About the position

We are looking for a colleague who sees numbers not just as numbers, but as tools to understand, improve, and manage complex systems. At the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, you will apply economic analysis to explore how good animal health and welfare create value across sectors. You will be  a central colleague on solving interdisciplinary challenges with significant societal impact, contributing to food safety, One Health, and in developing a growing field within Economics of Animal Health.

Economics of Animal Health is an exciting field, offering unique opportunities for those who wish to develop methods and frameworks for socio-economic analyses in an area where such approaches have previously been little applied.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute contributes to the Global Burden of Animal Diseases initiative and is part of the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH). We participate in the EU Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare and  collaborate in several other international and national research projects. We also work closely with partners in low and middle income in development programs funded by the Norwegian government.

The position will have its physical location in the Research Section for Aquatic Biosecurity in Bergen, situated within the Marine Research Cluster at Marineholmen, close to key partners in the aquaculture sector. Other institute locations may be considered.

For more information, you are welcome to contact Head of Section Kari Norheim at +47 98 67 19 38, e-mail: kari.norheim@vetinst.no, or Researcher Cecilie Walde at: + 47 99 71 68 49, e-mail: cecilie.walde@vetinst.no.

What does the job involve?

The position offers substantial influence and the opportunity to think innovatively, testing new tools and approaches, and contribute to the development of a rapidly growing field. You will be part of exciting interdisciplinary working groups with participants from various professional backgrounds and the opportunity to participate in both national and international networks.This provides excellent possibility for professional development and stimulation in a collaborative, innovative, and committed environment.

The work tasks include:

• Providing support to authorities, conducting research, and developing methods.
• Economic analyses such as cost-benefit analyses at regional and national level, impact evaluations, and efficiency studies, as well as optimisation analyses and evaluation of policy instruments such as taxes, fees, subsidies, and regulations.
• Develop and apply methods for evaluating health interventions (e.g. vaccination programs, disease control measures).
• Model the consequences of disease outbreaks or policy decisions affecting animal health, public health, food safety, and the economy.
• Analyse and give scientific support to animal health services and policy instruments (e.g. taxes, subsidies, regulation).
• Collaborate in interdisciplinary teams and contribute to both national and international research networks.

The work requires the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Initially, the tasks will focus on aquaculture, with later expansion to terrestrial livestock systems.

Travelling for meetings and conferences is expected.  

What qualifications are important for this position?

Required qualifications:

• A Master’s degree or higher in economics, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, natural sciences or related field.
• Experience with economic analysis and qualitative statistic methods (preferably using R).
• Excellent written and spoken English skills.

For candidates who are not proficient in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, there is a requirement to achieve at least B2 level proficiency in Norwegian within two years from the start of your employment. 

Read more about language levels here: https://prove.hkdir.no/en/language-levels

We also value:

• Experience from public administration, research, or work with socio-economic issues.
• Familiarity with veterinary medicine and/or aquaculture production.
• Knowledge of behavioural economics and/or social science methods.
• Experience with analysis of regulations or policy development.
• Experience with project acquisition.
• Proficiency in a  Scandinavian language is an advantage.

What personal qualities are we looking for?

We are looking for someone who is:

• Analytical and solution oriented.
• Independent and proactive.
• A strong team player with interdisciplinary collaboration skills.
• Engaged, curious, and open to new perspectives.
• Able to interpret and communicate complex data.
• Ethically aware and motivated by our societal mission.

You must be able to identify with the Norwegian Veterinary Institute’s core values: future-oriented, professionally ambitious, and collaborative.

In addition to professional competence and personal qualities, your motivation for the position and the work will be emphasized. You are encouraged to include a brief description of your motivation in your application.

We offer

• A meaningful role with influence and autonomy.
• A strong professional environment with opportunities for learning and personal development.
• A workplace characterized by innovation, collaboration and  high competence.
• Flexible working hours and summer hours, and the possibility of partial remote work.

You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens Pensjonskasse), which offers good pension and insurance schemes, as well as the possibility to apply for favourable housing loans. Read more at spk.no. A contribution of 2% of your salary will be deducted for this membership.

The position is remunerated in accordance with the Norwegian Government’s salary regulations, and you will be employed as a researcher under position code 1108, 1109 or 1110 depending on your qualifications. Salary placement will be determined based on your experience and competence.

How to Apply

You can apply for the position via Jobbnorge.no.

Your application must include:

• A cover letter
• A CV
• Diplomas and certificates

The application, including all attachments, must be submitted through our recruitment system Jobbnorge. Click “Apply for this position” to proceed.

When applying, we kindly ask you to retrieve your academic transcripts from Vitnemålsportalen.no if you are educated in Norway. If your results are not available there, please upload copies of your diplomas or transcripts. All documentation must be in Norwegian, alternatively in another Scandinavian language or in English.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute is a public institution, and in accordance with the Public Access to Information Act, all applicants are included in a public applicant list after the application deadline. A request for exemption from the public applicant list may be granted in special cases. If your request for exemption is not approved, you will be contacted to consider whether you wish to maintain your application. If you choose to proceed as an applicant, your name will be made public. If not, you may withdraw your application.

An Inclusive Workplace and Diversity at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute

Inclusion and diversity are strengths. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute aims to achieve a balanced gender distribution and actively recruit individuals with an immigrant background.

We encourage you to indicate in the job portal if you have a disability, gaps in your CV, or an immigrant background. We guarantee that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups will be invited for an interview. This information is also used for anonymized statistics, which all government institutions report in their annual reports.

We hope you will apply for this position!

Who We Are

The institute's vision "Good health for animals, and humans" is to be achieved through clear goals and through strategic, professional collaboration with partners in over 40 countries in addition to Norway. 

The institute detects and prevents infectious diseases and known and unknown threats to the health of animals, humans, and the environment. Together with authorities, industry, and other knowledge environments, we develop knowledge to ensure good animal health and welfare, safe food, and sustainable bio-industries.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute is designated as a National Reference Laboratory in over 30 fields and as an International Reference Center for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in several areas. 

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has around 330 employees who together will fulfill our important societal mission, distributed across our locations in Tromsø, Harstad, Trondheim, Bergen, Sandnes, and at the headquarters in Ås, Akershus.