Summer Student Human Factors Autonomy

About us

We are the independent expert in assurance and risk management. Driven by our purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, we empower our customers and their stakeholders with facts and reliable insights so that critical decisions can be made with confidence.

As a trusted voice for many of the world’s most successful organizations, we use our knowledge to advance safety and performance, set industry benchmarks, and inspire and invent solutions to tackle global transformations.

About Group functions
Group functions in DNV are experts on finance and accounting, human resources, communication and sustainability, legal, tax and compliance – providing company-wide support, governance and strategic projects. Group also includes our strategic Research and Development unit, which provides science-based insights and foresight to tackle transformations and challenges across the industries we serve.

About the role

Summer job as researcher in DNV Norway

If your ambition is to make a real difference and seek opportunities in business and research, this could be the perfect start for your career.

The maritime autonomy research group at Høvik is now searching for summer students for the summer 2026.

Autonomy is expected to have a major impact on how we move goods and people around the world in the future. All major car manufacturers are investing heavily into technologies to make this a reality. Perhaps less known, is that much of the same is happening in the maritime industry. The Norwegian industry is a major player within ship technology and is currently spearheading the development of autonomous and remotely operated ships. DNV is a part of this and with our purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment we are preparing for a reality where autonomous and remotely operated systems impact how the world shipping fleet is operated.

As a part of this transition, the Maritime programme in Group Research and Development (GRD) is currently researching automated navigation systems for autonomous and remotely operated ships. These systems consist of several key components, including situational awareness and collision and grounding avoidance. Situational awareness refers to the ability of the ship to perceive its surroundings using sensors which is a prerequisite for automated navigation and collision and grounding avoidance. Machine learning algorithms will be an integral part of these systems, and research is focused on how we can make sure such systems are safe to use.

As part of this work we are interested in better understanding the interaction between humans and autonomous ships. To this end, we aim to develop a Human Machine Interaction testbed where we can study how humans can stay in the information and decision-making loop of the ship, at all times. This way, we can learn more about e.g., what information is important for humans to be informed of, how many ships they can supervise simultaneously, and which information elements make the autonomous navigation system transparent and explainable from a human perspective.

As a part of our team, you can expect to work on challenges which are both scientifically and commercially interesting. It is preferable that you have some programming skills and a bonus if you have some experience with simulators, human machine interfaces, human factors, and knowledge of running experimental studies. It will also be regarded positive if you are interested in writing your project- and/or master’s thesis on a related subject. Researchers from DNV can offer co-supervision and support to such work and provide data and equipment as necessary.

In the application letter, please let us know how you believe you can contribute to our group during the summer. How does your research interest fit with the goals and topics of the summer job? Please also indicate your master program specialization and/or main area of study during the application process.

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What we offer

Reasons to work with us:

• Valuable and real-life experience through our projects
• Meet other young professionals through established networks and informal events
• Opportunity to build a professional network
• Well-equipped exercise center (Høvik)
• Close access to the sea and surrounding park with possibility for different outdoor activities
• Our Høvik office is located in beautiful surroundings by the sea and can offer access to sailboats, kayaks, tennis courts etc. We have more than 30 activity groups for you to join, as well as gym facilities and a kindergarten located on our premises. It is also worth noting that we offer free parking and shuttle buses to and from Skøyen, Lysaker and Sandvika.

DNV is an Equal Opportunity Employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age or political opinion. Diversity is fundamental to our culture and we invite you to be part of this diversity.

About you

We are seeking self-driven and talented students that are motivated by the DNV purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, with a strong passion for research and for solving complex technical challenges.

Preferably you are:

• Open-minded and curious
• Able to work both individually and cooperate in teams
• Fluent in English, both verbal and written
• Aligned with DNVs purpose and values

Application process:

Please upload your application letter, CV and grades certificate in our application tracking system. All documents should be in English, if possible. Students without this information will not be considered.

Application deadline: 14th of October 2025

For more information about this position, please contact: Koen van de Merwe, Principal Researcher, + 47 951 24 543 or koen.van.de.Merwe@dnv.com