Advanced sustainable and modular powertrains

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: 

    Advanced sustainable and modular powertrains and connectivity for heavy duty electric vehicles; 

• You will conduct research, contribute to projects and develop knowledge in the field of vehicle powertrains, specifically for heavy duty applications (e.g. trucks, coaches, off-road vehicles, fleets of road assets), with sustainable propulsion technologies (battery electric, fuel-cell electric, etc.) or extensions to upscaled/related powertrains (e.g. sustainable maritime and shipping applications). 
   
• You will work on component and system models, vehicle control, energy and thermal management, incl. for connected vehicles and data-driven technologies based on AI, in offline and real-time contexts in an IoT environment. 
   
• You will be able to propose, implement and experimentally test innovative solutions to advance future transportation technologies.
   
• You will present your work at international conferences and publish your work in Q1 or Q2 journals. 

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• • You have a master's degree in Electrical Engineering or an equivalent diploma; 

• • Good knowledge of MATLAB (Similar environments also welcome and additionally Python); 

• • Good knowledge of Data driven modeling and AI approach. 

• • Strong knowledge and experience in Power Electronics, drives and their applications; electric vehicle applications and powertrains. 

• • Strong analytical and research capabilities; 

• • Ability to independently organize your work, to solve problems, to achieve the desired goals and to cooperate; 

• • Good scientific writing and documentation skills; 

• • Excellent communication skills.  You are fluent in written and spoken English, and knowledge of Dutch is a plus 

• • Work experience with an industrial environment is a plus; 

• • Project management skills are a plus. 

OUR OFFER 

 Will you be our new colleague? 

 Then we offer you a full-time doctoral scholarship, for the duration of 12 months (renewable for max 3 times). 

 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

APPLICATION

Applications must be sent to Ashleigh.hruz@vub.be by 30/09/2025 with the subject line “Last Name_Application_PhD_AdvancedPowertrains.” For example: Hruz_Application_PhD_ AdvancedPowertrains

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.