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) framework which includes:
- Focus on student learning
- A clear development over time
- A researching approach
- A collegial attitude and practice
The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document sufficient teaching qualifications (minimum formal requirement is a 200 hours pedagogical programme) will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period.
The successful candidate must demonstrate mastery of both English and one of the Scandinavian languages as working languages, in order to be able to teach and otherwise be able to participate in all functions the position may involve. If the successful candidate does not have sufficient mastery of a Scandinavian language, B2 level, the candidate will be required to learn sufficient Norwegian within three years of employment.

Desired qualifications:

Candidates should be able to establish, lead and conduct research projects, also as a collaborator.
An international network, experience with outreach activities, collegiality, and the ability to contribute to a good working environment.
Experience in scientific and administrative management, as the person appointed will be expected to take on some administrative duties.
Additional competences in experimental and applied and/or field studies will be considered an advantage.

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

Ability to create and contribute to a well-functioning, inclusive and productive research environment
Strong networking skills, ability to collaborate and conduct scientific leadership
Ability to cooperate and communicate well with other members of staff

The successful candidate should have an international profile with respect to the above criteria. The candidate for this position will be selected based on excellence and fit with the section’s research profile.

We can offer you

Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
Committed colleagues in a good working environment.
Good welfare schemes .
Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours . A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse , which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
Salary in position as Associate Professor (position code 1011) in salary range NOK from 850 000 - to 950 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, two % is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Inclusive work life and diversity at UiO

UiO is an open and internationally-oriented university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at UiO's policy for diversity, equality and inclusion - University of Oslo.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one? We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

We especially encourage women to apply.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations.

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here .

How to apply

The application must include:

Application letter
A research position paper (max. 5 pages) describing the applicant’s vision and scientific ambitions for the nearest future
A detailed CV, including a complete list of education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative management, project acquisition and coordination experience, and other qualifying activities.
Copies of educational certificates, PhD diploma, transcript of records and letters of recommendation
A complete list of publications and academic merits and awards (if not included in the CV)
Full text of up to 10 selected scientific publications the applicant wishes to include in the evaluation
A document discussing the importance, interrelation, and relevance of the selected papers for this position
Educational portfolio of 3–6 pages documenting educational competence and experience, including a reflection note in which your own teaching practice and view of learning is anchored in the SoTL framework (focus on student learning, development over time, a researching approach and a collegial attitude and practice)
List of reference persons: 2–3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

As a general rule an interview will be used in the appointment process, usually supplemented with a trial teaching session. The basis for assessment will be the scientific production of the applicant, the teaching portfolio, pedagogical and educational qualifications, the applicant’s qualifications within leadership and administration, other qualifications as well as general personal suitability for the position. In ranking the competent applicants, the full range of qualifications will be considered and explicitly assessed.

Rules for appointments to associate professorships.

Rules for the assessment and weighting of pedagogical competence for appointments to permanent academic posts which include teaching duties:

Guide for applicants for Professor and Associate professor positions - University of Oslo

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova), information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results, see:

About the University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.

The geosciences are the studies of the planet Earth and its comparative planetology; the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and cryosphere, the Earth's surface and its interior. The Department of Geosciences conducts research and teaching in most of the domains of geoscience; geology, geophysics, physical geography, geomatics, hydrology, meteorology and oceanography. The Department is the broadest geoscience research and education environment in Norway. We perform research at a high international standard and have five ERC (European Research Council) research projects ongoing.

The Department encompasses six scientific sections; Meteorology and Oceanography, Geography and Hydrology, Study of sedimentary basins, Environmental geosciences. and Crustal Processes. We host now a third in the line of three Centre of Excellences: PHAB – Centre for Planetary Habitability, and have a Norwegian Research School for PhD students (Research School for Dynamics and Evolution of Earth and Planets, DEEP).

The Department aims to contribute to the new and important UN Sustainability Development Goals, and are important contributors to IPCC (UN’s Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change). The staff consists of 40 professors and associate professors, in addition to postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, researchers, technical- and administrative staff. The Department has around 200 employees.