PhD Candidate in Work Science at Luleå University of Technology

Luleå University of Technology is experiencing strong growth with world-leading expertise in several research areas. Our scientific and artistic research and education are conducted in close collaboration with international, national, and regional companies, public actors, and leading universities. Luleå University of Technology has an annual turnover of over 2.3 billion SEK. We have more than 1,800 employees and nearly 21,600 students.

The research subject Work Science at Luleå University of Technology is seeking a PhD candidate for an exciting research environment focusing on work environment, advanced technology, and sustainable societal development, to work on research projects concerning the human role in sociotechnical systems and how these systems should be designed for sustainable green and digital transformation.

Subject Description

Work Science encompasses research on work environment, technology and production systems, work organization, and other societal processes and environments based on people's conditions and needs to create safe and attractive jobs and socially sustainable development in working life, industry, and society.

Project Description

One research project addresses a central and unresolved issue: how the interaction between humans and technology in safety-critical maintenance work affects risk and productivity in the Swedish mining industry. Good maintenance is the foundation of a sustainable industry. At the same time, complexity increases through digital decision support, sensors, AI, and augmented reality. The goal is to develop knowledge and concrete design principles for how sociotechnical systems in safety-critical environments should be designed to enhance human judgment and performance. The results will contribute to the development of future decision support that increases both safety and robustness. The project is conducted in collaboration with Boliden, Epiroc, and is also part of SUN's graduate school.

The second research project develops new knowledge to increase circularity in waste management. You will research how municipalities and other actors organize and implement waste management to improve the sustainability transition in Norrbotten. Based on work science and sociotechnical perspectives, you will map and conduct in-depth case studies to identify user needs and frameworks for digital tools and working methods to improve circularity in waste management. The project is conducted in close collaboration with Region Norrbotten, municipalities, and other actors in waste management, enabling both practice-oriented research and implementation of project results.

Responsibilities

As a PhD candidate, you will work on and write your doctoral thesis related to one or more research projects. A PhD position involves both theoretical and practical work. As a PhD candidate, you will be trained in scientific work through the publication of scientific articles in international journals and presentations at national and international conferences. You will also take mandatory and elective graduate courses. Teaching and other departmental duties may be included up to 20%.

In your work, you will:

• Plan, organize, and conduct independent field studies
• Study and analyze work processes, decision-making, and interaction between humans, technology, and organization
• Conduct observations, interviews, and other qualitative and quantitative data collection methods
• Analyze empirical data and integrate results into theoretical frameworks to develop knowledge about how digital systems, work organization, and competence interact in practice
• The work involves presence in real work environments, which requires independence, adaptability, and the ability to interact with different professional groups as well as travel for work.

Qualifications

Eligibility requires a master's degree or equivalent in a field relevant to work science research, such as production environment, production design, work environment, or sociotechnical systems.

In addition, we also prefer that you have:

• Documented experience or knowledge in ergonomics, work environment work, human factors, or sociotechnical systems
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Excellent proficiency in Swedish and English, both spoken and written
• Ability for independent analytical work and strong collaborative skills in interdisciplinary teams.

It is meritorious if you have experience in digitalization, industrial maintenance, the mining sector, or the waste management sector, as well as an interest in sustainability and work environment issues.

Information

Employment as a PhD candidate is time-limited to 4 years, with teaching and other departmental duties potentially adding up to 20% of full-time. Location is Luleå, and the intended start date is as soon as possible.

For further information, please contact:

• Lena Abrahamsson, +46 920 49 2107, [email protected]
• Phillip Tretten, +46 920 49 2855, [email protected]
• Joel Lööw, +46 920 49 3411, [email protected]

Union representatives:

• SACO-S Diana Chroneer, 0920-49 2037 [email protected]
• OFR-S Marika Vesterberg, 0920-49 1721 [email protected]

For the full advertisement, see ltu.se/ledigajobb

Application

We prefer that you apply for the position via the application button below, attaching: 1) CV, 2) a short personal letter where you analytically reflect on one of the project themes and preferably describe your experience with human-technology issues, industrial maintenance, waste management, and/or other relevant research background, 3) a thesis/report or other longer text you have written, 4) copies of verified degree certificates, 5) study results, and 6) any list of publications or projects. Please mark your application with the reference number below. Applications and degree certificates should be written in Swedish or English.

Application deadline: April 14, 2026

Reference number: 2625-2025