Postdoctoral researcher – Department of Electromechanical Systems and Metal Engineering

→   Apply before : 30/09/2023  23:59 (Brussels Time)
   →   Faculty of Engineering and Architecture 
   →  Department of Electromechanical Systems and Metal Engineering 
   →  Occupancy rate: 100 %
   →  Number of positions: 1    
   →  Type of employment: 100 %
   →  Term of assignment: Contract of indefinite duration with a maximum of 6 years 
   →  Wage scale:  PD1 to PD3
   →  Required diploma: PhD 

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 8,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

• We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to support and help coordinate ongoing and upcoming research projects focused on numerical modeling of fatigue of metal components and structures. You will primarily work on projects related to structures for offshore renewable energy in the Belgian and European landscape, in collaboration with academic and industrial partners.
• At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research.
• You establish new contacts and contribute by defining new research projects and applying for research grants (at the Flemish, national, and European levels) with a view on a longer-term appointment.
• You present research results at (international) project meetings and conferences. You are also encouraged to publish your results in peer-reviewed international scientific journals.
• You supervise and support master thesis and PhD students working on topics similar to yours.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You have obtained a doctoral degree in a relevant field: (electro)mechanical engineering, computational mechanics, civil engineering, offshore engineering, or related. The doctoral title must be obtained by the start date of the employment and should not be more than 6 years old. The 6-year period is calculated based on the date mentioned on the diploma requested above and the start date of the employment contract.
• You have expertise in AbaqusTM or other finite element analysis software.
• You have expertise in mechanics of structures and fatigue analysis (endurance and fracture mechanics based approaches).
• Experience in experimental determination of mechanical properties is a plus.
• Experience with Python (and/or other programming languages) and GitHub is a plus.
• You are interested in developing leadership skills and supervising PhD/master’s students. If you already have experience with this, it is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English (evidenced by first-author publications and oral presentations at conferences or workshops).
• Willingness to collaborate and be a team player with good communication skills.
• You possess a high degree of responsibility, independence, and commitment.
• You are detail-oriented, flexible, patient, and able to handle stress.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• You will be joining a team of approximately 18 researchers, consisting of 15 doctoral students and 3 postdoctoral researchers, all studying fatigue and fracture in metals and structures.
• Our laboratory has extensive experimental and numerical facilities. You will have access to several workstations and a high performance computing cluster to run numerical simulations.
• We offer you a contract of 2 years with a maximum term of 5 years
• Your contract will start on 1/01/2024 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers.. Click here for a complete overview of all the staffbenefits (in Dutch).

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field “other documents”: a reference letter, an overview of your study results,  …

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Wim De Waele (Wim.DeWaele@UGent.be). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.