EngD Sustainable Process Design: Philips– Polymer Ageing and Degradation

Department

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Organisation

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University of Groningen, V25.0460

Job description

The University of Groningen is committed to strengthening the Northern Netherlands by addressing modern challenges such as energy transition and sustainability. The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) contributes to this mission by training skilled professionals through our new EngD programme in Sustainable Process Design. This 2-year post-master design programme, closely collaborating with local companies, focuses on the direct needs of the industry.

The Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG-part of the FSE) of the University of Groningen is offering a fully funded 2-year position to master graduates leading to the award of an EngD (Engineering Doctorate) degree. The EngD programme includes specialized EngD and professionalization courses at the University of Groningen and a design project which will be performed at Henkel and the University of Groningen. The position offered is in the context of the project Philips- Polymer Ageing and Degradation. The appointment is for two years (first one year, with an extension for another year) starting earliest in November 2025.

Philips is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. In Drachten is one of Philips largest development and production centers in Europe. Here, over 1500 employees work together every day, on developing consumer and professional healthcare products. Combining innovation and industrial production on one unique site, Philips wants to lead the way in developing sustainable solutions that add value for their customers.
Medical devices are made of a polymer outer casing which are often exposed to harsh cleaning agents. This may lead to material degradation, environmental stress cracking and potential early failure of product. Origins of this degradation are scientifically complex to study and involve both physical and chemical phenomena. This work will directly contribute to technological advancements in the mastication process.

The EngD project will focus on the investigation of thermal and chemical ageing and degradation of polymer materials. Both amorphous and semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymers will be investigated. The topics of interest are accelerated degradation, thermal behavior with respect to operating temperature and structure-property relationships. More details on the specific project goals will be given at the beginning of the project. The expected outcome of this project is to develop an accelerated theoretical and experimental method for the evaluation of polymer aging with different chemicals.

The project will be executed at the University of Groningen (Zernike campus) and at the company Philips located in Drachten.

Organisation
The University of Groningen (UG) is a research university with a global outlook, but deeply rooted in Groningen, City of Talent. Quality has been a top priority for over four hundred years, and with success: the university is currently in the top 100 of several influential ranking lists.

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) offers education and research in a wide range of science disciplines, from traditional disciplines such as physics and biology to interdisciplinary disciplines such as artificial intelligence, industrial engineering and management. The FSE is one of the largest faculties of the UG, home to 14 BSc programmes and 27 MSc programmes. Within the FSE, the Graduate School of Science and Engineering (GSSE) is responsible for hosting the faculty’s 1200 or more PhD candidates and the new EngD trainees, the majority of whom are from abroad.

Requirements

We are looking for candidates who meet the following requirements:

- Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Material Sciences or related
- Excellent marks on the master diploma
- Highly command of English language (verbally and written)
- Experience in polymer science, structure-property relationships, materials chemistry, analytical techniques such as FTIR, HPLC-MS, DSC, TGA, mechanical testing, rheology, GPC, microscopy, SEM is a plus
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English, please see University of Groningen’s English Language Requirements for details.
- In addition to the selection criteria, the following personal competences/skills are important:
o highly motivated towards the project and EngD programme;
o creative, design and analytical skills;
o team player;
o ability to work in an international team and collaborate with different levels of companies’ employees in a professional way.

You feel responsible for your EngD project and can work in sociable autonomy. Your proactive attitude enables you to identify bottlenecks and to approach them in a positive, problem-solving manner. You have strong communication skills and know how to get things done.

Conditions of employment

Contract length: 24 months.

The University of Groningen offers you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a salary gross monthly salary of € 3,029 per month (salary scale TOIO) for a 2-year full-time position
- a fulltime position (1.0 fte)
- 8% holiday allowance
- 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance
- entitlement to a minimum of 29 holidays per year for full-time employment
- first, you will get a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another year; extension of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year.

You will receive a certified Engineering Doctorate (EngD) degree after completing the programme successfully.

Preferred start date: earliest possible 1st of November 2025

Consider our website for more information about the conditions of employment at the University of Groningen: https://www.rug.nl/feb/organization/work-with-us/terms-benefits/terms-of-employment?lang=en

Job Application

You may apply for this position until 25 September 11:59pm / before 26 September 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Please provide the following application documents: - Motivation letter in which you indicate why you would like to work on that particular project and why you would like to start the EngD programme; - Curriculum Vitae (CV) with passport photo; - Proof of English proficiency; - Master certificate with grades and courses taken (translated by the certification institute); - course descriptions of the Master programme of the certification institute (University) with links to the course descriptions; - Detailed summary of the Master’s thesis; - Two letters of recommendation from academic staff or from the last supervisor(s). The letter can be scanned and sent together with all other application documents. The time and day of the interview with the potential candidates will be announced after the application deadline. The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Additional information

For additional information, please contact:

Dr. Konstanze Gier, EngD Coordinator Sustainable Process Design
[email protected]

In your application, please always include the job opening ID V25.0460

Digital application form