Postdoctoral position in sustainable interaction design for the energy transition - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Information Technology holds a leading position in both research and education at all levels. We are currently Uppsala University's third largest department, have around 350 employees, including 120 teachers and 120 PhD students. Approximately 5,000 undergraduate students take one or more courses at the department each year. You can find more information about us on the Department of Information Technology website. The Division of Visual Information and Interaction (Vi3) is a unique combination of expertise in computing education research, computerized image analysis, and human-machine interaction (HMI).  Within the HMI unit, the Digital Ecologies Lab is led by Prof Mike Hazas, has two PhD students, and four active, externally-funded research projects.  

The Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering has a strong and international research environment and has approximately 100 employees with research and education both at the Ångström Laboratory in Uppsala and at Campus Gotland. Within the division of Industrial Engineering, the USER - Uppsala Smart Energy Research group – is highly interdisciplinary, combines applied and theoretical, as well as qualitative and quantitative, approaches. The research group engages in extensive collaboration with the industry and other research environments. The research often focuses on the role of electricity consumers in the transition to a more sustainable energy system. USER is led by Assoc. Prof. Cajsa Bartusch.

Description of the research area
The postdoc will join the Digital Ecologies Lab, and be a key staff member in a new research project entitled “EV drivers in the driver’s seat – smart charging from a user perspective”, funded by the Swedish Energy Agency.  The project is led by Bartusch, with many co-investigators including Hazas, and Sara Renström at Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).  Partners include Uppsala Parkering and Charge Node.  The purpose of the project is to develop and test communication and control technology as well as combined parking and charging tariffs and a related mobile app for public smart charging and V2G. Development and pilot tests are carried out in a laboratory and on a charging station at Uppsala University. The subsequent field tests are carried out at a mobility house with smart charging points, solar cells and energy storage. As part of the development process, the aim is also to increase knowledge about economic, social-psychological and legal factors that influence EV drivers' inclination and opportunity to engage in smart charging and V2G.

Duties
The detailed plan of work will be co-developed with the postdoc.  However, the funded proposal suggests the postdoc will: create an app for smart and bidirectional charging, including concept development, iterative prototyping, and programming (with input on design and methods from Renström, Hazas and Bartusch); conduct user trials and provide analysis of the app; undertake pilot tests at EV charging sites at the Ångström Laboratory; and oversee field tests at a larger commercial parking facility.  Analysis will include usage of the app, evaluation of its potential effect on peak demand and propensity to support the grid, and implications for policymakers and companies.

The employment is a temporary position of two years, with some possibility to extend to a maximum of three years, according to central collective agreement.  The position is focused on the research described above, and includes a limited amount of department duties (mainly teaching) at a level of at most 20%.

Requirements
PhD degree in in human-computer interaction, interaction design, environmental psychology, sociology, or a related fieldor a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in the same subjects. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree no more than three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year frame period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

You must have demonstrated proficiency in interactive digital application development.

Very good proficiency in English (spoken and written) is required.

You must be able to conduct yourself professionally in different contexts:  as a collaborative member of a project team, and with participants and stakeholders such as policymakers and organisations such as Uppsala parkering.

Additional qualifications
Experience with qualitative data analysis, particularly as might be applied to social practices, and energy and environmental sustainability.

Ability to conduct the research with participants in Swedish, is meriting.

How to apply
The application should include:

• A statement of the applicant’s motivation for applying for this particular position, including the candidate’s research interests, and evidence of the applicant’s ability to work in a group (maximum 2 pages)
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• A copy of relevant diplomas and transcripts (translated into English or Swedish)
• A copy of the PhD thesis (or a draft thereof).
• The earliest possible starting date.
• Contact information for at least one reference (but no reference letter). 

Promising applicants will be invited for an interview on-site (on or near 10 April) before hiring, and there may be an initial round of Zoom interviews on 3 April.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date 12 May 2025 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala. 

For further information about the position, please contact: Mike Hazas, mike.hazas@it.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 24 March 2025, UFV-PA 2025/625.

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