MSCA Doctoral Network PhD student / MSCA Doctoral Network PhD student

MSCA Doctoral Network PhD Student (100%)

The Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST) is an intercantonal and interstate institution with campuses located in Buchs, Rapperswil-Jona, and St. Gallen. Renowned for its excellent Bachelor's and Master's degree programs, OST also offers state-of-the-art continuing education courses to train future-oriented specialists and managers. As one of the leading institutions in application-oriented research and development, OST is dedicated to advancing the field.

We are currently looking for a motivated candidate to join our team as an:

MSCA Doctoral Network PhD Student (100%)

The “Training Wind Energy Experts on Digitalisation (TWEED)” Doctoral Network is designed to develop the next generation of researchers with comprehensive technical and complementary skills for impactful careers in wind energy digitalisation. Co-funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska Curie Doctoral Networks Programme, the TWEED network offers 12 Doctoral Candidate positions aimed at providing high-level training in the emerging field of Wind Energy Data Science and Digitalisation.

The objective of this Doctoral Candidate project, titled “Novel methods for a knowledge graph generation approach within TWEED’s Virtual Wind Farm Hub,” involves investigating, designing, and implementing a knowledge graph generation approach for the Virtual Wind Farm Hub. This hub will serve as an open platform for exchanging datasets, research results, and applications, enabling domain experts and data scientists to prototype innovative services.

Due to OST’s status as a Swiss University of Applied Sciences, the PhD student will be registered at ETH Zurich under the supervision of Prof. Eleni Chatzi (Chair of Structural Mechanics and Monitoring) who will co-supervise the thesis. The primary supervisor is Dr. Sarah Barber at OST (Institute of Energy Technology), with additional co-supervision from Prof. Mitra Purandare at OST (Institute for Software).

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Completed Master’s degree (at the date of appointment) in a technical field such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science, or a related equivalent.
• Students in their final year of a Master’s degree are encouraged to apply, with the expectation to start their PhD in the first quarter of 2025 if selected.
• Understanding of basic knowledge engineering concepts, including knowledge graphs, semantic web, ontologies, and semantic artifacts.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, and Java.
• Interest and ability to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, particularly at the intersection of computer science and engineering.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Basic communication abilities in German, or a willingness to learn.
• Capable of working both in a team and independently.
• Willingness to adhere to the mobility plan of the programme, including possible secondments in the host institute’s country.
• Fulfillment of the requirements for admission to the PhD program at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zurich.

Optional Qualifications

• Experience with tools such as Spring, Node.js, Angular, React, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, or TensorFlow.
• Previous experience in wind energy.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must not hold a doctoral degree or its equivalent at the time of recruitment.
• Open to applicants of any nationality. However, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization for more than 12 months in the three years preceding the appointment. Short stays such as holidays or compulsory national service are excluded.

We Offer

• Opportunities for professional and research-oriented development within a motivated and performance-driven team.
• A diverse range of responsibilities with creative opportunities in a dynamic university environment.
• Modern employment conditions and an attractive workplace situated on the shores of Lake Zurich, close to the Rapperswil train station and the historic town.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For further information about the position, please visit: here.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Sarah Barber at sarah.barber@ost.ch.