full‐time research professorship in the research group ELECTA

The department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT) of KU Leuven, invites scholars to apply for a full‐time research professorship in the research group ELECTA. This position is funded by the Special Research Fund (BOFZAP), established by the Flemish Government. We are looking for motivated and internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research record and with educational competence in the field of smart power systems. The appointment is expected to start on October 1, 2021. Applications will be evaluated in parallel and independently by 1) the KU Leuven Research Council in a competitive process across academic domains and 2) the faculty advisory committee. During the first 10 years, the teaching obligations as a research professor will be limited. Afterwards, the position will be transformed into a regular professorship. The electric power sector goes digital: monitoring systems, communication networks and data storage are integrated in the transmission and distribution grid, and data streams compete with power streams for importance. Concurrently, decisions are being taken closer towards constraints, which requires an ever more important uncertainty characterisation. To meet the energy transition challenges, hence, requires power system operation to become ever more data-driven. The simulation of multiple what-if -scenarios in real time provides numerous opportunities for decision support for grid operation, making it more efficient, also if invertor-coupled renewable sources and controllable loads are connected to the grid, and when SCADA/EMS-systems run in parallel to local control applications. This also requires the ability to validate the behaviour of grid protection devices, smart energy sources or other devices in an emulation environment (coupled to a real-time simulator), before integrating them in the grid. This (power-)hardware-in-the-loop approach is a complementary challenge. It is expected that the selected candidate will take initiatives to guide and steer such research. ELECTA’s research focuses on the broad spectrum of electrical energy systems. The design and development of a future-proof smart grid is key. ELECTA is co-founder of the knowledge centre EnergyVille on sustainable energy systems, and of the KU Leuven ‘Energy Institute’. ELECTA received the ‘excellence’ mark following the most recent research visitation. ELECTA owns a state-of-the-art research infrastructure for decision support and power-hardware-in-the-loop, it has an elaborate national and international network in academia as well as in industry, a stable inflow of talented PhD students and a supportive working environment.

• We offer full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university is highly inter- and multidisciplinary focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard, we actively collaborate with research partners in Belgium and abroad. We provide our students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
• Depending on your qualifications and academic experience, you will be appointed to or tenured in one of the grades of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researches are appointed as assistant professor on the tenure track for a period of 5 years; after this period and a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed as an associate professor.
• You will work in Leuven, a historic and dynamic and vibrant city located in the heart of Belgium, within twenty minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
• KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, …
• In order to facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase a starting grant of 100.000 euro is offered to new professors without substantial other funding and appointed for at least 50%.

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at diversiteit.HR@kuleuven.be.