Job Opportunities in Belgium

An academic in nuclear thermal-hydraulics for lead cooled Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

Reference: 36370 / EPL 081 / 2025

UCLouvain and KU Leuven are recruiting a:
Junior professor in nuclear thermal-hydraulics for lead cooled Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) - Full time (50% UCLouvain and 50% KU Leuven)

Main campus: Louvain-la-Neuve and Leuven

About us

UCLouvain is in the top 1% of universities worldwide. A comprehensive university founded in the heart of Europe in 1425, it brings together 44,000 students and 6,000 staff members on 9 campuses in Brussels and Wallonia. Research and education activities are organised in 20 faculties, 23 research institutes, 5 learning centres and 18 libraries. UCLouvain also has 2 university hospitals.

UCLouvain is a major player in the transition to a sustainable society. It integrates into its courses the challenges of the ecological crisis and develops numerous local projects (such as a university farm and sustainable campuses). As a digital university, UCLouvain is involved in open science and education and trains teachers in innovative teaching practices (Louvain Learning Lab). Thanks to two science parks, the university’s research benefits from interaction with 250 companies and three incubators, and is fuelled further by being at the centre of a region driven by technological innovation.

As a member of the Circle U. alliance of European universities, UCLouvain offers a unique opportunity to study and conduct research projects with numerous partners in Europe. The university has a long tradition of international cooperation and collaboration, particularly in Africa and South America.

The university has a gender and inclusion policy which prioritises equity and respect. Working at UCLouvain means contributing to the development of every individual’s skills and promoting the values of equality, transparency and efficiency.

Post description

This academic position is open in both UCLouvain and KU Leuven: it is a 50% position at UCLouvain and a 50% position at KU Leuven. The person recruited must hold both positions.
Activities will be carried out both at KU Leuven (Faculty of Engineering science, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Applied Mechanics and Energy Conversion) and at UCLouvain (Louvain School of Engineering and Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering) in close collaboration with SCK CEN. We are looking for internationally-oriented candidates with an excellent research record and teaching skills in the field of mechanical engineering, with a focus on nuclear technology.

SCK CEN is a world leader in the field of nuclear technology for peaceful applications. Together with SCK CEN, the federal government has launched a research programme exploring the possibilities of electricity and hydrogen production via SMR by 2040. The aim is to develop lead-cooled SMRs and prepare the path to a lead-cooled technology demonstrator at SCK CEN in Mol.

• Teaching

You will provide high-quality teaching in the Bachelor's and Master's programs of the engineering faculties of both universities. In addition to subjects directly related to your research in nuclear engineering, such as introduction to nuclear reactors and nuclear thermal-hydraulics, you will contribute to the more general teaching of heat and mass transfer phenomena, thermodynamics or fluid mechanics.
You will develop your teaching in line with the KU Leuven and UCLouvain visions of active, research-based teaching, and make use of the opportunities for developing a professional teaching approach offered by the faculty and the university.
You will also supervise master’s theses.

• Research

You are expected to set up a research programme that will strengthen the research portfolio of the two research divisions in KU Leuven and UCLouvain. The focus of your research will be on thermal-hydraulics to support the development of lead-cooled small modular reactors (SMR’s) including the opportunities that could be offered by the use of additive manufacturing for an improved design. Research topics may include the integrated thermal-hydraulic design of SMR systems, e.g. to ensure passive safety, the optimal design of heat exchangers, etc.
The research will be carried out in close collaboration with the SMR research and development team at SCK CEN, with the aim of intensifying research on nuclear fission in Belgium.
You are capable to mobilize expertise from other research teams within both KU Leuven and UCLouvain in order to ensure the intensification of the academic research on nuclear fission.
You will strive for excellence in your research, create scholarly outputs that can be compared to the highest international standards, supervise Ph D students and, through project applications, secure external funding.

• In addition …

You are prepared to provide academic, social and internal service, both within the department and university and beyond. Given the focus of the position on research and teaching, a strong involvement in service is not expected.

Who we’re looking for

• Education

You have a Ph D in engineering science or a related field, and have expertise in the field of nuclear technology, with a study period abroad or significant experience outside your Ph D home institution.

• Experience

You have a strong research profile. The quality of your research is evidenced by publications in leading international journals or books. International experience is an advantage.
You have demonstrable (i.e. through formal evaluation) qualities for academic teaching. Teaching experience is a plus.

• Skills

You work well as part of a team of teachers and integrate research results into your teaching. You are capable of conducting high-level scientific research, from obtaining funding to team management. You are creative, open to pedagogical innovation and multidisciplinarity.
You communicate in French and English. If this is not the case, you undertake to acquire a command of these two languages within two years of taking up your post.
Knowledge of Dutch is required at KU Leuven. If you have no or insufficient knowledge of Dutch upon recruitment, training courses will be available.

What we offer

We offer a full-time appointment (2 x 50%) as Assistant Professor funded for a fixed term, starting at earliest on January 1st, 2025 until September 30th, 2028 in an intellectually challenging environment.
KU Leuven, UCLouvain and SCK CEN are research-intensive, internationally oriented centres conducting both fundamental and applied scientific research. The three institutions have a strong inter- and multidisciplinary focus and strive for international excellence. To this end,
KULeuven, UCLouvain and SCK CEN actively cooperate with their research partners at home and abroad.
KU Leuven and UCLouvain offer their students an academic education based on high-level scientific research. The SCK CEN Academy organises a unique international training in reactor technology.
The position implies to work 50% of the time in Leuven and 50% of the time in Louvain-la-Neuve and maintain regular contact with SCK CEN.

And also:

• An integrated leadership and management training programme and a range of pedagogical, linguistic and other training courses;
• Benefits: transport, family, culture, commercial, etc. ;
• Official policy that supports equal opportunities and promotes diversity within academic and all other staff categories of staff;
• Specific emphasis on work-life balance.

Extension of the appointment depends on your performance as well as on further financial support from the government.

Practical Information

Application deadline: October 28th, 2024.

Starting date: January 1st 2025

Localisation :
Science and Technology Sector
Louvain School of Engineering (EPL) (https://uclouvain.be/en/faculties/EPL)
Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering (IMMC) (https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/IMMC)

Need more information?

Questions about this position:
Prof. Olivier Bonaventure, Dean EPL – doyen-epl@uclouvain.be
Prof. Aude Simar, President IMMC – presidence-immc@uclouvain.be

Questions about the procedures ?
Cécile Lion, Rector’s Office, cecile.lion@uclouvain.be

Questions about online application:
Andreea Chiriac, Rector’s Office, secretariat-vrpp@uclouvain.be

Interested?

To apply for both posts, please submit your application only to UCLouvain, via the online recruitment platform “Success Factors”, before October 28th, 2024.

To be admissible, your application must contain, in a single pdf file:


For a full explanation of these documents follow the link