Postdoc position in Structural Engineering

Job Overview

Develop your research and teaching in an environment that encourages collaboration with industry and society. Join colleagues with modern research infrastructure and opportunities to attract external funding. Contribute to student learning, research, and societal impact.

Subject Description

Structural Engineering covers loads, design, sustainability, load‑bearing capacity, repair and strengthening of buildings and civil engineering structures made of concrete, steel, wood, and other materials, under normal, cold climate, and fire conditions.

Project Description

The project, Semi‑Probabilistic Assessment of Infrastructure under Climate Impacts, develops and applies semi‑probabilistic and probabilistic methods to assess current and future load‑bearing capacity of existing infrastructure, accounting for climate change and non‑stationary environmental conditions. The goal is to link reliability‑based research to practical decision‑support tools for infrastructure managers and public authorities.

Work is closely tied to research in bridge monitoring, condition assessment, and data‑driven infrastructure management. Data from inspections, monitoring, and experimental tests are used for model updating, safety‑framework calibration, and prediction of future performance and remaining service life.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research with strong methodological and applied components, leading to publications in peer‑reviewed international journals and presentations at major conferences.
• Develop semi‑probabilistic and probabilistic frameworks for the assessment of existing infrastructure under climate impact.
• Integrate time‑dependent deterioration models with climate projections.
• Update models using monitoring and inspection data.
• Calibrate and compare safety formats.
• Translate analytical results into decision‑support tools.
• Contribute to supervision, teaching, and research proposals.

Qualifications

• PhD in Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a closely related field, focusing on structural reliability, probabilistic methods, infrastructure assessment, or durability, completed at the time of appointment.
• Strong research background in structural reliability and probabilistic/semi‑probabilistic analysis, and safety formats for structural design and assessment.
• Documented experience with time‑variant models for structural load‑bearing capacity, deterioration processes, or life‑cycle‑based analysis of structures.
• Experience with Monte Carlo simulation, FORM/SORM, or similar methods.
• Ability to work with experimental, monitoring, or inspection data for model updating and uncertainty quantification.
• Good knowledge of existing structures, especially concrete structures and bridges.
• Strong publication record.
• Excellent proficiency in spoken and written English, and ability to work independently and in interdisciplinary collaborations.

Meritorious Qualifications

• Experience with climate change scenarios and their application in structural or infrastructure assessment.
• Knowledge of code calibration, partial safety factors, or assessment standards for existing structures.
• Experience translating technical results into decision‑support tools or guidelines for infrastructure owners or public authorities.

Employment Details

Full‑time fixed‑term employment for two years with placement in Luleå. Starting: As soon as possible.