Associate Professor in Autonomous Systems and Control Theory

About The Position

A permanent full-time position as Associate Professor is available in the section for Autonomous Systems and Sensor Technology (Autosens) at the Department of Technology Systems (ITS). The Department invites qualified candidates to apply for this position in autonomous systems and control theory with specialization in applied robotics and intelligent autonomous systems.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to initiate, establish, and lead research projects, contribute actively to teaching and supervision activities at all levels, and engage with students and colleagues through open, inclusive, and inspiring educational practices. Good educational, communication, and interpersonal skills are therefore essential, along with the ability to engage independently in research planning and execution.

About the Department and what they are looking for in this position

We are seeking highly motivated scientific staff who can contribute to the development of education at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD’s levels as well as research and innovation. The vision is to establish a strong and coherent environment for research, education and innovation across various technology system domains. ITS is closely integrated with complementary and interdisciplinary activities at the UiO Blindern Campus and Oslo Science City and works in cooperation with relevant national and international institutions and industry partners. Research activities at ITS are often conducted at higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) with a strong emphasis on systems oriented perspective. Key collaborative partners include the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), which provide substantial opportunities for cooperation within ITS’s main scientific domains: autonomous systems (land, air, and sea), space systems, renewable energy systems, healthcare technology, and security in cyber physical systems.

ITS is the host institution for a Center for Research-based Innovation, the Center for Space Sensors and Systems (CENSSS), which is involved in space missions, including instrumentation currently operating on the NASA Mars 2020 rover.

The department has 13 permanent scientific staff, approximately 35 part-time scientists from the research institutes at Kjeller or from industry, and approximately 40 PhD candidates.

At present, the Department of Technology Systems has two sections: Section for Autonomous Systems and Sensor Technologies and Section for Energy Systems. There is significant interdisciplinary overlap between the two sections. ITS is responsible for the master´s degree programme option in Cybernetics and Autonomous Systems, offered as a part of the master´s degree programme in Robotics and Intelligent Systems (Robin) at the Department of Informatics (IFI). In addition, ITS also coordinates the master´s degree option in Security in Cyber-Physical Systems, which is part of the master's degree programme in Information Security at IFI. Furthermore, ITS hosts dedicated master´s degree programmes in Renewable Energy Systems, - Space Systems. The Department also plans to further expand its educational portfolio and will be launching a new master’s programme in Healthcare Technology, as well as an international bachelor’s degree in Technology Systems: Science and Engineering.

Your main tasks will be

We seek an enthusiastic and dedicated person who meets the required qualifications for the Associate Professor position, with a scientific profile that fits the activities of the section. The department wants to foster a close cooperation with industry, and the successful candidate is expected to develop collaborative exchange with external research institutes and industry, in both research and education. The applicant may also be required to take on other teaching duties and administrative tasks, by request from the Department or the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

This Position Is Expected To Establish a Research Program Exploring The Area Of Autonomous Systems And Control Theory Applied To Robotics. Areas Of Application Interest Include, But Are Not Limited To Drone Systems, Maritime Systems, Ground Systems, Heterogeneous Swarms And Space Systems. Research Areas Of Interest Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Distributed control
• Autonomous vehicles
• Marine robotics
• Motion planning and localization
• Multi-robot coordination
• Machine learning
• Data-driven control
• Perception
• Aerial and ground vehicles
• Control and game theory
• Rapid prototyping
• Safe autonomy
• Swarm robotics
• Biologically inspired systems.

This position is expected to establish, a thriving track record of national, international, and industry funding and partnerships to grow an enterprise around their areas of research.

More Information About The Position

Applicants 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?

Required Qualifications

• The successful candidate must have a doctoral degree and documented scientific qualifications in key areas of control theory/cybernetics and autonomous systems applied to robotic and intelligent systems.
• Scientific qualifications will play a major role, and the main emphasis will be on the candidate’s scientific production from the last five years.
• Experience contributing to applications for external funding and a clear potential to secure such funding independently.
• Pedagogical qualifications and teaching and supervision experience at all levels will be an important factor in the evaluation process and must be well documented in a teaching portfolio. The applicant must describe her/his qualifications in view of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) framework which includes:
• Focus on student learning
• A clear development over time
• A researching approach
• A collegial attitude and practice
• The 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

We are seeking a motivated researcher with a high-profile scientific track record in the autonomous systems research domain. Knowledge and experience within one or more of the following areas are desired:

• Control theory, including its applications in robotic and intelligent systems
• Autonomous systems design, development and experimentation
• Artificial intelligence methods applied to the control of robotic and intelligent systems

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

• Aptitude and interest in applying an experimental approach
• National and international network of contacts
• Experience in collaboration with nonacademic partners (e.g., industry)
• Ability to initiate, participate in and lead collaborative projects
• Experience in attracting various types of external research fundings
• Ability to create and contribute to a well-functioning, inclusive and productive research environment
• Ability to cooperate and communicate well with other members of permanent and nonpermanent staff and students

The 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 you

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours. A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Associate Professor (position code 1011) in salary range NOK from 820 000-920 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, two % is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Inclusive work life and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

How To Apply

The application must include:

• Application letter
• A detailed CV, including a complete list of education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative management, project acquisition and coordination experience, and other qualifying activities.
• A research position paper (3–6 pages) describing the applicant’s vision and scientific ambitions for the near future.
• Copies of educational certificates, PhD diploma, transcript of records and letters of recommendation.
• A complete list of publications and academic merits and awards (if not included in the CV).
• Full text of up to 10 selected scientific publications the applicant wishes to include in the evaluation.
• A document discussing the importance, interrelation, and relevance of the selected papers for this position.
• Educational portfolio of 3–6 pages documenting educational competence and experience, including a reflection note in which your own teaching practice and view of learning is anchored in the SoTL framework (focus on student learning, development over time, a researching approach and a collegial attitude and practice)
• List of reference persons: 2–3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be submitted in our electronic recruiting system; please follow the link “apply for this job”.

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

As a general rule an interview will be used in the appointment process, usually supplemented with a trial teaching session. The basis for assessment will be the scientific production of the applicant, the teaching portfolio, pedagogical and educational qualifications, the applicant’s qualifications within leadership and administration, other qualifications as well as general personal suitability for the position. In ranking the competent applicants, the full range of qualifications will be considered and explicitly assessed.

Rules for appointments to associate professorships.

https://www.uio.no/english/about/regulations/personnel/academic/rules-appointment-professor.html

Rules for the assessment and weighting of pedagogical competence for appointments to permanent academic posts which include teaching duties:

https://www.uio.no/english/about/regulations/personnel/academic/rules-basic-pedagogical-competence.html

Guide for applicants for Professor and Associate professor positions - University of Oslo https://www.uio.no/english/about/regulations/personnel/academic/guide-applicants.html

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova), information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results, see: http://www.uio.no/english/for-employees/employment/work-results/