PhD Fellow in Autonomous Space Systems

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: jose.j.sanchez@uit.no

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 corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

In order to gain admission to the programme, applicants with a background from a Norwegian institution should have a minimum grade of C on their master thesis and a weighted grade average of 3.0 for the last two years of their master programme. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 550 800 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application 

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Official diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language 
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language
• Official translation of diplomas and transcripts of records (ToR) to English or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 2-3 references with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
• A project description outlining the applicant’s interests and potential research directions related to autonomous space systems and space sustainability (2 pages)

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. 

Assessment 

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. 

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.