Associate Professor in near-Real-Time Interactive Systems Development

This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus on professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 44,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41sAbout the position The Department of Computer Science at NTNU Gjøvik campus is looking for a candidate for an Associate Professor position in near-Real-Time Interactive Systems Development. The position focuses on advancing research and education in the engineering of near-real-time interactive software systems, with games and immersive technologies as the primary application domain. The successful candidate will be associated with the Games and Immersive Technology Lab, which serves as the primary research home for this position. The lab brings together expertise in interactive systems engineering, game platform development, and immersive virtual environments. Its research spans game engine architecture and platform-level development, the design and construction of near-real-time interactive software, extended reality and immersive simulation (VR/AR/MR). The successful candidate is expected to contribute actively to the lab's research agenda, strengthen its profile in games and interactive systems engineering, and build open research artefacts (prototypes, tools, and systems) that connect research with practice and community. Your immediate leader is the head of the Intelligent Systems and Analytics unit.

Duties of the position The candidate is expected to: • Play a leading role in research and research-based education in games and near-real-time interactive systems. This includes securing highly competitive research funding, such as ERC and FRIPRO grants. • Take part in the department's research strategy, including shaping the future direction of the Games and Immersive Technology Lab, including game engine architecture and platform-level development, software design and construction for interactive and performance-constrained systems, extended reality and immersive simulation contexts. • Contribute to the department's educational profile and an excellent learning environment in collaboration with colleagues, students and external stakeholders. • Deliver high-quality teaching at undergraduate, graduate and PhD levels, primarily in systems programming, real-time and interactive systems programming, and game development, and supervise BSc students, MSc students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows. • Engage in applications for external funding, e.g. from the Research Council of Norway, European research and educational agencies, the industry sector and other available sources. • Build and maintain open-source prototypes, tools, and artefacts that support research, teaching, and community engagement. • Communicate relevant parts of their research through public outreach, industry engagement, and dissemination activities. • Participate in the management of research, education and other relevant academic activities in agreement with the Head of Department.

Required qualifications • Must have a PhD in computer science or a related field. • Must document a relevant research track record (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, active collaborations, and evidence of research independence) in games and interactive systems, with a demonstrated focus on the engineering and architecture of near-real-time interactive software. • Must demonstrate strong programming skills and experience including the languages at the lower abstraction level, such as C. • Should demonstrate excellent teaching skills and the ability to teach and develop courses in systems programming, real-time and interactive systems programming, and game development across bachelor and master programmes, and contribute where needed to foundational computer science courses (e.g., programming, algorithms, software development). • Norwegian language skills at level B2. New employees who do not speak a Scandinavian language by appointment is required, within three years, to demonstrate skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level B2 of the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU. • You must document relevant basic competence in teaching and supervision at a university/higher education-level, as referenced in the NTNUs guidelines for academic positions. If this cannot be documented, you will be required to complete an approved course in university pedagogy within two years of commencement. NTNU offers qualifying courses.

Preferred qualifications • Development experience with game engine architecture, platform-level game development, or interactive simulation systems, demonstrated through code repositories, or shipped software. • Must demonstrate hands-on competence in the design and construction of near-real-time interactive software systems, including familiarity with software architecture patterns characteristic of game and interactive systems. • Hands-on experience with one or more industry-standard game development engines or frameworks (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity, Godot, or equivalent), with preference for demonstrated use in a research or advanced development context. • Experience constructing, refactoring, and evolving performance-constrained interactive software, including the application of secure and defensive coding practices appropriate to game and interactive application contexts. • Experience with extended reality (XR) platforms and immersive simulation systems (VR/AR/MR), including relevant APIs and toolchains. • Familiarity with performance-oriented and systems-level software development, such as C++ or C#. • Experience with modern functional paradigms, such as Rust, Kotlin, or Haskell. • Experience teaching systems programming, game development, immersive or XR systems, mobile or IoT programming courses in higher education. • Experience in collaboration with industry or public-sector partners in game technology, simulation, or interactive systems contexts.

Personal qualities • Enthusiastic: Has the drive to take the extra step to include all students and support a good dialogue with them. • Willing to learn: Will develop excellent competence over the duration of employment and will learn from experience and feedback from others. • Team player: Will work perfectly together with colleagues, students, and external stakeholders. • Communication: The successful candidate will be able to relay information with clarity and ease, both orally and in writing, and solve any challenges that may appear using transparency and honesty. • Taking initiative: The successful candidate will seek out new opportunities at work, initiate activities and projects by working independently.

We offer • Exciting and challenging tasks in a strong international academic environment • An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues • Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund • employee benefits

Salary and conditions As an Associate Professor (code 1011), you are normally paid from gross NOK 690.000 – 885.000 NOK per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. As required by law, 2% of this salary will be deducted and paid into the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work. It is a prerequisite that you can be present at and accessible to the institution on