PhD in Wind Turbine Drivetrain Health Monitoring (NTNU)

Job title

PhD in Integrated Wind Turbine Modelling Tools for Drivetrain Health Monitoring.

Company

Department of Marine Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Description of the job

The Department of Marine Technology at NTNU offers a 3-year PhD position focused on developing near real-time hybrid, data-driven models considering the whole offshore wind turbine system and environmental loading for early fault detection in drivetrains.

An offshore wind turbine installation is the result of a two-stage design process. As turbines get larger, the interaction between machinery and structure becomes more important. It is common practice to use a very simplified model of drivetrain in global analysis tools and ignore the coupling effects, often due to model complexity. This project is based on earlier experience in drivetrain and global models, aiming to build near real-time hybrid, data-driven models considering the whole system and environmental loading for early fault detection.

This PhD project is part of FME NorthWind (Norwegian Research Centre on Wind Energy), which aims to bring forward outstanding research and innovation to create jobs and grow exports, and to facilitate the sustainable development of wind power. The centre is led by SINTEF, with research partners NTNU, University of Oslo, NINA and NGI, involving more than 40 national and international industrial partners.

The supervisor will be Professor Amir Nejad. The employment period is 3 years. The position is conditional on external funding from the Norwegian Research Council.

Duties:

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate.
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above.
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination.
• Provide a detailed plan for PhD study including mandatory courses, research activities, dissemination and milestones.
• Report progress on a regular basis in agreement with supervisors.
• Cooperate with relevant project and industry partners.

What We Offer:

• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment.
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period.
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues.
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK).

Requirements

Required:

• Master's degree in Marine Technology, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent, corresponding to a five-year Norwegian master program with 120 credits at master's level. Master's students in their final year can apply.
• Academically relevant background in Marine Technology, Ocean Engineering or equivalent.
• Strong academic background with an average grade from Master's degree equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale.
• Must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program in Engineering.
• Good written and oral English language skills.

Preferred:

• Background in programming (Matlab, Python), familiarity with multi-body dynamic tools and good knowledge of statistics.
• Familiarity with data-driven methods or reduced order models (ROM).
• Good programming skills.

Location

Trondheim, Norway.

Salary

NOK 550,800 (50,000€) per annum (gross), depending on qualifications and seniority.

How to apply

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. 

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• CV 
• Copy of master’s thesis. If you have recently submitted your master’s thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short letter of motivation (maximum 1 page)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• Possibly certificates
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

Please note: The application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

Deadline

25/04/2026.

Disclaimer

This job post has been published by Blue-jobs based on information that is publicly available on the internet through official company websites or third-party job boards. Blue-jobs is not affiliated with the company mentioned and does not take responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or updates of the job content. If you would like to edit or remove this post, please contact us at info@blue-jobs.com.