PhD Student – Human-Centred Production in the Future of Work

Chalmers is a leading university in industrial digitalisation, with strong international networks. The division of Production Systems looks for a highly motivated PhD candidate to join us. We are a dynamic, diverse, and balanced team of 25 researchers, teachers, PhD candidates, and support staff. Our Stena Industry Innovation Lab provides the division with advanced lab facilities for experimentation and demonstration.The Division of Production Systems is part of the Department of Industrial and Materials Science - IMS. 

Project description
This PhD position is focused on future, human-centred work in manufacturing industry. In Industry 5.0, manufacturing jobs are becoming increasingly complex and digitalised, especially for front-line personnel. The workforces are aging, requiring massive upskilling and human-centred support technology.

You will be part of an expert research team, developing methods and human augmentation tools for front-line employee support. You will use collaborative robots; augmented and virtual reality technologies (AR/VR); digital twins; and skills management tools to support decisions and upskilling of personnel. Typical projects include industrial case studies, e.g. assembly of electric vehicles. We seek excellence and impact, merging high academic excellence and industrial value. In SII-Lab, our internationally connected laboratory for human-centred manufacturing, you can test and demonstrate your ideas.

Major responsibilities
Your PhD studies will primarily be done in collaboration with industry. We always work in research teams and collaboration may involve other reearch groups, nationally and internationally. More than ≥80% your work will be research, including courses required to obtain a PhD. Additional work tasks include teaching, supervision of MSc students, and departmental duties. You are expected to complete a PhD degree in 4 years, which may be extended to a maximum of 5 years when including a maximum of 20% of teaching tasks.

Your main tasks as a PhD student are to:
- Contribute to research projects
- Study PhD courses
- Publish research results in scientific journals and at international scientific conferences
- Teach courses within the scope of Production Systems
- Develop your pedagogic and teaching skills, developing a personal pedagogical portfolio.

Qualifications
The position requires a Master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in, for instance, production engineering, industrial engineering, human-computer interaction, automation, cognitive sciences, or similar, with a thesis project corresponding to at least half a year of study. Courses and/or a Master thesis projects in the areas mentioned above or other areas of direct relevance for the research are meritorious.

We look for a creative PhD student with a strong motivation and engagement; cooperative mindset; analytical skills, communication skills; and a passion for combining theory and practice to contribute to sustainable development of industry and society. We expect the applicant to be quality conscious, ethical, and have the ambition to take on responsibility to work independently and in collaboration with both academic and industrial partners towards set goals. The position require full proficiency in English. You will also need to acquire Swedish proficiency within 2 years. Experience from multi-stakeholder interactions and industry experience are meritorious.

Contract terms
This position is a full-time employment with salary, no scholarship is required. The position is limited to a maximum of five years. 

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers. We continuously strive to be an attractive employer.  

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20220568 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust
• Two references that we can contact

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

Application deadline: 30 November, 2022

For questions, please contact:
Professor Johan Stahre
johan.stahre@chalmers.se
+46 31 772 1288

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. *** 
   



Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our six Areas of Advance; Energy, Health Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!