PhD offer : Study and modeling of the SORA (Specific Operational Risk Assessment) mission

European Commission; Canada; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The European Commission is offering a PhD position focused on mission risk analysis in aeronautics, aiming to develop a data processing pipeline for UAV operations. The researcher will work in collaboration with industry leaders in a thriving academic environment and will analyze complex risk scenarios for drone operations, leveraging numerical simulations.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering required.
• Experience with digital twins or robotics simulation environments is essential.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English or French.

Responsibilities

• Understand SORA processes and assist in risk analysis design.
• Design simulation systems to analyze mission risks.
• Model traffic interactions for UAVs and conduct risk assessments.

Skills

Experience aeronautics with digital twins or robotics simulation environments

Strong ability to adapt

Teamwork skills

Design, research and development skills

Education

Master's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering

Job description

Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT)

Organisation/Company Université de Sherbrooke Department Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) Research Field Engineering » Electrical engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Simulation engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Canada Application Deadline 30 Jul 2025 - 00:00 (America/Toronto) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Context:

Numerical simulations are commonly used in the aeronautics industry, for example to analyze the integrity of fuselages or even the risk of collision with birds near an airport. However, there is no integrated method for numerically analyzing the risk associated with drone operations beyond direct visibility (Beyond Visual Line-Of-Sight – BVLOS), a necessary step in the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) process for authorizing a mission. In this context, our research project, in partnership with CAE and Unither Bioelectronics, aims to develop a complete processing pipeline for the production of synthetic data from a sophisticated simulation environment of a flight corridor, including weather conditions, ground infrastructure, airspace traffic interactions and even the quality of communication links to operate the drone, all of this fed by both historical and live data.

Topic:

This thesis aims to explore the automation of mission risk analysis from the generation of synthetic data from a simulator. The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Understanding the SORA processes and risk categories for the development team. An internal report detailing the SORA analysis procedure can help to identify inputs and outputs, such as the information needed for the analysis and the format required for the risk analysis.
• Designing the risk analysis simulation system. Proofs of concept for the application of some of these algorithms can be carried out, with particular attention paid to the anticipated time required for the implementation of these algorithms by our team in later stages of the project, aiming to mitigate the risk of deadline overruns given the relatively short duration of the project.

Modeling non-cooperative and cooperative traffic for one or more entities. At the end of this thesis, the student will have established an in-depth analysis of the SORA process leading to a system architecture for a data production and analysis pipeline for risk assessment; a complete software model of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and its interactions with other airborne entities.

Work Supervision:

This PhD thesis will be realized under the co-direction of Pr. François Ferland, Pr. David Rancourt and Pr. Adina Panchea, as part of Alliance Project between Université de Sherbrooke, CAE & Unither Bioélectronique on acceleration of the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) mission risk analysis process for the future of air mobility. The work will be carried out at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) of the University of Sherbrooke and in collaboration with industry-leading professionals from our world-class partners CAE and Unither Bioelectronics. The student will thus benefit from an exceptional research environment bringing together students, professionals, professors and industrialists working hand in hand to develop the technologies of the future.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Electrical engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Simulation engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Desired Profile

• Master's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering
• Experience aeronautics with digital twins or robotics simulation environments
• Ability to communicate in English or French both orally and in writing
• Strong ability to adapt, be autonomous and work in a team
• Pronounced taste for design, research and development
  

Specific Requirements

• Experience aeronautics with digital twins or robotics simulation environments

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Languages FRENCH Level Good

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke, Canada (QC) Country Canada State/Province Québec City Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada Postal Code J1K 2R1 Street 2500, boul. de l'Université Geofield