Research professor in Modelling and simulation of plasma flows for nuclear fusion (BOFZAP)

Within the Science, Engineering and Technology Group of KU Leuven, the Department of Mechanical Engineering invites applications for a professorship in Mechanical Engineering. We are seeking internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research track record and strong teaching competence in numerical modelling, plasma physics, nuclear fusion, and nuclear technology. We further expect teaching competences in underlying scientific disciplines such as fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics. Junior profiles will be appointed as tenure track assistant professor, with an evaluation after 5 years. Senior candidates may be appointed at the level of associate professor, professor, or full professor, depending on their qualifications and academic experience.
As a member of the senior academic staff of the Science, Engineering & Technology Group of KU Leuven's Arenberg Campus, you will be affiliated with both the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Engineering Science.

Website unit

Duties

Research

The candidate aims to develop and apply new insights into nuclear fusion technology with a focus on advancing 2D and 3D simulation methodologies for plasma transport, heat transfer and particle exhaust in the reactor, potentially including interactions with the broader system, and other relevant mechanisms for future fusion power plants. Combining these advanced simulation techniques with design optimisation, control, data-assimilation, uncertainty quantification, and multi-fidelity approaches is encouraged. The candidate is expected to collaborate with international fusion initiatives, considering various concepts such as tokamaks, stellarators, and inertial confinement. In addition, the candidate takes a leading role in further developing the SOLPS-ITER community code (formerly B2/EIRENE), for which KU Leuven is a core developer.

The candidate will be based in Leuven at campus Arenberg in the current fusion team that has strong existing ties and collaborations with major international fusion initiatives. The candidate is expected to pursue excellence, build national and international collaborations and publish at the highest scientific level in your field. By securing competitive funding for fundamental and/or applied research, the candidate should be able to establish a research group in close collaboration with stakeholders in the wider region and supervise PhD candidates at an international level. 

Teaching

The candidate is expected to take on a teaching role in programmes such as BSc in Engineering Science, MSc in Mechanical Engineering, MSc in Engineering: Energy, or the Belgian Nuclear higher Education Network. The candidate should be able to teach courses in disciplines such as fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and computational fluid dynamics, in addition to more advanced topics. The candidate will build a research team (PhD researchers, postdoctoral fellows) that can support teaching within these disciplines. Furthermore, the candidate is expected to conduct cutting-edge research that enables the definition and supervision of related BSc/MSc student projects and research topics in energy or nuclear engineering.

You will develop your teaching in line with KU Leuven’s vision on activating and researched-based education, making full use of the professional development opportunities offered by the faculty and the university.

Initially, your teaching duties will focus on a limited number of courses within the aforementioned Master's programmes. Over the course of your career, the scope of your educational activities may gradually expand, while always maintaining a balanced distribution of time between research and teaching.

Service

You are prepared to undertake scientific, societal and internal service activities. You actively seek regional, national, and international opportunities for collaboration with organisations, industry partners and other stakeholders beyond the university. You represent the Science, Engineering & Technology Group of KU Leuven, as well as your department, faculty and research group in external activities and serve as a primary point of contact between the university and its regional partners. You also engage actively in outreach initiatives, including science communication, lifelong learning, and societal debates.

Requirements

• You hold a PhD in Engineering or Science with a focus on numerical simulation of fluid and plasma flows, or nuclear fusion devices. You have a strong research profile, demonstrated by publications in leading international journals. International experience is a significant asset. You present a research plan that articulates a strong vision for future nuclear fusion research within the broader scope of this position. You also have a clear vision of how your activities will enhance KU Leuven's regional, national and international recognition, including concrete plans for collaboration with relevant partners both within and beyond the university.
• You have demonstrable qualifications in academic education, and a well-defined personal vision on academic teaching and educational organisation. Teaching experience is considered an asset.
• You possess strong organisational skills, a collaborative mindset and leadership capacities suited to a university environment.
• A good command of English is required, and KU Leuven provides training in academic English.
• The official administrative language at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or not sufficient) at the start of your appointment, KU Leuven will offer language training to enable you to participate effectively in meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will have the opportunity to acquire the necessary level of proficiency.

Offer

• We offer a full-time position in a multidisciplinary and intellectually stimulating environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university engaged in both fundamental and applied scientific research. The university has a strong inter- and multi-disciplinarily focus and strives for international excellence. In this context, we collaborate actively with research partners in Belgium and abroad and provide our students with an academic education grounded in high-quality scientific research.
• All duties associated to this position are primarily based at KU Leuven's Arenberg Campus, and require an active on-site presence.
• Depending on your record and qualifications, you will be appointed or tenured in one of the ranks of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researchers are appointed as tenure-track assistant professors for a period of 5 years; after this period and following a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed (or tenured) as associate professors.
• The position starts on September 1, 2027.

More information

Call Research professorships (BOFZAP)
Procedure application and selection

Interested?

More information on the content of the job can be obtained from the academic contact person Prof. dr. Johan Meyers, mail: [email protected] or Prof. dr. ir. Herman Bruyninckx, mail: [email protected].

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.