About this role
The position A PhD position is available at the Department of Electrical Engineering , Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Technology with the Electromechanical Systems research group. The position is for a period of three years. 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. Depending on the department's needs, the position may be extended by up to one additional year to include teaching, supervision, administrative tasks, or other career-development activities. Such an extension will be considered based on both the department's needs and the candidate’s professional development. The workplace is at UiT in Narvik. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer, initially planned for November 2026. The PhD candidate is expected to participate in simulation and experimental activities related to autonomous spacecraft systems and validation frameworks. The project The position is affiliated with the Aerospace Engineering activities at UiT in Narvik, which include research on autonomous spacecraft systems, CubeSat missions, formation flying, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), and technologies supporting sustainable space operations. The research environment combines expertise in spacecraft autonomy, guidance and control, AI-enabled resilient systems, and digital twins for verification and validation of space missions. Current activities include CubeSat development, autonomous spacecraft operations, and research related to space debris monitoring and space sustainability. The PhD candidate will contribute to the long-term development of research activities in autonomous and sustainable space systems. The position’s field of research Future space missions increasingly rely on autonomous spacecraft operations to support activities such as active debris removal, in-orbit servicing, distributed satellite systems, and space debris monitoring. These missions operate in uncertain and dynamic environments where communication delays, sensor uncertainties, and spacecraft faults can significantly affect mission safety and reliability. The project aims to investigate resilient autonomous space systems for applications related to space sustainability, with particular focus on AI-enhanced fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR), autonomous decision-making, and validation of trustworthy AI-based systems. The research may include topics such as: spacecraft autonomy, AI-assisted anomaly detection, verification and validation of autonomous systems, Flying formation, and autonomous proximity operations. The PhD candidate is expected to contribute to the development of simulation and validation frameworks supporting future research activities in autonomous and sustainable space systems. The applicants must submit a project description outlining their research interests and potential research directions related to autonomous space systems and space sustainability. The description should demonstrate the applicant's understanding of the research area and may include elements such as the motivation for the proposed research, relevant scientific challenges, possible methodological approaches, and the expected contribution to the field. The project description shall not exceed two pages, excluding references. The final PhD project plan will be further developed in collaboration with the appointed supervisor. Contact For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Jose Corona: phone: +47 48940901 email: [email protected] Qualifications This position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in Aerospace Engineering, cybernetics, robotics, electrical engineering, control systems, or related fields. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply. We seek candidates with specialization or interest in satellite technology, autonomous spacecraft systems, formation flying, attitude stabilization, and fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR). 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. Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is also beneficial. In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent work, as well as any other scientific contributions. The project description will also be considered during the assessment. 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: are able towork independently on defined research topics, havea good workethic, have good collaboration and communication skills, are able tocontribute to a positive and productive working environment, and are willing to be physically present at theUiTcampus in Narvik. As 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 corr