Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) - PhD position (DC10) for seismic design of industrial facilities with the application of base isolation techniques

Weitere Informationen

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.
The position is to be filled by 4/1/2026 and offered for a fixed term of three years.
The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts).
This is a full-time position.
The successful candidate has the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in this position.
The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L).
The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L.

Unser Profil

The Chair of Structural Analysis and Structural Dynamics at RWTH Aachen University specialises in the research areas of numerical simulation of buildings and complex structures, structural dynamics, earthquake engineering, structural monitoring, condition assessment and analysis of structures under extreme loads. The chair has outstanding expertise in these research areas and operates specialised testing facilities.

The Chair of Structural Analysis and Dynamics is looking for a Doctoral Candidate (DC10) for the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD network "NATECH Risk management and Resilience of High-TECH industries and Critical infrastructures across EUrope" (REUNATECH). The REUNATECH network will train a highly qualified generation of doctoral candidates (DCs) who will be able to tackle future challenges in the advertised field through interdisciplinary cutting-edge research and innovation. REUNATECH brings together leading universities, research institutes and industrial partners from all over Europe and offers an interdisciplinary doctoral programme for the study of the interactions between natural hazards and technological accidents industry (NATECH). Research focuses on the risk assessment and resilience of high-tech industries and critical infrastructures and the development of new smart technologies.

Ihr Profil

• Completed university degree (Master's degree or quivalent) in civil engineering or related fields.
• You must not hold a PhD at the time of recruitment.
• At the time of recruitment, the researcher must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the last three years immediately prior to the recruitment date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not considered.
• Proven experience or strong interest in earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, basic isolation, finite element modelling.
• Proficiency and/or interest in programming languages (e.g. MATLAB, Python, R) and software platforms such as OpenSees, ABAQUS, LS-DYNA, ANSYS, etc.
• Willingness to participate in experimental tests.
• Basic knowledge of seismic hazard analyses, international earthquake standards and dynamic analyses is desirable.
• You are fluent in written and spoken English.

Each application must include the following material:

• Curriculum vitae
• Evidence of English proficiency.
• Copy of Bachelor’s and Master’s certificates.
• Copy of Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts.
• Any additional material useful for the assessment of the candidate (e.g., recommendation letters, research project/statement in agreement with the requirements specified in previous text).

All material must be included in one compiled pdf file. The file should be named indicating the surname of the applicant and (in order of preference) the three preferred positions for which the applicant is applying, i.e. Surname_Position1_Position2_Position3.pdf (e.g. Surname_DC10_DC7_DC3).

Ihre Aufgaben

• Carry out independent research work under the supervision of the academic supervisors in cooperation with other PhD students of the REUNATECH network.
• Development and validation of FE models and shaking table experiments for base isolators under different earthquake effects.
• Optimisation of basic isolation by refining the models and deriving fragility curves.
• Writing scientific publications and presenting the results in workshops and at conferences.
• Active participation in REUNATECH training activities and active contribution to co-operation within the network.

The tasks listed are not exhaustive and further activities and tasks may arise in the course of the doctoral thesis in order to achieve the research objectives of the advertised position. These must then be carried out in consultation with the supervisors.

Über uns

RWTH is a certified family-friendly University. We support our employees in maintaining a good work-life balance with a wide range of health, advising, and prevention services, for example university sports. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements and civil servants have access to an extensive range of further training courses and the opportunity to purchase a job ticket.
RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly from groups that are underrepresented at the University. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age. RWTH is strongly committed to encouraging women in their careers. Female applicants are given preference if they are equally suitable, competent, and professionally qualified, unless a fellow candidate is favored for a specific reason.
As RWTH is committed to equality of opportunity, we ask you not to include a photo in your application.
You can find information on the personal data we collect from applicants in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at http://www.rwth-aachen.de/dsgvo-information-bewerbung.

Besoldung / Entgelt

EG 13 TV-L