Researcher in Energetic Materials & Combustion (“AQUILA” project)

Job title:

Researcher in Energetic Materials & Combustion (“AQUILA” project)

Company:

Job description

Offer DescriptionIn the framework of a research project funded by the Belgian Defence, we are looking for a junior research scientist/engineer with a master’s degree in Sciences in the field of Chemistry or in Engineering (Applied Sciences, Engineering Sciences) in the field of Chemical Engineering, Materials Sciences or Mechanical Engineering.Context:The Royal Military Academy of Belgium (RMA) is a military institution responsible for the basic academic, military and physical training of future officers, and for the continuing advanced training of officers during their active career in the Belgian Defense department ( ). It is fully recognized as a university, fulfilling the same criteria as civilian universities. The Royal Military Academy is also conducting scientific research at university level for projects funded by the Belgian Defense department or external sources.You work within the department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Polytechncics of the Royal Military Academy and in close collaboration with the department of Weapon Systems and Ballistics and our industrial partners. You conduct scientific research at university level.Study:The ongoing war in Ukraine has shown the massive use of drones and area denial weapons systems: UAV and AD systems are versatile, efficient and difficult to counter, giving their users the strategic upper hand even in close-quarters conflicts. There’s a growing need for affordable, responsive and effective UAV countermeasures and weapons that can outperform enemy systems. The use of new, innovative and/or improved rocket systems is being investigated to address emerging threats and with improved range. The AQUILA project aims to improve and adapt rocket systems to counter emerging threats such as UAVs, while remaining highly competitive with more expensive solutions: missiles, HIMARS, GLSDB, etc. We are doing this within the framework of a multidisciplinary partnership project with Thales Belgium, Lambda-X, Materia Nova and the Royal Military Academy. You will be required to focus on one of the main research objectives of the project, which is to reduce potential collateral damage and improve the lethality of C-UAS preformed fragmentation missile warheads through the use of impact induced reactive materials obtained by advanced surface treatment methods.Main Tasks

• Design and improve impact induced reactive materials based on literature studies and interaction with industrial and academic partners;
• Carry out a safety study of the materials and their handling;
• Supervise laboratory and field tests to characterize the performance, sensitivity and ageing characteristics of the material;
• Supervise tests to qualify the warhead;
• Communicate within the consortium with partners and with the scientific and defence communities.

Contract

• Probable date of recruitment: From September2024, in consultation with the applicant.
• Status: Full-time employment based on an open-ended contract with the Patrimony of the Royal Military Academy (you will not be a civil servant). The financing of the contract will be tied to the funding project (until December 2026). Then, continuation is possible but not guaranteed.
• Wage scale: class A1 (holder of a Master’s degree in Sciences or equivalent), class A2 (holder of an Ir degree or equivalent Master’s in Engineering Sciences, doctor’s degree in the same area of expertise). RMA-Patrimony applies a merit-based research career track, allowing researchers to advance in wage scale based upon annual evaluations;
• Holiday pay.

Workplace

• Royal Military Academy, Avenue de la Renaissance 30, 1000 Brussels;
• Occasional travels abroad for scientific conferences, etc.

Points of contact

• Concerning the research project: to Mr Romuald VAN RIET (

) * Concerning the recruitment modalities: Mrs Helena Bruyninckx (
) * For more information about the Royal Military Academy, seeWhere to apply E-mailromuald.vanriet@mil.beRequirementsResearch Field Chemistry Education Level Master Degree or equivalentSkills/QualificationsRequired skillsDue to the specific nature of the proposed project, only a very limited set of technical skills are required. Several other skills are identified as added value (not compulsory). Motivation and the potential offered by the candidate will be a key factor.

Technical skills

• The applicant shall have a master’s degree in Sciences in the field of Chemistry or in Engineering (Applied Sciences, Engineering Sciences) in the field of Chemical Engineering, Materials Sciences or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience in combustion is recommended;
• Training or experience in domains related to energetic materials is an added value.

Personal skills

• You are honest, loyal toward the institution and respect confidentiality;
• You think in an innovative and creative way;
• You are involved and result oriented;
• You conduct scientific research in an independent and upright way within a multidisciplinary environment;
• You communicate your results in a clear, concise and precise manner.

Other skills

• The applicant shall have good knowledge of English (oral / written);
• The knowledge of French is an added value for collaboration with project’s partners.

Specific Requirements

• Working for the Patrimony requires living in Belgium for the duration of the study;
• The researcher can be exposed to classified information and should be citizen of a NATO country.

Languages ENGLISH Level ExcellentResearch Field Chemistry Years of Research Experience NoneInternal Application form(s) neededDemande d’Avis de Sécurité_F.pdfEnglish(359.6 KB – PDF)Additional InformationBenefitsExtra-legal benefits

• Possibility to benefit from a bilingualism allowance (Dutch/French) following a SELOR test;
• End-of-year bonus;
• Free DKV hospitalization insurance. Possibility of additional affiliation for one or more persons living under the same roof: spouse, child(ren) (50% of the price per additional member);
• Bike allowance / Free public transport (home-work commute);
• Meal vouchers (6€ / day);
• Free access to campus sports facilities outside working hours;
• On-campus restaurant and cafeteria with democratic prices (discount on the daily menu);
• Flexible working hours within the 38-hour week;
• Teleworking possible with allowance ;
• Holidays:

• 29 days holiday / year from the 1st year of contract (then from 45 years: +1 day holiday every 5 years)
• + 1 week OFF every year between Christmas and New year’s Eve (independent of the annual balance of holidays).
• Advantages and interesting offers thanks to the Benefits@work card (discounts, vouchers…);
• Entitlement to services offered by the ‘Office Central d’Action Sociale et Culturelle de la Défense’ (OCASC): among others holiday centres, discount on travel organised by the tour operator…;
• Possibility of benefiting from the nursery funded by Belgian Defence (subject to availability).

Eligibility criteriaNATO citizenSelection processApplicationYou will be working in a military environment. That is why everyone is expected to undergo a security verification. Please add to your application the filled out document. The form can be downloaded from:Send by email:

• a motivational letter;
• a CV
• a scan of your ID card (both sides);
• the filled out security document.

to Mr Romuald VAN RIET ( ) and to Mrs Helena BRUYNINCKX ( ).Please mention clearly the reference of the project: “AQUILA”.Application deadline: 30/06/2024.The interviews will take place at the Royal Military Academy, Rue Hobbema 8, 1000 Brussels. In some specific situations, on-line interviews can be organized. The date and time of the interview will be communicated to the preselected candidates.Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute ERM Patrimoine Country Belgium City Brussels Postal Code 1000 Street Avenue de la renaissance 30 GeofieldContact State/ProvinceBrussels CityBrussels WebsiteStreetAv de la renaissance 30 Postal Code1000 E-Mailromuald.vanriet@mil.be Phone+32456413845STATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

Expected salary

Location

Bruxelles

Job date

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 04:00:21 GMT

To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your email/cover letter where (vacanciesineu.com) you saw this job posting.