Temporary contract | 14+22+12 months | Belvaux

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.

In 2024, LIST and Goodyear signed the second phase of their partnership, 2024-2029, building on the outcomes of their previous collaboration and entering new technological areas as well. Goodyear-LIST partnership 2.0 embraces Luxembourg's National priorities, such as Sustainability, Digital transformation and Circular economy, through the execution of five Strategic Research Programs: Data Science for Tires, Tire as a Sensor, End-of-Life Tire Valorization, Sustainable Materials for Next Generation of Pneumatic Tires, Structure-Process-Properties Relationships.

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in partnership with Goodyear and with the support of an Industrial Partnership Block Grant (IPBG) from the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) will drive significant research and development focused on next-generation sustainable tire materials including new types of polymers and rubbers.

As part of it, we are currently looking for a PhD student in piezoelectric ceramics for energy harvesting.

How will you contribute?

This position is mainly located at LIST premises in Belvaux (Luxembourg), with a significant part of time spent in Goodyear Luxembourg Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg (Luxembourg).

For this position, we are looking for a PhD student in piezoelectric ceramics for energy harvesting. Rolling tires are source of mechanical energy in form of strain and vibrations that could be transformed into electrical energy and power sensors and electronics used in “smart tires”. One of the approaches used for energy harvesting is the piezoelectric effect. Materials that show piezoelectric properties transform strain variation in electrical charge. These materials can be ceramics, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ or polymers, such as Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF). To efficiently use the available mechanical energy in tires and induce strain in the piezoelectric material, it is essential to develop an adapted harvester’s design. In addition, harvester’s signal conditioning plays an important role. To harvest enough electrical energy, all three points: material properties, harvesters design and signal conditioning, must be addressed. This PhD position is mainly focused on optimisation of ceramic based piezoelectric energy harvester for tires as well as on development of dedicated electronics for signal conditioning. Several challenges will be addressed to achieve targeted values of power.

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

You hold a master’s degree in Materials Science, in Physics, in Electronics or in Microelectronics.

You have excellent skills in simulation of electronic circuits (LTSpice) and signal conditioning, experience in building prototypes, knowledge of piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials and their basic characterization methods (dielectric permittivity, polarization vs electric field, piezoelectric coefficients). Knowledge of Comsol multiphysics software for finite element modeling of the piezoelectric transducer is a plus.

You can count on your strong communication and interpersonal skills; including a will to work with an industrial partner. You possess collaborative skills, initiative, autonomy, result oriented and capacity to work in an interdisciplinary environment. On top of that, you should have passion for technology, collaborative skills and be a team player. Fluency in spoken and written English is a must.

Your LIST benefits

• An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects
• Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society
• Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations in all that we do
• An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas
• Personalized learning programme to foster our staff’s soft and technical skills
• Multicultural and international work environment with more than 50 nationalities represented in our workforce
• Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions
• Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science
• 32 days’ paid annual leave, 11 public holidays, 13-month salary, statutory health insurance
• Flexible working hours, home working policy and access to lunch vouchers

Apply online

This position is part of our Research Programme “Tire as a Sensor”, in which we are looking for 4 PhD candidates and 3 post docs all together.

Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

Your application must include:

• A motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience
• A scientific CV with contact details
• List of publications (and patents, if applicable)
• Contact details of 2 references

If you are selected after this first stage, you will be invited for a two-day visit in LIST and Goodyear on 3 and 4 October 2024 with your travel and accommodation expenses partly covered. During this on-site assessment, you will deliver a 15-minute talk in front a committee of researchers involved in the project and in front of other candidates. Moreover, you will have one-to-one interviews with our researchers and HR team member.

The successful candidate should start in Q4 2024.

Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

Discover our Materials activities: https://www.list.lu/en/materials/

Application procedure and conditions

We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.

LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.

Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.

Please note that by applying you consent to share your application with Dr. Marcel WIRTZ (R&D Grant and Partnership Manager), Yves DECOSTER (Principal Engineer) and Dr. Jason MIDDELBERG (Innovation Technology Tire Intelligence OE) from Goodyear.

PhD additional conditions:

• Supervisor at LIST: Veronika Kovacova
• Co-supervision at LIST: Emmanuel Defay
• Work location: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, Luxembourg
• PhD enrolment: University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg

Candidates shall be available for starting their position in Q4 2024. Please note that university enrolment fees (currently 200 EUR per semester) must be covered by the successful applicant.

Your master diploma must be recognized in Luxembourg. Please refer to:

https://www.uni.lu/en/admissions/diploma-recognition/

https://guichet.public.lu/fr/citoyens/enseignement-formation/etudes-superieures/reconnaissance-diplomes.html

https://allea.org/code-of-conduct/