Postdoctoral Researcher in EMT Simulation & Scientific Software KU Leuven in Belgium

KU Leuven is advertising a fully funded postdoctoral position in EMT Simulation & Scientific Software within the ELECTA research group of the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), embedded in the Energy Transmission Competence Hub (ETCH) and linked to EnergyVille in Genk, Belgium.

The project centers on BriskSim, a next-generation simulation platform for electromagnetic transient (EMT) and power system dynamic studies. The research is aimed at future power systems with converter-dominated grids, HVDC networks, protection engineering, wide-area dynamics, and digital-twin applications. The successful candidate will contribute both to advanced simulation research and to the development of robust scientific software architectures that support large-scale, high-performance power system simulation.

The role includes high-quality research in power system simulation, implementation of scientific software using modern development practices, improving simulation performance, scalability and usability, and collaboration with industrial partners and transmission system operators. The position also involves publishing in leading journals and conferences and supporting the supervision of MSc and PhD students.

Applicants should hold a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Scientific Computing, Computational Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field. Strong experience in scientific software development is especially valued, with programming languages such as C++, Julia, Rust, and Python mentioned as relevant examples. Additional strengths in numerical methods, scientific computing, high-performance computing, parallel computing, and software engineering practices such as version control and automated testing are desirable. Background in EMT simulation, power system dynamics, or power electronics is beneficial but not mandatory.

KU Leuven describes the position as fully funded and offers an international research environment with opportunities for collaboration across academia, industry, and system operators, as well as involvement in innovation and technology valorisation activities.

Application deadline: 2026-09-16 23:59 (Europe/Brussels).

How to apply: Submit a CV, academic transcripts, and motivation letter via the KU Leuven application portal, together with a brief technical statement outlining your motivation and expertise in EMT simulation and/or software development. Contact details for further information are provided for Prof. dr. Jef Beerten and Mr. Jeroen Tant.