Associate Professor in Geomechanics and Geohazards

About the Department and what they are looking for in this positionWe 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 StudiesCrustal ProcessesCentre for Planetary Habitability [PHAB, Centre of Excellence]Environmental GeosciencePhysical Geography and HydrologyMeteorology and Oceanographyand 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 positionApplicants 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 beYour 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 positionApplicants 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 learningA clear development over timeA researching approachA collegial attitude and practiceThe 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 environmentStrong networking skills, ability to collaborate and conduct scientific leadershipAbility to cooperate and communicate well with other members of staffThe 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 youExciting and meaningful

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