Professor of Mechanical Engineering: Advanced Control of Aviation Systems

KU Leuven has a full-time vacancy for a professor in the field of Mechanical Engineering and is looking for internationally oriented candidates with an excellent interdisciplinary research file in the field of advanced control of (unmanned) aviation systems. The candidate must also have excellent teaching competencies employable within the engineering program. The successful candidate will be appointed to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Industrial Engineering of KU Leuven. The vacancy is located on Campus Bruges and the research activities will be embedded in the Mechatronics research group (M-Group) located there.

The research activities of the M-Group are focused on reliable mechatronic systems. The members of this group are active in various interdisciplinary research topics such as reliability of safety-critical systems, software testing, drone propulsion with renewable energy and composite structures for drones, among others. The research group has a state-of-the-art research infrastructure and an extensive national and international network. The group is involved in a large number of research projects and is strongly linked to the university's technology transfer services. The M-Group has invested in two innovation labs on Campus Bruges and can also use the new infrastructure in Droneport West Flanders for research purposes.

As one of the 10 most innovative universities in the world, KU Leuven is very successful in the creation of spin-off companies, illustrating the socio-economic relevance of its research. Many of these spin-off companies are technological leaders in their field and their products and services enjoy international fame.

Research

• You will develop a research programme at an international level in the field of advanced control in aviation systems. You combine knowledge of aviation systems, control and optimization, and use both in-depth physical insights and data-driven techniques. Your focus will be on improving the performance of aviation systems (flight performance, stability, reliability, efficiency) through control, and/or on optimal motion planning, control and coordination of (multiple) (semi-)autonomous aviation systems and their integration into multimodal logistics, surveillance and the digitalized industry. Intended applications include, among others, robust flight control, automated flying in difficult conditions, performance optimization through control, and multimodal drone systems.
• As an expert in your field, you strengthen existing lines of research and provide additional expertise. You are willing to align your research with current research programmes of the M-Group, Bruges Campus, and to collaborate with, among others, colleagues from the Department of Mechanical Engineering on other campuses, e.g. colleagues on the Heverlee, Ghent and Diepenbeek campuses.
• You will carry out targeted scientific research, resulting in PhDs and publications that meet international standards and lead to broad international recognition.
• You will support or initiate a network with companies through the valorisation of research results and by providing services to companies aimed at strengthening industrial innovation.
• As part of your research programme, you will develop international collaborations, both within academia and with industrial partners.
• You will be able to acquire competitive financing, both on a project basis and on an industrial financing basis.
• You strive for excellence and thus contribute to the further development of the M-Group and the faculty.
• You will pay attention to the valorisation processes and technology transfer and application of the results of your research in industry, government and society.

Education

• You will provide high-quality education for both bachelor's and master's students in the fields of aeronautical technology, mechanical engineering and mechatronics, with a clear commitment to the quality of the programme as a whole. All professors are expected to teach some basic subjects as well.
• You will contribute to the pedagogical project of the faculty and the university by supervising student projects (e.g. bachelor's and master's theses) and by acting as a supervisor of doctoral students.
• You will develop your teaching assignment in accordance with KU Leuven's vision of activating and research-based education and make use of the opportunities for educational professionalisation offered by the faculty and the university.

Service

• You are willing to provide scientific, social and internal services.
• You are willing to carry out applied research projects in cooperation with industry and the government and to set up a network of industrial partners.
• You will be actively involved in the promotion of the Faculty of Engineering Technology to future students and you will participate in the information and promotion activities of the faculty.

Profile

• You have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, or a similarly qualified degree, and have a strong interest in the research field of advanced aviation systems control.
• Industrial experience or an extensive network in the relevant industrial sector is a significant plus. A strong track record of collaborations with the industry is a plus.
• You have a strong (applied) research profile. The quality of your research is demonstrated by publications in leading international journals, books and proceedings of international conferences. Successful project applications and valorisation in collaboration with industry is a plus. International experience is an important plus.
• You have demonstrable qualities with regard to academic education. Teaching experience is a plus.
• You have organizational skills and a cooperative attitude. You also have leadership capabilities within a university context.
• Knowledge of English is required. KU Leuven gives courses in academic English if necessary.
• The administrative language of KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not know Dutch or do not know enough Dutch at the time of recruitment, KU Leuven provides a training offer that should allow you to participate in board meetings and learn Dutch up to a level required for permanent appointment.
• Before you teach a teaching assignment in Dutch or English, you will be given the opportunity to acquire the required knowledge of Dutch or English.

Offer

We offer full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment.

KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that conducts both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university has a strong interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary focus and strives for international excellence. To this end, it actively collaborates with its research partners at home and abroad. She offers her students an academic education based on high-level scientific research. Recently, KU Leuven was selected as one of the 10 most innovative universities in the world.

In carrying out your tasks, you have access to the innovation laboratories around the Ultimate Factory and the Ultimate Machine. To facilitate the scientific start-up and to accelerate research in the first phase, a start-up grant of 110,000 euros is offered to new professors without substantial other funding, who are appointed for at least 50%.

You will work and teach at KU Leuven Campus Bruges, a young and dynamic environment within a historic city with a nearby seaport and modern industrial activities. Bruges has a 70-minute train connection to Brussels, capital of the European Union, and about three hours to Paris, London and Amsterdam.

Depending on your file and qualifications, you will be appointed or appointed to one of the grades of the independent academic staff: lecturer, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researchers are appointed as lecturers in tenure track for a period of 5 years. Afterwards, in the event of a positive evaluation, they will be appointed as senior lecturers on a permanent basis.

KU Leuven welcomes foreign professors and their families and offers practical support in the areas of immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career guidance, etc.

Interest?

For more information about the content of the position, please contact:

* Prof. Dr. ir. David Moens, vice-chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (david.moens@kuleuven.be, tel. +32 16 37 28 79) or

* Prof. Maarten Vergauwen, chairman of Campus Bruges (maarten.vergauwen@kuleuven.be, tel. +32 09 331 65 90.

Add the following parts to your application in the English language (more information can be found on the KU Leuven job site):

• A biosketch in which you demonstrate your added value as an academic for the core tasks of research, education and service in your past career and for your future activities (maximum 2 pages);
• A dossier on your five most important publications or achievements;
• A comprehensive CV (including a complete list of publications and, if applicable, a portfolio of your architectural projects);
• A research plan with attention to the development of a research line and associated research team with an eye for collaboration with fellow researchers within the entity of employment (maximum 4 pages);
• Your vision of academic education and its organisation (maximum 2 pages);
• Your contribution to service activities (internal representation through membership in councils and governing bodies, contributions to society through education and research, outreach and science communication) (maximum 1 page);
• Your vision on leadership (maximum 1 page).

KU Leuven attaches great importance to scientific integrity, ethical and ethical conduct and will ask you to sign a statement to this effect when you are recruited.

KU Leuven wants to be an inclusive, respectful and socially safe community. We embrace diversity between individuals and groups as an added value. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are necessary in an ambitious research and education environment. In our pursuit of equal opportunities, we recognise the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, among other things, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national origin, skin colour, philosophical beliefs, neurodivergence, occupational disability, health, or socio-economic status. If you have any questions about accessibility or support offered, we will be happy to help you at this email address.

Do you have a question about the online application procedure? Consult our frequently asked questions or send an e-mail to solliciteren@kuleuven.be