Doctoral fellow

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 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 85 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.

• You will conduct scientific research with the aim of obtaining a doctoral degree.
• Your work is framed within the project Model-based Efficiency and Lifetime Optimization of Drivetrains. The project focuses on improving the sustainability and reliability of drivetrain systems by combining advanced simulation techniques with data-driven models.
• The project involves close collaboration with experimental facilities as well as simulation and condition-monitoring experts, ensuring a multidisciplinary environment.
• The project aims to develop high-fidelity dynamic multi-body simulation (MBS) models with elastic bodies and elasto-hydrodynamic (EHD) couplings, extended to account for wear- and fatigue-induced degradation of machine elements.
• Your core research tasks include:
• Developing advanced MBS/EHD models for drivetrain systems, incorporating transient tribological changes.
• Creating machine-learning-based surrogate models to enable rapid efficiency and lifetime predictions under realistic operating conditions.
• Validating the developed models using experimental data from drivetrain test benches equipped with load, temperature, vibration, and acoustic sensors.
• Integrating the models into a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) framework to ensure reusability and scalability.
• To achieve this, you will work with high-fidelity simulation tools, machine learning algorithms, and experimental condition-monitoring systems (accelerometers, acoustic emission sensors).

• You have a strong interest in scientific and/or project-based research, particularly in the fields of machine design, computational mechanics, tribology, and machine learning, as described in “Your Tasks.”
• You can work well both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• You communicate fluently in English and preferably Dutch (written and spoken).
• You are motivated to conduct scientific work within an (inter)national research environment and are willing to collaborate with experimental teams and collect data from drivetrain test benches equipped with advanced sensors.
• You have a background in mechanical engineering, computational methods, modelling, or related fields, and an affinity for simulation tools and data-driven methods.

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/03/2026 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. 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, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

Send your cv including references and publications, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to florian.konig@ugent.be .

We do not accept late applications.

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

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Florian König (florian.konig (at) ugent.be).