Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) - PhD position (DC3) for the Design of towers to withstand extreme wind scenarios

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 3 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 Institute of Steel Construction at RWTH Aachen University specialises in the research areas of numeri-cal simulation of buildings and complex structures, wind and earthquake engineering, condition assessment and analysis of structures under extreme loads. The chair has outstanding expertise in these research areas and operates specialised testing facilities.

The Institute of Steel Construction is looking for a Doctoral Candidate (DC3) 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 qual-ified 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 crit-ical infrastructures and the development of new smart technologies.

Ihr Profil

• Completed university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) 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 consid-ered.
• Solid background in structural dynamics, wind engineering, and finite element modelling.
• Experience in programming (MATLAB/Python) and/or structural analysis software (e.g., ABAQUS, Ansys, LS-DYNA/DLUBAL) is highly desirable.
• Willingness to participate in experimental testing campaigns and multi-national secondments.
• Familiarity with wind hazard concepts, international codes, and structure response analysis under wind actions is advantageous.
• 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, re-search 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_DC3_DC7_DC4).

Ihre Aufgaben

• Carry out independent research under the guidance of the academic supervisor and in collaboration with other REUNATECH DCs.
• Conduct research on extreme wind forecasting, wind tunnel testing, and risk modelling for towers under cyclone and synoptic wind loads.
• Develop and calibrate statistical and physical models for wind-induced structural responses using ex-treme value analysis and experimental data integration.
• Prepare scientific publications and present findings in workshops, conferences, and training schools.
• Actively participate in REUNATECH training activities and contribute to collaborative work across the network.

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