Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) - PhD position Ammonia for sustainable heating of Industrial Furnaces Defossilisation of Industrial Furnaces with Ammonia as Fuel

Weitere Informationen

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.
The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term of one year.
Further employment for at least two years is planned.
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 Department for Industrial Furnaces and Heat Engineering (IOB) at RWTH Aachen University is the leading research institute in the field of industrial furnace technology and specialises in sustainable thermal process technology. In this context, research topics of process and plant optimisation in the areas of production, processing and recycling of iron and steel, non-ferrous metals as well as glass and ceramics are addressed in a total of five scientific working groups.

The particular focus is currently on the defossilisation of melting, reheating and heat treatment processes. One focus topic is the use of renewable hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives as well as electrical heating and, building on this, the development of new process technology and plant engineering. Other focus topics include process modelling and simulation as well as the energy and resource efficiency of industrial furnaces. The subject of completed and current research projects is in particular the combustion of new types of fuels for heating industrial furnaces in the course of defossilisation. The IOB has numerous test benches and high-quality measurement technology for this purpose, which are used for tests on a pilot plant scale. 

IOB's activities are characterised by application-oriented research in close cooperation with industry. Our partners include renowned research institutes and well-known companies, particularly from the steel, aluminium and glass industries as well as mechanical and plant engineering. Collaboration also takes place at an international level, currently particularly through cooperation projects with institutes and companies from Europe.

Ihr Profil

As a research associate (f/m/d) at our department, you will be part of an innovative research environment that further develops and establishes the topic of defossilisation and promotion of the circular economy in energy-intensive industries on the basis of an application-oriented research project and with close contact to industry, both nationally and internationally.
To join the IOB, you must have completed a technical university degree (Master's or equivalent) in materials engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or a comparable field of study with above-average results and speak English fluently. You must be willing to learn German. If possible, you already have knowledge of combustion and industrial furnace technology. Knowledge of practical work on test benches in the technical centre and the supervision of measurement technology is also desirable.
You have a high degree of independence and commitment. You want to develop and realise your own ideas. You enjoy working in a team, but can also motivate yourself to carry out project work on your own and concentrate on writing scientific articles.
If you would like to work with our team to help shape the transformation of industry, one of the most exciting topics of our time, please send your detailed application documents (cover letter, CV and references) preferably by e-mail to the contact person listed above.

Ihre Aufgaben

As a research associate (f/m/d) at the IOB, you can realise your potential in the following fields of activity, which offer a varied spectrum of theoretical, practical and organisational work:

Research - As part of a nationally funded research project, you will be working on the use of ammonia as a fuel for sustainable heating of industrial furnaces. In addition to investigations on industrial burners with ammonia, hydrogen, natural gas and their mixtures, the focus is also on the development of numerical models and CFD simulations for this new type of fuel. One focus of the work is on the formation and mitigation of NOx emissions and the transfer of the results to industrial plants. The work is carried out in close cooperation with other chairs at various universities under the supervision of a high number industrial partners.
There is also the opportunity to participate in other nationally and internationally funded research projects. Further work to ensure the scientific excellence of your work will complement the scope of this position. This also includes the publication of your scientific results, e.g. through presentations at national and international conferences and publications in high-quality journals.

Industrial cooperation - Close cooperation with industry is another important field of activity. In direct funded projects, you will be involved in carrying out burner tests, CFD simulations, measurement campaigns on industrial plants or process analyses for our partners. Experimental methods in the factory or at the IOB as well as the analysis and evaluation of industrial process data can be used here. The analyses are used to derive and implement optimisation potential or strategic issues such as technology changes. In this way, future-orientated concepts are developed together. You will also have the opportunity to expand and deepen your contacts in industry.

Further training - At national and international conferences, seminars and congresses, you have the opportunity to present the knowledge gained from research and promote its transfer into industrial practice. At the events and training courses for specialists and managers, it is possible to exchange expertise, develop new ideas and establish contacts.

Teaching - The department offers events and internships for RWTH Aachen University students. As part of the department, you will support the lectures and at the same time take responsibility for the practice and internship programme. There is also the opportunity to supervise ambitious students working on their theses. You can gain your first experience of management responsibility by enabling student assistants to apply and expand the knowledge they have gained in practice.

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