Do you want to contribute to developing software used by researchers and engineers around the world, and work at the forefront of numerical simulation and computational science?
SINTEF Digital is looking for researchers, both recent graduates and experienced candidates, to join our research group Applied Computational Science in Oslo.
About us
The group comprises 19 permanent researchers and is one of Norway's most experienced in numerical simulation and scientific software development. We are applied mathematicians and computer scientists who specialize in developing new methods, algorithms and software that are flexible enough to adapt to a wide range of problems and efficient enough to meet the demands of challenging industrial and scientific applications – with a primary focus on flow and mechanics in porous media (oil and gas, CO₂ storage and geothermal energy), electrochemistry, ocean modelling and modelling of surface water.
Over two decades, we have built a portfolio of open-source software with users around the world, including MRST, Jutul, OPM Flow and BattMo – and have made substantial contributions to commercial simulation software. We were early pioneers in GPU-accelerated scientific computing, and are now active in differentiable simulators, model calibration, optimization and uncertainty quantification, hybrid physics-and-data-driven modelling, quantum computing and agentic AI (coding and interfaces to simulation tools).
We have a genuinely international research environment – with colleagues from many countries and active participation in European and global research projects and networks. We collaborate closely with industry, the public sector and academia across borders. We lead the national quantum computing center QSTAR and are partners in two of the six new national AI research centers, aiD and TRUST.
What will you work on?
Depending on your background and interests, you will contribute to one or more of the group's research areas – ranging from fundamental method development to applied industrial projects. With us, you will have the opportunity to develop new computational methods from the ground up, pursue experimental programming and explore new research directions – and see your work end up in software that is used by researchers and engineers around the world.
Typical responsibilities will include:
- Development of numerical methods and algorithms for coupled, nonlinear PDE systems
- Algorithm development and optimization
- Hybrid physics-and-data-driven modelling and agentic AI
- Scientific software development in C++, Julia, Python and/or MATLAB
- Parallelization and high-performance computing
- Contributions to research publications and externally funded projects
- Collaboration with industry and research partners nationally and internationally
What are we looking for?
The ideal candidate is genuinely interested in solving demanding mathematical and computational problems – whether fresh from a PhD or bringing years of experience from academia or industry. What matters most is intellectual curiosity, the ability to work independently, and a desire to contribute to a close-knit research community.
Required qualifications:
- A master's degree or higher in mathematics, physics, computer science, geoscience or a related field – or a master's degree with longer-term ambitions to pursue a PhD
- Experience with, or a desire to develop expertise in, numerical methods for PDEs and/or algorithm development
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages: C++, Julia, MATLAB, Python, Rust
- An understanding of scientific software development, with emphasis on robustness, reproducibility, flexibility and maintainability
- Curiosity, academic ambition and a drive to solve complex, real-world problems
- A collaborative mindset and a desire to work closely with skilled colleagues
Advantageous qualifications:
- A PhD in a relevant field
- Experience with publishing and communicating research
- Experience with project management, coordination and participation in externally funded projects
- A background from, or collaboration with, international research environments
- Competence in one or more of the following:
- Modern software development practices: version control, code review, test-driven development and continuous integration
- GPU programming or high-performance computing
- Uncertainty quantification and data assimilation
- Agentic AI and large language models
- Hybrid physics-and-data-driven modelling or machine learning
- Quantum computing
We particularly encourage candidates with an international research background to apply. Our working language is pragmatic: Norwegian and English are used interchangeably depending on the situation. However, knowledge of Norwegian is an advantage, and we offer language training.
What do we offer?
- An international research environment with high academic standards, where you will work alongside researchers who publish in leading journals and develop software used around the world
- The opportunity to pursue method development and experimental programming – not just apply existing tools
- A dynamic working environment with substantial academic freedom, flexibility in how you organize your work, and real influence over your own responsibilities
- Strong opportunities for professional and personal development, including publishing, conference participation, collaboration with leading research groups, and systematic talent development
- The opportunity to supervise master's and PhD students, contributing to the development of the next generation of researchers in computational science
- Competitive terms of employment, including excellent pension and insurance schemes and attractive employee benefits
SINTEF values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of background, age, gender or need for accommodation. We believe that diversity creates a stronger and more innovative working environment.
