R&D Team Leader Chemical & Ionic Device Principles

Imec; Vlaams-Brabant; Vor Ort; EUR 90.000 - 120.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, invites applications for an R&D Team Leader position in the Chemical & Ionic Device Principles group. You will coordinate a group of researchers exploring novel chemical and ionic operating principles for next-generation device concepts, interfacing with device integration teams.

You will lead scientific excellence, manage people, translate priorities into clear goals, and foster an inclusive environment while delivering impactful results for advanced cooling, sensors,

Qualifikationen

• PhD degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum 5 years of R&D experience in a relevant industry.
• Proven track record in people management and leadership.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to coordinate across teams.

Aufgaben

• Oversee the team’s activities across projects, balancing scientific aspiration with delivery timelines.
• Build and sustain scientific and technical excellence in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Act as first-line people manager supporting growth and well-being of team members.
• Translate project priorities into clear team and individual goals and follow progress.
• Foster alignment within imec and with other device concept teams to accelerate impact.

Kenntnisse

PhD degree

Team leadership

R&D experience

Project management

Strategic thinking

Ausbildung

PhD in Chemistry/Physics/Electronics/Materials

Jobbeschreibung

R&D Team Leader Chemical & Ionic Device Principles

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 characterization to understand, validate, and optimize 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 organizational 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 organization by sharing context, clarifying expectations, raising concerns early, and fostering alignment before issues accelerate.
• 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.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth.

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits.

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.

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.