Vacant job

Welcome to Linnaeus University! Here you will meet 2,200 employees and 40,000 students who together follow the vision of putting knowledge into motion for sustainable societal development. At our university, research and education are conducted with a view towards the future. Our proximity to the business community, both locally and globally, gives us long reach and the opportunity for change that creates an impact. All that is needed is a place where ideas have room to meet and grow. That is what we have created – and you are invited. Change starts here!

The Faculty of Technology has a broad operation spanning eight different departments through which Linnaeus University provides education and conducts research. The engineering programs range from short courses lasting a few weeks or months to five-year Master of Science in Engineering programs. The research responds to societal needs in several broad fields – both short-term and long-term – with fundamental and applied research in collaboration with societal actors.

The Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, as part of the Faculty of Technology, has extensive collaborations with corporate partners in both research and education. The department works together with adjacent departments to create a creative environment with challenging education and outstanding research. Research in civil engineering includes timber construction technology, steel, concrete, hybrid, and composite construction technology, building physics, building materials, structural health monitoring, and life cycle assessment. The department currently offers a Bachelor of Science in Engineering program in Civil Engineering, a Bachelor's program in Building Design, a two-year Master's program in Sustainable Construction Technology, and a Master of Science in Engineering program in Civil Engineering.

This doctoral position will be part of the Linnaeus University Center (Lnuc) Competitive Timber Structures, featuring outstanding research on the use of forest biomaterials to develop and improve timber-based building materials, components, and systems, to reduce the construction sector's climate impact and create long-term carbon sinks through timber-based products and buildings. The goal of Lnuc Competitive Timber Structures is to strengthen the scientific foundation and establish research for a holistic design of sustainable timber structures, promoting the transition to a green and climate-neutral construction sector.

Subject Area: Civil Engineering

Location: Växjö. Since Linnaeus University is located in both Växjö and Kalmar, travel between locations may occur.

Employment Scope and Duration: The doctoral position is fixed-term in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 5, Section 7). The position is full-time.

Start Date: October 1, 2026, or by agreement.

Job Description

The doctoral student will be employed within a research group in civil engineering and timber construction and will contribute to the development of advanced design and dimensioning methods for optimized joints in timber structures. The doctoral student's main task is to conduct research aimed at optimizing timber joints with regard to load-bearing capacity, reliability, and environmental impact.

The research will focus on different types of timber joints, which may include dowel-type and screw-type joints as well as carpentry-based joints. A central part of the project concerns optimization, where structural efficiency is balanced against other factors such as carbon footprint. The joint design is studied not as an isolated component, but as an integrated part of the overall load-bearing system in the timber structure, which is influenced by boundary conditions, load cases, and the global mechanical behavior of the structure.

Closely linked to the optimization of joints is the prediction of their reliability. The research may include studies of homogenization effects in joints with multiple fasteners, as well as the impact of material variation and load redistribution. Furthermore, effects of moisture-induced volume changes and potential degradation of joints may be considered within the optimization framework.

The work will involve the use of optimization algorithms and machine learning methods in combination with mechanical models to predict the behavior of the joints. Methods for calculating environmental impact will be integrated to enable environmentally conscious dimensioning decisions. The work may also include testing of joints and load-bearing structural elements. The project aims to develop reliable, resource-efficient, and low-carbon joint solutions for modern timber structures.

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, those employed as doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their own studies. However, a doctoral student may, to a limited extent, work with education, research, and administration. Such tasks, however, may not exceed 20 percent of a full-time employment before the doctoral degree has been awarded.

As part of the education, the doctoral student will take courses totaling at least 60 higher education credits, in agreement with the supervisors. Participation in national and international courses and conferences is supported, as well as exchanges with other parties outside the project.

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