Job description
We are looking for a Researcher to build up our experimental infrastructure and contribute to advancing mechanics education and research at UT. The role blends hands-on lab tasks, digital innovation, and joint research.
About the Role
As an Researcher in Digital Experimental Mechanics, you will contribute to modernising our experimental practice across education, research, and lab operations. You will help compose hybrid mechanics labs (hands-on + digital), develop reliable experimental workflows, support materials–surface interaction research, and contribute to long-term lab resilience. You will collaborate closely with academic staff, technicians, and researchers from Mechanical Engineering (ME), Industrial Design Engineering (IDE), and the wider Engineering Technology community. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys crafting things that work, making mechanics intuitive and accessible, and enabling others to do excellent experimental science.
What You Will Work On
You will play a key role in:
- Modernising Engineering Education
- Crafting hybrid learning experiences that combine physical experiments with simulations and datasets.
- Developing reusable, scalable teaching assets for mechanics and material-interaction courses.
- Helping students understand the link between materials, surfaces, and experienced performance.
- Building Digital & Data-Driven Workflows
- Developing standardised, traceable data acquisition and processing workflows.
- Contributing to an evolving “digital lab manual” with scripts, procedures, and guidelines.
- Improving reproducibility and efficiency in mechanical testing.
- Advancing Interaction Mechanics Research
- Supporting experimental campaigns on static and cyclic material–surface interactions.
- Collaborating on simplified digital twin models that connect experiments and simulations.
- Helping generate datasets that strengthen ongoing research lines.
- Strengthening Lab Capacity & Continuity
- Detailing critical experimental workflows and equipment procedures.
- Supporting training for staff and students.
- Contributing to a long-term continuity plan that ensures stable, future-ready laboratory operations.
Your profile
We are seeking a colleague who possesses:
- A background in mechanical engineering, materials science, experimental build, engineering physics, or a related field.
- Affinity with laboratory work and hands-on experimentation.
- Interest in digitalisation, scripting, data analysis, or workflow building.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with a variety of users (students, researchers, technicians).
- A proactive approach and passion for building high-quality experimental infrastructures.
Experience with interaction mechanics, friction, cyclic testing, sensors, Python/MATLAB, or educational demonstrators is a plus — but not required.
Our offer
- A creative, cooperative setting with a direct influence on both education and research.
- The chance to create new experiments, workflows, and hybrid learning concepts.
- A role that bridges engineering, build, and digital innovation.
- Excellent laboratory and support facilities, as well as a diverse team of enthusiastic colleagues and supervisors.
- A contract for 2,5 years, starting July 2026.
- You will receive a gross monthly salary in the range of € 3.546 to € 5.538 based on experience.
- Excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, a solid pension scheme, and 29 vacation days in case of full-time employment.
- A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid).
- A position at a university committed to challenge-based education and future-proof engineering practice
- A green campus with free access to sports facilities and an international scientific community.
Why Join Us?
This role allows you to build the mechanics laboratories of tomorrow — enabling more scalable education, more reproducible research, and a more resilient laboratory ecosystem. You will join a team that values curiosity, hands-on creativity, and continuous improvement. Take the leap and be part of an institution that strives for world-class excellence!
Information and application
Please submit your application before April 30, 2026 using the “Apply now” button, and include:
- A Curriculum Vitae
- A cover letter of at most A4.
- information for at least two academic references
- Transcripts from your Bachelor and Master degrees and of your PhD.
Additional information about this position can be acquired from dr. D.T.A. Matthews : d.t.a.matthews@utwente.nl.
Screening will be part of the selection procedure.
The first rounds of interviews will take place between May 4th - May 14th.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) engages in education and research of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. We enable society and industry to innovate and create value using efficient, solid and sustainable technology. We are part of a ‘people-first' university of technology, taking our place as an internationally leading center for smart production, processes and devices in five domains: Health Technology, Maintenance, Smart Regions, Smart Industry and Sustainable Resources. Our faculty is home to about 2,900 Bachelor's and Master's students, 550 employees and 150 PhD candidates. Our educational and research programmes are closely connected with UT research institutes Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Center and Digital Society Institute.
