PhD Fellow in Human-AI Collaborative Remanufacturing Systems

The positionAn exciting PhD position is available at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology.

The Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology consists of five departments, where Department of Industrial Engineering is where the position is located. The position will be affiliated with the Department’s research group “Intelligent Manufacturing and Logistics” and its interrelated Technological Competence Center for Arctic Logistics Operations (ArcLog).

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Narvik. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The position’s field of researchThe PhD fellow is affiliated with the project “Digital Reverse Logistics Twin 5.0: Enabling Human-Centricity in Data-Driven Decision-Making and Flexible Automation”, funded by the Research Council of Norway under the Researcher Project for Young Talents (FRIPRO) programme (Digital Reverse Logistics Twin 5.0 (DigiRL 5.0) | UiT), and the project “NextIndustryAI – AI powered Workforce and Industrial Processes”, funded by the EU InterReg Aurora programme. These projects aim to develop human-centric digital twin solutions that enable effective and responsible human–technology and human–AI collaboration in reverse logistics operations, while demonstrating how AI can optimize production, improve data utilization, and enhance automation to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of companies in the High North Arctic region.

The PhD fellow is expected to contribute to the following tasks:

Develop human–technology collaborative remanufacturing processes and workflows for flexible handling of diverse returned products. Design mathematical optimization models to dynamically schedule and reconfigure modular remanufacturing systems, accounting for varying product types and quality conditions. Develop digital twin and conceptual frameworks that connect optimization models, simulation-based verification environments, and small-scale demonstration remanufacturing processes to test and validate the proposed solutions.Publish research findings in leading scientific journals and present results at international conferences and industry-oriented workshops. Contribute to the supervision of Master’s students. Support teaching activities within the Master’s Programme in Industrial Engineering, including serving as a teaching or lab assistant.
ContactFor further information about the position, please contact Professor Hao Yu: 

email: hao.yu@uit.no or Head of Department Professor Wei Deng Solvang:

email: wei.d.solvang@uit.no 
QualificationsThis position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in subject Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics Engineering, or a closely related field, and any other requirements. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply.

You must have a strong academic background, with an average grade from your Master’s degree (or equivalent education) of B or better. Applicants without letter grades must demonstrate an equivalent level of academic excellence. Candidates with a weaker academic record may still be considered if they can document exceptional suitability for PhD studies.

Applicants must document fluency of in English and be able to work in an international environment. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. 

Experience in reverse logistics optimization and/or human–AI collaboration will be considered an advantage.

Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas are preferred:

Mathematical optimization in logistics and manufacturing systemsSimulation tools (e.g., AnyLogic, anyLogistix, Visual Components)Digital twin for decision support in circular manufacturing and logisticsApplicants must submit a 2–3 page research plan aligned with the scope of the position, clearly outlining objectives, research scope, and proposed methodologies, with strong emphasis on relevance, rigor, and potential impact. 

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. The research plan will also be considered. In addition, professional experience and other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme will be taken into consideration.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

Have good working moral and can work independently on defined topics Have good collaboration skills and able to interaction with colleagues and studentsWants to contribute to a good working environmentAs many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS. A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.  

In order to gain admission to the programme, applicants with a background from a Norwegian institution should have a minimum grade of C on their master thesis and a weighted grade average of 3.0 for the last two years of their master programme. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversityUiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offerInvolvement in an interesting research project Good career opportunities A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  Pension scheme through the state pension fund PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 550 800 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increaseNorwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include: 

Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interestsResearch plan (2-3 pages)CVOfficial diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language Official transcripts of grades/academic record for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original languageOfficial translation of diplomas and transcripts of records (ToR) to English or a Scandinavian language, if applicableExplanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)Documentation of English proficiency2-3 references with contact informationMaster’s thesis, and any other academic worksQualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. You may still apply if you are in the final stages of the master’s degree, but the master’s thesis must be submitted for evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis and transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be doc

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