PhD Position in Cryogenic and Dynamic Characterisation of Aerospace Materials

Location: hirify.global, Delft, the Netherlands; relocation to the Netherlands may be required

Salary: €3,204–€4,051 gross per month, increasing from the first to the fourth year

Company

hirify.global is an international university conducting education and research in aerospace engineering, energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety.

What you will do

• Develop experimental and optical measurement methods for aerospace materials at cryogenic temperatures approaching 20 K.
• Investigate deformation mechanisms, strain localisation, and damage under quasi-static and dynamic loading.
• Evaluate full-field techniques including digital image correlation, speckle and grid methods, interferometry, holography, structured light, deflectometry, high-speed imaging, and thermography.
• Consider complementary photonic sensing methods such as fibre Bragg grating sensors.
• Use experimental data to validate numerical models and support certification by analysis of future composite structures.
• Publish findings, present research to scientific and industrial audiences, and potentially supervise MSc students and contribute to teaching.

Requirements

• MSc degree in optical engineering, photonics, aerospace or mechanical engineering, applied physics, materials science, experimental mechanics, instrumentation, or a related field.
• Strong interest in experimental testing, material characterisation, and material behaviour under extreme environmental and loading conditions.
• Hands-on experience with experimental setups, measurement systems, optical measurement techniques, mechanical testing, or laboratory instrumentation.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively across disciplines.
• Clear communication skills for working with academic, industrial, and project stakeholders.
• Good command of English required for doctoral education, publications, presentations, and collaboration.

Nice to have

• Experience with full-field optical methods, image processing, high-speed imaging, cryogenic testing, composites, numerical modelling, or non-destructive testing.

Culture & Benefits

• Participation in the hirify.global Graduate School and its Doctoral Education Programme.
• Supervision by academic staff, access to a mentor, and opportunities to develop research skills and ideas.
• Four-year employment in principle through an initial 1.5-year contract and a subsequent 2.5-year contract subject to a progress assessment and performance requirements.
• Full-time contract based on 36–40 hours per week, with 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Customisable compensation package, health-insurance discounts, monthly work-cost contribution, flexible work schedules, and relocation support through Coming to Delft Service.

Hiring process

• Submit a motivation letter, detailed CV, and copies of BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts by 16 September 2026.
• Describe the expected challenges of characterising material deformation and damage under cryogenic conditions using optical measurement techniques.
• A knowledge-security risk assessment is conducted during the final stages of recruitment.