PhD Position on High-Efficiency Power Electronics for Solar-Integrated E-Mobility Systems (SUN-TRANS Project)

Job description

Join the University of Twente’s Power Electronics group to pioneer the next generation of wide-bandgap, high-efficiency converters for solar-integrated electric buses and last-mile delivery vehicles. This PhD will develop automotive-grade DC-DC and bidirectional converter systems that enable vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) and intelligent charging hubs under the Horizon Europe project SUN-TRANS - Solar Urban e-Mobility Transition.

Cities worldwide are racing toward zero-emission mobility. The Horizon Europe project SUN-TRANS-ranked #1 in its EU call, unites leading universities, OEMs, and technology companies to develop solar-integrated electric buses, smart charging hubs, and advanced grid services.

Within this project, the University of Twente is involved in developing multi-port, high-efficiency converters based on SiC/GaN wide-bandgap devices and resonant topologies to achieve > 98% efficiency.

You will design, simulate, and experimentally validate DC-DC and DC-AC converter prototypes for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) and PV-powered charging stations, ensuring compliance with safety standards.

Working in an interdisciplinary environment, you will collaborate closely with European partners such as TÜBITAK MAM, Siemens, University of Warwick, Bozankaya, and ODTÜ-GÜNAM, and contribute to pilot demonstrations in Romania, Türkiye, and Spain.

The project provides a good mix of hands-on lab development, modelling, and system-level optimization in one of Europe’s most vibrant research ecosystems for sustainable energy and transport.

Your profile

• You are an enthusiastic and highly motivated researcher.
• You hold (or are about to obtain) an MSc in Electrical Engineering, Power Engineering, Power Electronics, or a closely related field.
• You have strong fundamentals in converter design, control, and magnetics.
• Experience with wide-bandgap devices (SiC, GaN) or automotive-grade power systems is a plus.
• You have hands-on skills in circuit simulation (e.g. PLECS, LTspice, MATLAB/Simulink) and laboratory prototyping.
• You are creative, self-driven, and enjoy collaborating across disciplines and cultures.
• You have excellent written and spoken English skills.

Our offer

• As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;
• The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 3.059,- (first year) to € 3.881,- (fourth year);
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
• You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision;
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

Information and application

Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the 'Apply now' button below before November 22, 2025, and include:

• A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references.
• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, motivations to apply for this position.
• An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).

For more information regarding this position, you are welcome to contact Mrs. Lillian Hannink (secretary of the PE-group) via the following email address: [emailprotected])

The first round of interviews will be planned early December 2025.

Screening is part of the selection process.

About the department

The Power Electronics (PE) group within the Faculty of EEMCS focuses on cutting-edge research in high efficiency, high power density power electronics, battery electronics, smart grids, power and energy measurements, power semiconductor devices, wireless power transfer, high frequency power conversion and sustainable energy systems.

The team collaborates extensively with international universities and industry to accelerate Europe’s clean-mobility transition.

You’ll work in an open, multidisciplinary environment that values curiosity, initiative, and impact.

About the organisation

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow's digital society. As part of atech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.