COMPANY PROFILE
For almost 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has stood for freedom, equality and connectedness. These values are strongly present on our campuses, in our students as well as our staff. At the VUB, you’ll find a diverse collection of personalities: pure innovators, but especially people who are 100% their authentic selves. With about 3,500 employees, we are the largest Flemish-speaking employer in Brussels, an international city with which we are all too happy to be affiliated and around which our four campuses are located.
Our education and research are grounded in the principles of free research with an eye on human progress. We disapprove of every purely authoritative argument and guarantee the free formation of judgement that is necessary for this basic principle to be incorporated in the community.
The VUB is autonomous and managed democratically. As such, we guarantee fundamental freedoms within our university, as well as the right of the university community to be involved in making and checking university policy. The mission of the university includes:
- the development, the transfer and the application of high-standing academic education and scientific research, free from any prejudice;
- community integration of this in a spirit of social compassion;
- critical development of everyone in light of the responsibilities borne in the community.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The position is in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The candidate will work in the EPOWERS research group at the MOBI Research Centre (Electromobility Research Centre). Our Mission as EPOWERS Research Group is to offer and deliver cutting-edge research, provide top-notch designs and developments on power electronics, powertrains and smart green energy solutions with intelligent control systems for tomorrow's mobility, transport and smart green grid applications, with our ever-growing team of top-level researchers and experts. Our academic record at world's most renowned academic journals in relevant fields, a good word from our established national and international collaboration network of companies and research institutes, the content of the ever-growing number of projects we are involved with can be reference to our level of expertise. We follow the local and global tendencies on a daily basis, bilaterally interact and collaborate with all sorts of research, technology, business, public and political entities to contribute in shaping tomorrow's transport, mobility, clean industry and green energy systems. EPOWERS Research Group is also part of MOBI Core Lab within Flanders Make - Driving Innovation.
WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM YOU?
- You will conduct research and work towards a PhD.
You specialize in the following topic:
A) Advanced and modular V2X-capable charging systems for light and heavy-duty electric vehicles.
B) Digital twin modeling and parameter tuning of bidirectional power electronics interfaces (software/programming)
C) Development of algorithms to optimize Multi-EV charging and V2G, incl., grid quality and stability, renewable integration, etc (software/programming)
D) Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing of smart charging using dSPACE (software/hardware)
E) Integrate newest V2X communication protocols with charging infrastructure (communication)
F) Real-time interoperable embedded system implementation for existing charging infrastructure in the lab (hardware/middleware)
- You will present your work at international conferences and publish your work in Q1 or Q2 journals during the PhD study.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
- You have a master’s degree in Electrical or Electro-mechanical Engineering.
- Dedication and the desire to learn
- Ability to present results in technical reports and prepare scientific papers
- Programming skills (MATLAB and/or Python)
- Interest in practical testing and analysis of experimental results
- Knowledge of power systems operation and electric vehicles
- Ability to work in a project team and take responsibility for own research goals
- You are fluent in written and spoken English
OUR OFFER
Will you be our new colleague?
Then we offer you a full-time doctoral scholarship, for the duration of 24 months (renewable).
PLEASE NOTE: The effective implementation of the PhD grant is subject to the suspensive condition of enrolling the PhD student as a PhD student at the university.
At the VUB, we guarantee an open, involved and diverse workplace and offer you opportunities to (further) develop your career.
In addition, you enjoy benefits such as:
- Maximum reimbursement for commuting by public transport or a bicycle allowance;
- Free hospitalization insurance;
- The space to shape your job content and to learn continuously via VUB LRN;
- Advantageous sports opportunities;
- Ecocheques;
- Delicious meals in our campus restaurants at an attractive rate;
- An open and family friendly environment with attention to your "work-life balance" and an exceptional leave scheme with 35 leave days (in case of full-time employment).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Expected starting date | 01-11-2025 |
Job Duration | 1 year (renewable 3 times) |
Waiting period | 30/08/2025 |
Contact person | Prof. Omar Hegazy |
Contact via telephone | +3226292992 |
Contact via e-mail |
APPLICATION
Applications must be sent to Ashleigh.hruz@vub.be by 30/08/2025 with the subject line “Last Name_Application_PhD_V2X.” For example: Hruz_Application_PhD_V2X
Your application must include, at a minimum, the following attachments:
- Detailed CV, file should be titled LastName_CV
- Degrees and diplomas, file should be titled LastName_diplomas
- Motivation statement, file should be titled LastName_Motivation
For more information on what it’s like to work at the VUB, go to www.vub.ac.be/en/jobs.