Department Head: Humans and Automation
We are looking for a motivational and research-oriented manager to lead our Department of Humans and Automation.

The Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) is an independent research foundation in Norway, with locations in Kjeller and Halden. We are an international leading research environment that actively develops innovative solutions through people and technology. Our mission is ‘Research for a better future’. We have roughly 600 employees, with annual sales of 1 billion NOK. IFE is a broad multi-disciplinary research organisation, with international top-level expertise in the fields of digital technologies, material and process technology, flow and analysis technologies, radiopharmaceutical technology and nuclear technology. We develop innovative technological solutions for both industry and the public sector in more than 30 countries and we host the International OECD Halden Reactor Project—Norway’s longest-running international research project. www.ife.no
 
The department of Humans and Automation (HA) seeks to understand how technology shapes the world around us, and how developments in technology can change the way humans move through the world. Our focus is primarily on the interaction and teaming between humans and advanced technologies, especially in highly digital and/or complex environments. We are curious about how advanced technologies work, what effect they have on people in those environments and how interactions between these people and technologies can be improved. Our mission is to better understand these interactions to support the design and development of future digital, automated and even intelligent systems, with the underlying goal of optimizing performance and safety.  We have a strong collaboration network across the Digital Systems sector and within IFE, as well as throughout Norway, Europe, North America and Asia. This is facilitated by our involvement in the OECD Halden Reactor Project, and participation in research projects for the Research Council of Norway and the European Union. Our recently established Sensor and Robotics Research laboratory, which includes the Halden Aerospace Laboratory, opens up new possibilities for exciting and innovative empirical research and collaboration with our extended partner network.
We seek to address the following main questions:
How do humans interact and collaborate with increasingly advanced technologies, and how can this relationship be optimised for performance and safety?
How might advanced and future technologies change the role of the human, and how do we decide what functions should be performed by the technology versus by the human?
How can we ensure that the development of advanced and future technologies adopts a suitable human-centered approach to facilitate technology acceptance and use as intended?
 
The Department Head’s role involves developing and managing the department and creating an inspiring environment where the best minds can thrive. The Department Head reports to the Director of the sector and participates in the sector’s management team. Candidates should be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships throughout the organisation.