Job Description

Postdoc operations & interfaces for hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Challenge: Impact propulsion systems on operations.

Change: New interfaces and procedures.

Impact: Contribute to sustainable aviation.

Job description

In this postdoc position, you will be working on the HAPPS project. The HAPSS project investigates the possibility of Hydrogen Electric Propulsion (HEP) powering aircraft for short and medium-length routes. The transition from turbine engines and wing tanks to a combination of hydrogen containers, fuel cells, electrical power buffering, and associated cooling and heating requirements will introduce instrumentation and flight deck procedure changes. In this project, adaptations to flight deck procedures and instrumentation are developed and tested in manned simulation, and the safety of operations needs to be reassessed. As a postdoc researcher in this project, you will work with TU Delft staff and students on this project, developing and using relevant models of the HEP system to assess operational impact and safety. Using the simulation facilities (the SIMONA Research Simulator; https://simona.tudelft.nl), you will also set-up demonstrators and manned evaluations of the developed system.

The project collaborates with several companies and research institutes in the Netherlands and TU Delft. The work will be performed at TU Delft in the Control and Simulation (C&S) section. The C&S section of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering aims to advance the development of autonomous control systems and combined human-machmethodstems in aerospace, building on a solid theoretical basis and physical insights while exploitacademicical progress in adjacent fields and validating these systems experimentally in world-class facilities, effectively closing the loop between theory and practice. C&S aims to be a leading research group in integrating, developing, and testing new theories on control, autonomous and cognitive systems (with and without human elements).

Requirements

We are looking for a candidate with a Ph.D. degree in (aerospace) engineering or a related field with strong skills in engineering. You will be using advanced facilities like the SIMONA Research Simulator (SIM; you will be working with staff and students modeling, analysis, interface, and procedure de, sign, and experimental evaluation. You meet or exceed the following qualifications:

Ph.D. in engineering and a strong affinity for human-machine interaction research; or Ph.D. in experimental or engineering psychology and strong engineering skills.
You have the technical and software skills to adapt and augment existing flight simulation experiment programs.
You have skills to set up the experiments (including subject instructions, set-up of test protocols, application for human research ethics approval) and elaborate the experiment results.
Ability to learn quickly and work autonomously, and strong analytical capacity.
Ability to collaborate to coach MSc students.
Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Conditions of employment

Salary and benefits by the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (based on a scale of 10: € 3.226,00 – € 5.090,00). The employment is offered for one or one year. The position is open for 38 hours per week. The TU Delft offers a customizable compensation package, health insurance sportsport membership discount, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help them prepare for the relocation and settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for part news, and they organize events to expand your (social) network.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is building solid foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering, ring, and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. Our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-sol in business and social contexts for generations.

At TU D, we embrace diversity as one of our core values and actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vib, rant, and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent, and create solutions using technology to impact a global scale positively. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education, action, and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 Ph.D. candidates,ates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today; climate change, without doubt, is the most important. Our focal subjects are sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering, and intelligent instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, government, ents, and industries, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. René van Paassen, Associate Professor, email: m.m.vanpaassen@tudelft.nl, tel: +31 15 278 5370.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 31 October 2023 via the application button and upload your motivation and CV.

A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
Applying for an exemption for specific research and educational areas is an obligatory part of the selection procedure for this vacancy. Before an employment contract is agreed upon, this exemption must be obtained from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). Click here for more information.
You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.