We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled PhD candidate to actively contribute to an ambitious project in an aspiring and stimulating work environment. As a PhD researcher, you will experimentally investigate the fundamentals of coating slender fibres with rheologically-complex liquids, with the goal to unravel the roles played by the wettability and the rheology of the liquid. You will use state-of-the-art imaging systems such as digital holographic microscopy and optical coherence tomography to spatio-temporally characterize coating flows on slender, flexible fibres, which will be complemented by theoretical and/or numerical modelling.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• to design and perform experiments on coating fibres with complex fluids;
• to discuss and disseminate results among peers, the scientific community, and the greater society in general;
• to collaborate with colleagues having complementary expertise;
• to supervise bachelor and master students.

Optical fibres have revolutionised modern telecommunication and sensing, with current global production exceeding 500 million fibre-km per year. These fibres are inherently brittle, thus requiring them to be coated with protective layers. The state-of-the-art coatings have limited resistance to thermal and chemical damage, which severely restricts the environments in which they can be used. Although there are newly-developed specialized coating materials that can provide improved thermal and chemical resistance, the current challenge is to obtain uniform, conformal, thin coatings with these materials, which is made difficult by the rheology and the wetting behaviour of the coating materials. Hence, the basic question of how the wetting and rheology affect the coating morphology is still unanswered.

You also possess:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in (applied) physics, molecular life sciences, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, applied mathematics, or in a closely related discipline;
• experimental experience, fundamental knowledge of fluid dynamics, and experience in image and data analysis are required;
• you have strong (spoken and written) communication skills;
• you have strong analytical capabilities;
• you are proactive in coming up with innovative solutions to experimental challenges

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.541,- per month rising to € 3.247,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR's Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

The research is embedded within the chair group (https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Chair-groups/Agrotechnology-and-Food-Sciences/Physical-Chemistry-and-Soft-Matter.htm), and member of the Physics of Soft Matter team, which is led by Asst. Prof. Uddalok Sen.



Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.