Doctoral student in Digitilisation for the Water Sector

Apply your problem-solving and data analytical skills to identify new opportunities to rapidly advance digitalisation and automation in the drinking water treatment sector.

About us 

The Department of https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/ace/ at Chalmers University of Technology tackles contemporary and emerging challenges for the built and natural environment, ranging from resource utilisation, pollution, and climate change to digitalisation and inequality. We combine expertise in architecture, civil engineering and related disciplines to build a better world.

Within the Division of https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/ace/organisation/water-environment-technology/, in the research area https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/ace/research/water-quality-and-resource-engineering/, we develop methods and technologies to analyse, treat, and manage water quality, from contaminants to valuable resources. We develop and test sensor-based technologies for monitoring and maintaining water quality, enabling rapid response and proactive decision-making. 

About the research project  

Cost-effective water management starts with timely information, yet many water treatment plants lack sufficiently time-resolved data, especially when it comes to observing fluctuations in water quality. Frequent water quality measurements can deliver important information relevant to improving processes and reducing costs. In this project, you will evaluate the performance of real-time sensor systems in drinking water treatment applications and identify opportunities to use them to make water treatment more cost-effective. You will manage and implement pilot projects in collaboration with Swedish water providers, utilising your strong communication and organisational skills. You will handle and process large online datasets and perform water quality measurements in the laboratory to validate and complement the sensor datasets.

Who we are looking for

The following requirements are mandatory:

• To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have a Master’s degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (magisterexamen) of 60 credits* in Environmental Engineering, Data Science, Environmental Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Experience in data analysis and code-based processing workflows
• A basic understanding of concepts in environmental analytical chemistry (e.g. limit of detection)

*for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is acceptable. 

The following experience will strengthen your application: 

• Strong verbal communication skills in Swedish (B2 level or higher)
• Demonstrable competence in one or more scientific programming languages
• Laboratory wet-chemistry experience.

Please note that under Swedish law, drinking water treatment facilities are classified as ”critical infrastructure” (Sv: skyddsobjekt). Entry into such facilities typically requires a security clearance. For further information see https://www.lansstyrelsen.se/stockholm/samhalle/sakerhet-och-beredskap/skyddsobjekt.html 

What you will do

• Manage and implement pilot tests in collaboration with Swedish water providers and sensor providers.
• Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing 
• Manage, document, and archive large amounts of research data in line with FAIR principles.
• Develop, document, and validate advanced data analysis workflows.
• When required, perform complementary analytical measurements in the laboratory
• Develop broad knowledge of the discipline via participation in advanced-level coursework and by reading scientific literature
• Assist in teaching at undergraduate or masters level up to a maximum of 20 percent of working hours

Contract terms  

• Doctoral student positions are fully funded. 
• The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to extend the position by teaching up to a maximum duration of 1 year. 
• A starting salary of 35,725 SEK per month. 
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise the admission may be withdrawn. 

What we offer 

• As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about  https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/ and our https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/chalmers-as-an-employer/benefits-and-conditions/ for employees. 
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of https://www.goteborg.com/en. 
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at https://www.movetogothenburg.com/ 

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/organisation-and-governance/equality/genie-gender-initiative-for-excellence/. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities. 

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers https://www.chalmers.se/en/research/we-train-new-researchers/about-doctoral-studies/.