Vacant job

Do you want to develop your research and teaching in an environment where collaboration with industry and society is a given? Here, you will work with engaged colleagues, have access to modern research infrastructure, and good opportunities to attract external funding. You will have the opportunity to make a real difference for your students, your research, and society at large.

The Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering conducts research and education within the mining, construction, and environmental fields. The department has a strong experimental and applied profile, with well-equipped laboratories and close collaboration with industry. Approximately 70% of the research is externally funded, and we have extensive international collaborations. The Division of Mining and Geotechnical Engineering conducts research and education within rock mechanics, mining engineering, and geotechnics, with a strong focus on the safe, efficient, and sustainable design of underground and open-pit facilities. The division collaborates closely with industry to handle practical engineering challenges and develop solutions for future mining and infrastructure projects.

Project Description

Deep underground extraction of critical raw materials requires fast and reliable design decisions under limited and continuously evolving geological and geomechanical information. Although empirical stability chart methods are still widely used in underground mines due to their practical usability and transparency, the application is still largely manual, static, and limited in handling uncertainties during the design phase.

The project aims to develop a digital and updatable workflow for stability charts that enables fast and risk-informed design of underground mines by structuring geological, geomechanical, geometric, and backfill-related data into a transparent and traceable digital framework for stability assessment and engineering decision support.

The project combines empirical rock mechanics, geological interpretation, case-based mine design analysis, and the development of digital workflows. The focus will be on uncertainties in preliminary mine design, the behavior of backfilled stopes during sequential mining, and the integration of digital geological and geomechanical data sources such as 3D point clouds and discontinuity mapping. A prototype tool for digital stability chart analysis will be developed and evaluated using representative cases from underground mines, while laying the foundation for future probabilistic and AI-assisted applications in mine design.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply a digital workflow for stope stability assessment based on the Stability Graph Method.
• Compile, structure, and analyze geological, geomechanical, structural, and production-related data from underground mines.
• Investigate sources of uncertainty, the behavior of backfilled stopes, and the stability of rock spaces during sequential mining.
• Apply digital methods for the analysis of geological and geomechanical data, including point cloud analysis and discontinuity mapping.
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of a prototype tool for rapid screening of rock space stability and engineering decision support.
• Contribute to technical reports, scientific publications, presentations, and future research proposals within digital geomechanics and underground mine design.

Requirements

• Ability to work with geological, geotechnical, and geometric mine data from various sources and organize them into structured workflows.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to combine empirical rock mechanics, geological interpretation, and the development of digital workflows.
• Experience with software in mining engineering, geomechanics, or data processing, such as Deswik, CloudCompare, MATLAB, Python, Rocscience, Leapfrog, Maptek, or similar tools.
• Ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with academic, geological, and industrial partners.
• Good ability to communicate orally and in writing in English.

Qualifications that are meritorious

• Experience with 3D point cloud analysis, discontinuity mapping, LiDAR data, or digital structural characterization.
• Experience with empirical and probabilistic methods for stope stability assessment, particularly the Stability Graph Method.
• Experience with numerical modeling methods or software (e.g., FEM, DEM, or LS-DYNA).

Information

The position is full-time for up to three months from the date of commencement. Location: Luleå. Commencement from September 1st or as agreed.

For further information about the position, please contact:

Yang Zou, Associate Professor, +46 920-49 3470, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Daniel Johansson, Professor, +46 920-49 2361, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Union Representatives:

SACO-S Diana Chroneer, +46 920-49 2037, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

OFR-S Marika Vesterberg, +46 920-49 1721, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Application

We prefer that you apply for the position via the application button below, attaching a cover letter, CV/resume, and copies of verified degree certificates. Please mark your application with the reference number below. Both the application and degree certificates should be written in Swedish or English.

Application deadline: August 10, 2026

Reference number: 3762–2026