Master Thesis: Characterization of the Compressive Behavior of Seal on Bipolar Plate Assemblies for Fuel Cell Stacks (Aerospace)

Location: Dettingen an der Erms, Germany; 5-day on-site presence required

Duration: 6 months, starting November 2026. Candidates should ideally be enrolled at a German or European university and must independently secure an academic supervisor.

Company

hirify.global is a joint venture between Airbus and ElringKlinger AG developing high-performance fuel cell stacks for zero-emission commercial aviation.

What you will do

• Conduct mechanical compression tests on seal-on-bipolar-plate assemblies.
• Measure force-displacement responses and identify localized plastic deformation.
• Review literature on thin metal-polymer assembly compression behavior.
• Define allowable compression limits for leakage and structural collapse.
• Translate experimental findings into design guidelines for a weight-optimized fuel cell stack compression system.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, computational engineering, or a comparable field.
• Solid knowledge of structural mechanics and materials science.
• Initial experience with CAD and finite element modeling.
• Basic programming skills, such as Python, and hands-on laboratory experience.
• Independent and structured working style.
• Fluent English and availability for five days of on-site work.

Culture & Benefits

• Challenging work involving fuel cell products and advanced technologies.
• Collaborative, international professional environment.
• Comprehensive onboarding program.
• Monthly compensation and flexible working hours.
• On-site catering facilities.

Hiring process

• Submit a CV, cover letter, current transcript, certificate of enrollment, intended institute, and earliest possible start date.
• Applications must use the specified subject line to be processed.