Academic employee (m/f/d), doctoral position - Institute for Energy Conversion and Storage - reference no. 26154

Ulm University; Ulm; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Doctoral education support

Interdisciplinary team

Doctoral seminars and training

Job summary

Ulm University invites applications for an Academic employee (m/f/d) – doctoral position at the Institute for Energy Conversion and Storage. The role focuses on decarbonizing energy storage using Carnot batteries and PTES systems, with a strong emphasis on thermodynamics and control engineering.

The position supports doctoral studies, offers participation in seminars and international conferences, and encourages qualified candidates, including women and disabled applicants.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering (master) or a related field with above-average results.
• Excellent knowledge of thermodynamics.
• Good knowledge of control engineering.
• Experience in modeling and simulation.
• Interest in experimental work.
• Excellent proficiency in English and German.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Ability to work independently and take personal responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Develop a dynamic system model to represent a PTES system based on the Brayton cycle.
• Validate system components using experimental data or data sheets.
• Develop a control system for dynamic system operation.
• Create start-up procedures and operating strategies for part-load and cyclic operation.
• Analyze and evaluate optimization approaches to enhance flexibility and efficiency.
• Assess the technology's potential for large-scale energy storage applications.

Skills

Thermodynamics

Control engineering

Modeling & simulation

English & German

Teamwork

Independent work

Education

Master's degree in engineering

Job description

Scope

• Fulltime 100%
• Temporary: 3 years
• Remuneration: TV-L EG13
• Start: as soon as possible

For the Institute for Energy Conversion and Storage we are looking for an Academic employee (m/f/d) - doctoral position

We seek to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and particularly encourage qualified female scientists to apply for this position.

Severely disabled applicants with equal aptitude will be given preferential consideration.

Full‑time positions are generally divisible.

Decarbonizing the energy supply requires increased use of renewable energy and an expansion of storage capacities. One promising technology is the storage of electrical energy as heat in so‑called Carnot batteries or PTES (Pumped Thermal Energy Storage) systems.

Your profile:

• Degree in engineering (master) or a related field with above-average results
• Excellent knowledge of thermodynamics
• Good knowledge of control engineering
• Experience in modeling and simulation
• Interest in experimental work
• Excellent proficiency in English and German
• Ability to work in a team
• Ability to work independently and take personal responsibility

Your responsibilities:

• Development of a dynamic system model to represent a realistic PTES system based on the Brayton cycle
• Validation of system components using experimental data or data sheets
• Development of a control system for dynamic system operation
• Development of start-up procedures and operating strategies for part-load and cyclic operation
• Analysis and evaluation of system optimization approaches to enhance flexibility and efficiency
• Analysis and evaluation of the technology's future potential for use in large-scale energy storage applications

We offer:

• Oportunity to pursue a doctorate
• Exciting and relevant research topics
• An interdisciplinary team
• Participation in doctoral seminars and training courses
• Oportunity to attend international conferences

The university and what we offer: https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/einrichtungen/zuv/dezernat-3/job-portal/

Reference-no.: 26154

Application deadline: 08.11.2026

Administrative details

Hiring is done by the Central University Administration.

Contact information

Caroline Willich, phone [phone]