Associate Professor/ Professor with the UiA battery coast team

About the position

Two permanent 20% positions are available at the University of Agder, Faculty of Engineering and Science as associate professor/professor in the field of lithium-ion batteries, affiliated to the Department of Engineering Sciences. The positions are located, at present, at campus Grimstad. The starting date is 01.03.2025 or to be negotiated with the faculty.

The associate professor/professors will become a part of the UiA battery initiative which co-creates a competence hub for lithium-ion battery research and development in close exchange and collaboration with local industry partners in the south of Norway.

Responsibilities

To complement our efforts of co-creating a battery competence hub in the south of Norway we are looking for a battery expert with industrial or high-level academic experience in the battery value chain (materials, production, module/pack design, recycling or similar). Specifically, we aim to hire support for our ongoing activities, for example (A) modelling with a focus on applications, (B) module/pack design and testing, (C) recycling, (D) battery components or (E) battery cell design. The successful candidates are expected to contribute with teaching and mentoring for BSc., MSc. or PhD courses. The willingness and ability to promote and support the Battery Coast strategy publicly as well as within the candidate’s network must be evident.

The candidate is expected to play an active role in the development of the growing research activity in the fields of electrochemistry batteries at the battery coast. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate interested in shaping his/her own project as well as contributing to the future research directions of the battery activities at UiA.

Please reach out to the contact people below for any inquiries about this position.

Required qualifications

• Excellent industrial or high-level academia background in lithium-ion batteries.
• PhD degree in the field of lithium-ion batteries. 
• Documented ability to teach.
• Willingness to be active in Grimstad, for applicants beyond the region this corresponds to a motivation to travel multiple times a year.
• Established academic and industrial network on battery technologies.
• Documented knowledge in the field of lithium-ion batteries (e.g. (Co-) Authorship of scientific publications / scientific presentations).
• Written and spoken English proficiency   

The criteria of employment are pursuant to the Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts.

Criteria for educational competence for appointment as Professor/Associate Professor at UiA.

Desired qualifications

• Experience in research project management and project proposal preparation.
• Written and spoken Norwegian proficiency.
• Scientific communication skills in public channels (newspaper, presentations, radio or similar).
• Experience in supervising student projects (BSc, MSc or PhD level).

Personal qualities

• Scientific curiosity for elucidating the bottlenecks of state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery materials and designs.
• Ability for scientifically rigorous, target-oriented, organized, and independent work.
• Good communication and teamwork skills, inventiveness and a proactive hands-on approach are essential qualifications. 
• Applicants are expected to contribute to a safe and inclusive working environment.

Personal qualities and suitability for the position will be emphasised.

We offer

• Professional development in a large, exciting, and socially influential organisation.
• A positive, inclusive, and diverse working environment.
• Modern facilities and a comprehensive set of welfare offers.
• Membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. 

More about working at UiA.

The positions are remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.510, code 1011 associate professor, NOK 690 000 – 790 000 and code 1013 Professor, NOK 755 000 – 990 000 gross salary per year. A compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is deducted from the pay according to current statutory provisions.

General information

UiA is an open and inclusive university. We believe that diversity enriches the workplace and makes us better. We, therefore, encourage qualified candidates to apply for the position independent of gender, age, cultural background, disability, or an incomplete CV.

The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with the current regulations for the position, and organisational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position must be expected. The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Appointment is made by the University of Agder’s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions. 

Short-listed applicants will be invited for interviews and a demonstration of their teaching competency, usually in the form of a trial lecture. With permission from the applicant the university also will conduct a reference check before appointment. The final recommendation will be an overall assessment based on the expert assessment, the trial lecture, the interview(s), and references. Read more about the employment process.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act § 25 (2), applicants may request that they are not identified in the open list of applicants. The University, however, reserves the right to publish the names of applicants. Applicants will be advised of the University’s intention to exercise this right. 

Application

The application and any necessary information about education and experience (including diplomas and certificates) are to be sent electronically. Use the link "Apply for this job".

The following documentation must be uploaded electronically: 

• CV, showing educational and academic career.
• List of publications.
• Documentation of educational competence.
• List of research projects (obtained external funding).
• All certificates and diplomas (copies).
• Research proposal (max. 3 pages).
• Teaching statement (max. 1 page).
• PhD thesis.
• Contact details for 2-3 references.
• Any other relevant documentation.

The applicant is fully responsible for submitting complete digital documentation before the closing date. All documentation must be available in a Scandinavian language or English. 

Application deadline: 15.01.25

Contact

For questions about the position: 

• Associate Professor Johannes Landesfeind, tel. +47 406 58 833, e-mail johannes.landesfeind@uia.no 

For questions about the application process:

• HR Advisor, Linda Heskestad Kristiansen, tel. +47 38 14 11 88, e-mail: linda.h.kristiansen@uia.no

Creating knowledge together

When people who are committed come together to further knowledge, anything is possible.

The University of Agder combines the unique warmth and charm of Southern Norway with first-class scientific, technological and artistic expertise.

Would you like to work with us to create better solutions to our shared challenges?

University of Agder

The University of Agder has more than 1500 employees and almost 14 000 students, making us one of Southern Norway's largest workplaces. Our dedicated staff engage in research, teaching and dissemination across a diverse range of fields.

The university is located on two modern campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad.