KU Leuven

Professor Materials Engineering: Engineering of metallic surface degradation under harsh environmental conditions

2024-11-12 (Europe/Brussels)
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About the employer

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.

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In the Science, Engineering and Technology Group of KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Department of Materials Engineering, Research unit SCALINT there is a full-time academic vacancy in the area of degradation of metallic surfaces at KU Leuven Campus Ghent. We are looking for internationally oriented candidates with an excellent interdisciplinary research record and with educational competence within the field of tribological behaviour of metallic materials used in harsh environments (exposed to corrosion & wear) to study, remedy and design to avoid surface degradation of metals.

The faculty of Engineering Technology has an extensive national and international network, both in the academic and business world. The research group Elooi Lab (Metal Performance Innovation Laboratory) can build upon a solid research infrastructure, an extensive international network, connections with companies and non-profit organizations, a stable offer of highly talented PhD students and a supportive work environment. Elooi Lab conducts research into the mechanical behaviour of materials in industrial applications with an emphasis on developing both numerical and experimental techniques to identify this behaviour. These efforts led to the creation of two spin-off companies so far. The current research focuses on the static and dynamic behaviour of metal structures, with an increasing attention to plasticity of metals and (fretting) fatigue and fracture. Additional expertise in the field of surface engineering (corrosion and wear) would be welcomed.
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Duties

Research

  • You develop a research program at an international level in the domain of the vacancy. The gradual degradation of metallic surfaces, influenced by harsh environmental conditions, inevitably results in diminished product or structure performance. This decline is compounded by the synergistic effects of these conditions, often leading to a degradation rate significantly higher than the additive effects of each process in isolation. This underscores a substantial interaction between the various processes in the given environment. The field of surface engineering of metals is a multidisciplinary endeavor aimed at tailoring the properties of metal surfaces to enhance their function and serviceability in harsh environments. Achieving this goal necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms, encompassing both experimental and theoretical perspectives. In the context of this position, particular emphasis will be placed on metallic surfaces, where these challenging environmental conditions play pivotal roles. 
  • The proposed research line is complementary to the ongoing activities in the Elooi Lab and the Materials Engineering Department, being plasticity, fracture mechanics, fatigue and fretting fatigue. Ongoing research activities on plasticity of metals and fretting fatigue failure in metals would benefit from additional expertise in advanced surface engineering.
  • You engage in targeted scientific research, resulting in PhD’s and publications that meet international standards and lead to broad international recognition.
  • You support or initiate a network of local and international companies through the implementation and valorisation of research results and by delivering industrial services, aimed at strengthening industrial innovation.
  • As part of your research programme, you develop international partnerships, within the academic world as well as with industrial partners.
  • You are able to acquire competitive funding, both project-based government funding as well as industrial funding.
  • You strive for excellence and thus contribute to the further development of the research group and the department.
  • You pay the required attention to the technology transfer and application of the results of your research in industry/government/society, both local and international.

Teaching

  • You ensure high-quality education within the field of materials engineering and mechanical engineering, like machine design, quality control, materials degradation and general materials engineering courses, with a clear commitment to the quality of the programme as a whole. All professors are expected to teach a few basic undergraduate courses. The undergraduate courses are taught in Dutch.
  • You contribute to the faculty’s and the university’s pedagogical project through the supervision of master theses and as a promotor of PhD students.
  • You develop your teaching in accordance with KU Leuven’s views on activating and researched-based education and make use of the possibilities for educationalist professionalization offered by the faculty and the university.
  • Your teaching task is determined in consultation and is based on your specific profile. The scope is limited in the first years of your appointment. In your further career, the faculty pays a great deal of attention to the balance between research and teaching time.

Service

  • You are prepared to provide services to the scientific community, to society and to the university in function of the needs and your personal interests.
  • You maintain close contact with the local industry.
  • You play an active part in promoting the KU Leuven Campus Ghent, the Department of Materials Engineering and the Faculty of Engineering Technology towards new students and the wider professional field by participating in open days, networking events and fairs, ...

Profile

  • You have a PhD in Engineering Science or Engineering Technology with an emphasis on materials and/or mechanical engineering.
  • You have a strong research profile. The quality of your research is proven by publications in prominent leading journals and books and/or by your research experience in industry. [International experience is an advantage.]
  • If you have recently been admitted to the degree of doctor, it is important that you support your research and growth potential with academic references.
  • You have a research profile that demonstrates collaboration with industry and industrial implementation. Industrial experience is an advantage.
  • You have demonstrable qualities related to academic education. Teaching experience is an important advantage.
  • You possess organisational skills and have a cooperative attitude. You also possess leadership capacities within a university context.
  • A good command of English is required. KU Leuven provides courses in academic English.
  • The official language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in meetings.
  • Before teaching courses in Dutch or English, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch, respectively English, to the required standard.

Offer

  • We are offering 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 multidisciplinarily focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard we actively work together with research partners in Belgium and abroad and provide our students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
  • You will work at the KU Leuven Campus Ghent, in a historic city with a 40-minute rail connection to Brussels, and about three hours train to Paris, London and Amsterdam
  • Depending on your record and qualifications, 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 researchers 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 (or tenured) as an associate professor.
  • KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration & administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, … 
  • To facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase a starting grant of 110.000 euro is offered to new professors without substantial other funding, appointed for at least 50%.

Interested?

For more information on the contents of the job, please contact:
o Prof. dr. ir. Bart Blanpain, departmental chair of the Department of Materials Engineering (bart.blanpain@kuleuven.be , +32 16 32 1216)
o Prof. dr. ir. Jan Ivens, departmental vice-chair of the Department of Materials Engineering (jan.ivens@kuleuven.be , +32 16 32 8612)
o Prof. dr. ir. Peter Hanselaer, campus chair of the Technology Campus Ghent (peter.hanselaer@kuleuven.be, +32 477 445 501)

You can submit your application, only through our online application system. If you have problems submitting your application online, please send an email to solliciteren@kuleuven.be

Add to your application following documents (more information is available on the KU Leuven job site):

- your biosketch in which you indicate your added value as an academic for research, education and service to society of your past career and of your future activities (maximum 2 pages);
- a file on your five most important publications or realizations;
- an extensive cv including a full publication list and if applicable a portfolio of your architectural projects;
- your research plan with focus on the development of your research line and research team in relation with the colleague-researchers of the entity of employment (maximum 5 pages);
- your vision on academic education and its organization (maximum 2 pages);
- your contribution to society by outreach and public communication on science and technology, internal representation in boards and councils and service activities directly in relation to your developed expertise (maximum 1 page);
- your vision on leadership (maximum 1 page).

KU Leuven places great importance on research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon appointment.

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

Job details

Title
Professor Materials Engineering: Engineering of metallic surface degradation under harsh environmental conditions
Employer
Location
Oude Markt 13 Leuven, Belgium
Published
2024-08-20
Application deadline
2024-11-12 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
2024-11-12 23:59 (CET)
Job type
Save job

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About the employer

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.

Visit the employer page