Postdoctoral position in electrical engineering, specialisation in intelligent control of solar power systems

Description

The Faculty of Health, Science and Technology is now accepting applications for the position of postdoctoral fellow in electrical engineering at the Department of Engineering and Physics. The department has approximately 60 employees and offers a welcoming, inspiring and international environment, with staff from around the world. Electrical Engineering is one of four subject areas within the department; the others are Physics, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Industrial Engineering and Management. Much of the research is carried out in close collaboration with industry and with national and regional organisations.

Research in electrical engineering is currently conducted in the areas of robotics and automation, intelligent power systems and renewable energy with battery storage. The project associated with this position is carried out within the Solar Electricity Research Centre Sweden (SOLVE). The centre was established as a strategic partnership between Swedish solar energy research environments and a broad and committed group of stakeholders from the public and private sectors. The aim is to promote the widespread adoption of solar power in Sweden through smart and well-planned integration into urban environments, ground-mounted installations and the energy system, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. More information: https://www.uu.se/en/research/solve/projects/4.-land-sharing

Due to the postdoctoral appointment’s nature as a career-development position for junior researchers, we are looking for candidates who have completed their PhD no more than three years before the application deadline.

Duties

The main duties consist primarily of research. Research is conducted drawing on the researcher’s academic expertise, in collaboration with other researchers in the department. As a postdoctoral researcher, you are expected to take an active role in developing and participating in research projects, managing certain research-related administrative tasks, and collaborating with national and international partners. You are also expected to collaborate with the wider community for a mutual exchange, as well as work towards ensuring that the knowledge and expertise available at the university is of benefit to society.

To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for the postdoctoral appointment, applicants are required to hold a PhD in electrical engineering or other related subject, or have equivalent qualifications from abroad deemed equivalent to a PhD in electrical engineering or other related subject area.

The PhD must be completed before a decision to appoint an applicant is made. The candidate must have completed the degree no more than three years before the application deadline.

Qualifications obtained earlier may be considered if there are special grounds, such as sick leave, parental leave, clinical service, service as a union representative, military service or similar, or service/assignment of relevance to the appointment.

Applicants must demonstrate the ability to conduct and develop high-quality research. The position also requires excellent command of spoken and written English.

In addition, all employees at Karlstad University are expected to demonstrate strong collaborative skills and to treat colleagues and students with respect. They are also expected to take responsibility for both the organisation and their own work, and to contribute to a positive work environment.

For further information about qualification requirements, please refer to Appointments procedure at Karlstad University

Assessment criteria

Special weight will be given to:

• Documented experience, either as an independent researcher or in collaboration with others, of conducting research in electrical engineering, automation and renewable energy, for example with a focus on (but not limited to) intelligent control of renewable energy systems, advanced measurement techniques (including the application of machine learning), and optimisation of power systems for grid operators and energy producers
• The scope, depth and quality of the applicant’s scientific work
• The ability to independently conduct high-quality research
• The extent to which the applicant is expected to be able to contribute to and integrate with the research activities conducted within the subject area of electrical engineering
• Personal qualities such as the ability to cooperate, take responsibility, show commitment and a positive attitude towards colleagues and students

Considerable weight will be given to:

• Ability to work in an innovative research network comprising universities, institutes and industrial companies of various sizes
• International work experience or participation in national and international networks

Weight will be given to:

• Recent experience of collaborating with the wider community and communicating research findings and development work

Valuable qualifications:

• Recognised or distinguished teaching and assessment skills
• Completed higher education pedagogy training
• Proficiency in Swedish

Terms

This is a fixed-term 2-year full-time (100%) position starting 1 March 2027, or as soon as possible according to agreement.
In accordance with applicable regulations, the appointment may be extended to a maximum total period of employment of 3 years, provided that funding is available and an extension is required to achieve the purpose of the appointment.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

• CV/list of qualifications
• Cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and research interests in relation to the duties of the position
• List of publications (in multi-authored publications, the role of the applicant must be specified)
• Copy of PhD degree or information on when it is expected to be completed
• Copy of doctoral thesis and other relevant publications
• An account of language skills
• Two references, at least one of which is a current or former supervisor

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books or publications, should be sent to:

Karlstads universitet
HR-administratör
651 88 Karlstad
Sweden

Application deadline: 15 November 2026                               

State reference number: REK2026/206

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.

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