MSCA PhD vacancy TURBO-IMPACT

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Department Mechanical Engineering Research Field Engineering » Precision engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 30 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract To be defined Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Feb 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number BAP-2026-590 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101311350 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

KU Leuven seeks a highly motivated PhD candidate for a fully funded international doctoral position within the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) project TURBO-IMPACT ( TURBOmachinery Innovative Manufacturing, Processing, Analysis, Characterization, and Topology; Website: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101311350 ). The TURBO-IMPACT project, funded by Horizon Europe – MSCA-DN, tackles challenges in designing, optimizing, selecting materials, and manufacturing small-scale turbomachinery for applications in heat pumps, fuel cells, organic Rankine cycles, or gas turbines. This project develops robust system and component design methods, an integrated manufacturing platform, and multi-material joining techniques to efficiently produce small-scale turbomachinery. In this large EU project, this PhD researcher (DC9) will work at KU Leuven and focus on improving laser machining of ceramic materials for the fabrication of advanced surface features. The goal is to better understand and control the manufacturing process so that small, precise, and reliable structures can be produced efficiently. These developments will contribute to the project's broader objective of developing 3D laser processing strategies for aerodynamic bearings with enhanced tribological performance.

• Leverage and extend KU Leuven’s state-of-the-art ultrashort-pulse laser micromachining facilities to develop crack‑free laser texturing strategies for ceramic materials.
• Establish predictive models linking laser processing conditions to feature geometry and crack formation in ceramic materials.
• Develop high-precision laser texturing approaches for complex 3D ceramic components.
• Study the relationship between laser-generated surface textures and the performance of bonded ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal interfaces.
• You have a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing or Materials Engineering, Photonics, Physics or related field with strong interest in technology, and performed above average in comparison to your peers. You are not in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
• You are proficient in written and spoken English.
• During your studies or prior professional activities, you have gathered some experience related to the basic physical principles of laser material processing and/or to the fundamental principles of manufacturing and mechanical behaviour of materials or you have a profound interest in these topics.
• Ideally you have experience with either COMSOL, ANSYS or another CAE simulation software.
• You are highly precise and detail-oriented, consistently delivering accurate and thorough work.
• You demonstrate a strong sense of initiative and responsibility, while also being an effective and collaborative team player.
• You are willing to travel between the university of Leuven (BE), and other consortium partner locations. This includes secondments to Neuchâtel (CH, 2 months), Jena (DE, 1 month) and Padova (IT, 1 month), as well as to our industrial partner in Belgium (BE, 2 months).

Special requirements:

In accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network regulations:

• Applicants must comply with the MSCA Mobility Rule. At the time of recruitment, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the hiring country for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding recruitment.
• Applicants must be doctoral candidates (i.e., not already hold a doctoral degree) and be eligible under the MSCA Doctoral Network rules at the time of recruitment.
• Short stays such as holidays, compulsory national service, or time spent as part of a refugee procedure are not considered.

Applicants must have a two-year master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing or Materials Engineering, Photonics, Physics or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Successful candidates will:

• Be enrolled in the KU Leuven PhD programme.
• Conduct research in a stimulating international environment with access to state-of-the-art facilities and supervision by recognised experts.
• Participate in local and netwo