R&D Team Leader Chemical & Ionic Device Principles

1000scholars; Vlaams-Brabant; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Imec in Leuven, Belgium, is seeking an R&D Team Leader for the Chemical & Ionic Device Principles team. You will coordinate researchers exploring novel chemical and ionic operating principles to enable next-generation devices, bridging day-to-day R&D with the broader organisation and collaborating with device integration teams.

You will lead scientific and technical excellence, guide team members’ growth, and align priorities with organizational goals, while fostering an inclusive,

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, physics, electronics or material science with 5+ years in an R&D environment.
• Demonstrated track record in people management and building high-performing teams.
• Strong communication and collaboration across departments.
• Ability to balance detail with strategic view and adapt to changing demands.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the team’s activities across projects, monitor progress, and adjust priorities or elevate where needed.
• Build and sustain scientific and technical excellence in collaboration with experts and stakeholders.
• Act as first-line people manager by supporting team members’ growth and ownership.
• Translate project and organizational priorities into clear team goals and follow up.
• Strengthen the connection between the team and the broader organisation and align early.
• Foster collaborations within imec and with emerging device teams.
• Set standards by contributing to the team’s technical activities and best practices.
• Create an inclusive, respectful environment where all members contribute and succeed.

Skills

People management

Communication

Team leadership

Strategic thinking

Education

PhD in chemistry, physics, electronics or material science

Job description

R&D Team Leader Chemical & Ionic Device Principles

Imec

Leuven, Belgium

What you will do

As R&D Team Leader of the Chemical & Ionic Device Principles team, you will coordinate a group of researchers focused on exploratory research at the front end of imec’s innovation funnel. The team identifies, understands, and experimentally demonstrates novel chemical and ionic operating principles that can enable next-generation device concepts. These principles provide key differentiators in areas such as advanced chip cooling, (bio)sensors, memory technologies, and reliability solutions for future electronic devices.

The role requires strong scientific curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to guide the team toward emerging opportunities with high impact potential. You form the bridge between the day-to-day practice of R&D and the broader organization. Your team will work closely with device integration teams to build confidence in new concepts before they mature toward implementation in imec’s semiconductor pilot line. At the same time, the team supports ongoing device development by using flexible lab-based experiments for fast learning cycles, especially when performance or reliability challenges originate from chemical or ionic mechanisms that are not yet fully understood.

The team’s expertise combines chemistry, electrochemistry, ionics, and advanced characterisation to understand, validate, and optimise device behaviour at a fundamental level.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee the team’s activities across projects, monitor progress, and adjust priorities or elevate where needed. Balance scientific aspiration, delivery timelines and available capacity;
• Build and sustain the team’s scientific and technical excellence, in close collaboration with experts, scientific directors and other relevant stakeholders;
• Act as first-line people manager by supporting the well-being, growth and development of team members, while creating an environment where people take ownership and can reach their full potential;
• Translate project, technology and organisational priorities into clear goals for the team and individual contributors, and follow up on progress and delivery;
• Strengthen the connection between the team and the broader organisation by sharing context, clarifying expectations, raising concerns early, and fostering alignment before issues escalates;
• Build strong collaborations within the department and across imec, especially with teams working on emerging device concepts and semiconductor technologies;
• Set the standard by contributing directly to the team’s technical activities, ensuring best practices and establishing efficient ways of working that help the team respond effectively to changing research demands;
• Foster an inclusive, respectful and collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are valued and all team members are empowered to contribute, develop and succeed.

Who you are

• You have a PhD in chemistry, physics, electronics or material science with at least 5 years of experience in an R&D environment. Given the specific expertise required for this role, we will only consider applications from candidates who meet these qualification and experience requirements;
• You have a demonstrated track record of people management. You care deeply about fostering an innovative and efficient team culture;
• You are able to balance attention to detail with a big picture focus, being comfortable with critical thinking and navigating changing R&D demands;
• You care deeply about the quality and timing of delivered results;
• You are a strong team player and a good communicator. Sharing the progress of tasks, seeking feedback from your colleagues, and acting as a sounding board, is important to you;
• Prior experience in project management or coordinating across large teams is a definite plus;
• You are flexible in accommodating changing priorities to support business needs;
• You are self-driven and are willing to take ownership.