In the Science, Engineering and Technology Group of KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT-ELECTA), there is a full-time academic vacancy (part of the senior academic staff) in the area of electrical engineering at KU Leuven Ghent Campus. We are looking for internationally orientated candidates with an excellent research record and with educational competencies within the field of power electronics and clean energy technology.
While the research of ESAT ELECTA-Ghent is embedded in EnergyVille (cooperation of KU Leuven, VITO, imec and UHasselt with headquarters in Genk and focussing on sustainable energy and smart energy systems), the professors of this unit are mainly operating from the research facilities in Ghent.
Research infrastructure is available for photovoltaic systems, grid protection, electric mobility, and the group has an extensive (inter)national network, connections with companies and non-profit organisations, a stable offer of skilled PhD students and a supportive work environment.
The Faculty of Engineering Technology has a specific application-oriented teaching, research and PhD profile and focusses on R&D that brings innovation that is relevant for industry and/or society. The appointee will be expected to comply with that profile.
Website unit
Duties
Research
- You develop a research program in the control, system integration or metrology aspects of one or more clean energy technologies, such as PV-systems, storage technology, electric mobility, LVDC, wind energy, hydrogen, … The scale of these applications may vary from small stand-alone systems over residential to large-scale grid connected systems. Key element in the research are the conversion technologies enabled by power electronics.
- You look forward to cooperate intensively within the local ELECTA group where the R&D has a strong experimental component. You take responsibilities in setting up future research projects of the group and collaborations with academic partners, as well as national and international industrial partners (including SMEs).
- You work closely together with the members of EnergyVille and actively assist in the carrying out of the ongoing research projects.
- You are capable of acquiring competitive funding.
- You publish at the highest scientific level, acquire resources for fundamental/applied research, develop international collaborations and supervise PhDs at an international level.
- You give the necessary attention to the valorisation on behalf of government and business in applied research.
Teaching
- You ensure high-quality education in the field of electrical engineering in the Bachelor and Master of Science in Engineering Technology – Energy - Electronics-ICT and Electromechanics in the Faculty of Engineering Technology, with a clear commitment for the quality of the programme as a whole. You are willing to teach or coordinate other courses in the program. All professors are expected to teach a few basic undergraduate courses.
- You are enthusiastic about pedagogic projects and coaching of students in the bachelor, master and PhD program.
- You develop teaching activities, in line with KU Leuven's focus on activating and research-based education. You make use of specific educational training programmes offered by the faculty and the university.
- Besides your teaching duties at KU Leuven Ghent Campus, you may be asked, within the multi-campus model, to take up a limited teaching duty at another campus.
Service
- You are prepared to provide scientific, societal and internal services.
- You like to contribute to the promotion of STEM and electrical engineering to young people, and initiatives that encourage a diverse public to join the engineering programs of the Faculty of Engineering Technology of KU Leuven.
Profile
- You have a PhD or doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering.
- You have a strong research track record in the domain, evidenced by publications in good quality/international journals. Industrial experience and international research experience are positive factors. Experience in acquisition of competitive funding is an asset.
- You have good teaching skills, and educational experience is considered a positive factor.
- You possess leadership and organisational skills and highly value team cooperation.
- Proficiency in English is required.
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.
- You accept the necessary mobility required in fulfilling the teaching and research assignments.
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 has a high inter- and multidisciplinary focus 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 KU Leuven Ghent Campus, 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 and 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:
* Prof. dr. ir. Georges Gielens (chair of the ESAT Department), tel.: +32 16 32 40 76, email: georges.gielen@kuleuven.be or
* Prof. dr. ir. Peter Hanselaer (chair of Ghent Campus), tel.: +32 9 265 86 10 or +32 477 445 501, email: peter.hanselaer@kuleuven.be.
If you have problems submitting your application online, please send an email to solliciteren@kuleuven.be.
Add to your application following documents in English (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 4 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.