Postdoctoral Researcher in Safety Engineering

VSB – Technical University of Ostrava is committed to equal opportunities, diversity and an inclusive working environment. Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates who meet the eligibility criteria of the funding programme, regardless of gender, age, disability or other personal characteristics unrelated to the requirements of the position.

 This postdoctoral position is supported under the "University Vouchers" programme within the Operational Programme Just Transition 2021–2027, co-funded by the European Union.

 Eligibility criteria

Applicants must meet one of the following international mobility criteria:

1.      Incoming researchers: Non-Czech nationals who obtained their Ph.D. abroad and have spent no more than 12 months in the Czech Republic during the preceding 36 months, as assessed on the date the university submits the application

2.      Re-integration researchers: Czech nationals holding a Ph.D. or equivalent qualification who have completed at least 12 consecutive months of doctoral studies and/or employment at a foreign research institution during the 36 months preceding the university's project application date.

Applicants must have obtained their Ph.D. no more than five years before the relevant eligibility assessment date. Eligible career breaks, including maternity or parental leave and long-term illness, are excluded from this period in accordance with the funding programme rules.

 The selection procedure consists of two stages:

Stage 1 – Faculty-level selection: Applications will be assessed by a faculty selection committee based on the submitted documents and the established evaluation criteria. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an interview, either in person or online. A maximum of two candidates may be nominated by the faculty for the second stage.

Stage 2 – University-level selection: Nominated candidates will be assessed by a university-wide selection committee based on the submitted documentation and, where appropriate, an interview. The university-wide committee will select candidates for the available positions within the project.

The assessment will consider the candidates' research achievements, publication record, individual contributions to scientific publications, research proposal, professional experience, skills and potential for further research development.

Candidates advancing to the second stage will be informed accordingly. The selection procedure will follow the applicable university recruitment rules and the principles of open, transparent and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R).

Required expertise in safety engineering, with a specialisation in one of the following areas

·        Fire protection: firefighting tactics, fire safety of buildings, fire dynamics and fire modelling.

·        Occupational and process safety: technology safety, environmental safety, explosion protection, major accident prevention, hydrogen safety, hazardous substances and waste.

·        Emergency planning and crisis management: crisis management, population protection, safety planning, resilience and critical infrastructure protection.

·        Safety of persons and property: homeland security, building protection, security systems, commercial security services, weapons and ammunition.

 Main responsibilities

·        Research

Conduct research in safety engineering, focusing on the topics listed above.

Design and conduct experiments, develop simulations and apply other research methods to investigate safety-related phenomena.

Analyse data and interpret the results to advance knowledge in safety engineering.

·        Publication and dissemination

Prepare research findings for publication in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.

Present research findings at national and international conferences, workshops and seminars.

Share research findings with relevant stakeholders in academia, industry and policymaking through knowledge transfer activities.

·        Collaboration and networking

Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams at the university and with external partners, drawing on their expertise and resources.

Build and maintain professional networks with researchers, industry professionals and policymakers in safety engineering.

·        Training and development

Participate in training programmes and workshops to develop research and professional skills.

Work in cooperation with an assigned academic mentor who will support the researcher's scientific development, integration into the research environment and further career progression.

• A Ph.D. in a technical field relevant to safety engineering;
• The ability to work independently;
• Aptitude for research;
• A publication record meeting the following minimum requirements for the relevant field under the FORD classification:

o   FORD fields 1–5: at least three publications classified as Jimp;

o   FORD field 6: at least four publications classified as Jimp, Jsc, B, C or D;

• A good command of English (at least CEFR level B2).
• Knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) will be considered an advantage.

 Assessment of research achievements

In addition to the mandatory publication requirements established by the funding programme, the selection committee will assess the quality and relevance of research achievements, the candidate's individual contribution to scientific publications, professional experience, research skills and the quality and feasibility of the proposed research project.

Eligible career breaks and individual career circumstances will be taken into account in accordance with the applicable programme rules.

• Employment at a university with opportunities for professional development;
• A salary determined by the project conditions and the candidate’s experience;
• Access to modern laboratory facilities;
• The opportunity to work as part of an excellent research team;
• Individual academic mentoring throughout the postdoctoral research project, supporting scientific development and career progression.
• Oportunities for further education;
• Six weeks of annual leave;
• Flexible working hours;
• A university kindergarten;
• On-campus dining facilities;
• A MultiSport card;
• Other employee benefits offered by the university.

• A curriculum vitae, including an overview of research experience and scientific publications;
• A motivation letter;
• A research proposal aligned with a relevant specialisation domain of the Moravian-Silesian Region’s RIS3 strategy;
• A publication list identifying publication types according to the FORD classification and the applicable funding programme requirements;
• Information on the number and proportion of publications in which the applicant is listed as the corresponding author, second author or third author;
• At least one letter of recommendation from a foreign research institution;
• Copies of documents confirming the applicant's educational qualifications.