PhD Candidate in soil and rock mechanics

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Built Environment

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Civil and architectural engineering (specialization in soil and rock mechanics)

We are seeking a doctoral student to join the Division of Soil and Rock Mechanics  and contribute to the climate adaptation of society’s infrastructure. This 4-year position is part of a novel interdisciplinary research project focused on developing sustainable solutions for climate adaptation strategies. The project has high practical relevance and is expected to make an important impact on society’s climate transition. As a doctoral student, you will work closely with both geotechnical engineers and risk philosophers to study how uncertainties in climate change predictions influence the reliability of geotechnical structures.

In this role, you will:

• Explore how uncertainties in climate related parameters affect the suitability of various climate adaptation strategies and geotechnical design solutions.
• Conduct geotechnical analyses to create cost-effective and sustainable engineering solutions, and to develop and test models for decision under deep uncertainty.
• Work on case studies that connect the research to real-world geotechnical structures.

Through close collaboration with experienced supervisors and a supportive, inclusive work environment, you will have the opportunity to develop a unique expertise for a future career in either industry or academia.

Supervision: Johan Spross (geotechnical risk management), Per Wikman Svahn (risk philosophy), and Stefan Larsson (geotechnics) are proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master’s degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

The applicant shall have an academic background in civil engineering or other relevant discipline (e.g., engineering physics).

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues.

Practical experience as a geotechnical engineer is a merit, as is familiarity with statistics and risk and safety analysis, and having programming skills. Strong academic credentials and proficiency in English, both written and spoken, are required.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years’ time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

As a doctoral student, you are entitled to a workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement . Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) Sweden .

Union representatives

Contact information for  union representatives.

Doctoral Students’network (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for  doctoral section .

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH’s recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
•  Application letter (not AI-generated), with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 1 page). 
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above) . Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified .
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant’s consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

 

 

Join us at KTH
KTH shapes the future through education, research and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in advancing the transition towards a sustainable society. At KTH, you have the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic environment, with good working conditions and attractive benefits. Equality, diversity and equal opportunities are essential to quality and form an integral part of KTH’s core values as a university and public authority.

Learn more about our benefits and what it’s like to work and grow at KTH

Apply here
Type of employment

Temporary position

Contract type

Full time

Full-time equivalent

100%

First day of employment

According to agreement

Salary

Monthly salary according to KTH’s doctoral student salary agreement

Number of positions

1

Location

Stockholm

County

Stockholms län

Country

Sweden

Reference number

PA-2026-0253

Published

12.Feb.2026

Last application date

12.Mar.2026

Contact

Johan Spross, johan.sprossbyv.kth.se

+4687908683