Research Assistant in Digital Twinning of dynamical systems

Are you interested in developing digital twin technology for mechanical and structural systems? Do you have experience with vibration-based structural health monitoring? Are you eager to bridge the gap between mechanical and structural engineering on one side and cyber-physical system engineering on the other? Then, the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering at Aarhus University, Denmark, invites you to apply for a 7-month Research Assistant position funded by the IFD project “Cyber-physical systems for machines and structures – CP-SENS”.
 

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 7-month position from October 1st, 2025, or as soon as possible.
 

Job description

You will participate in the ongoing development of an algorithm platform for digital shadows and twins of machines and structures in collaboration with other departments from Aarhus University and multiple industrial partners; including a world leader in sensing technology. In particular, the algorithm platform development will entail research and development within topics such as system identification and model updating.
 

Your profile

Applicants should hold an M.Sc. degree related to the field of computational solid mechanics and dynamics; preferably with application to vibration-based structural health monitoring. Specific application requirements are listed below:

• Strong background in computational mechanics and dynamics.
• Solid understanding of the theoretical aspects of structural mechanics and dynamics.
• Solid understanding of vibration theory.
• Solid understanding of numerical analysis.
• Substantial experience in scientific computing and programming using Python.
• Good communication and language skills (the project language is English).
• Good teamworking skills (the project is carried out in a team of 4-6 people).
• Interested in developing skills and competences in software engineering.

Who we are

At the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, we conduct research and teaching within, among other fields, energy systems, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, material science, robot technology, and system dynamics. Close collaboration with the public sector and private companies ensures that the knowledge and technology generated in the department's research environments has a clear anchoring in reality and benefits society as a whole.

What we offer

The department offers:

• a well-developed research infrastructure;
• an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international, and industrial collaborators;
• a research climate encouraging lively, open, and critical discussion within and across different fields of research;
• a workplace characterised by professionalism, equality, and a healthy work-life balance.
   

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Katrinebjergvej 89, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark. 
 

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Associate Professor, Martin D. Ulriksen, +45 93 50 88 66, mdu@mpe.au.dk.
 

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than September 8, 2025.

 

Application procedure

Short-listing is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the assessment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of who of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee and will receive his/her assessment. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.