R&D Engineer Building Envelope Innovation

The "Smart Energy & Built Environment" unit within VITO / EnergyVille facilitates the energy transition in the built environment, both through knowledge sharing and policy advice, as through technology development. With the expanding FIBER team, we focus on 3 research areas:

• Prefabricated timber/hybrid building elements and retrofit systems
• Next-gen performant building elements including energy-active (smart) facades & integration of advanced materials
• Construction automation, robotics & digital fabrication of building elements

In collaboration with our partners, we always focus on the development of high-energy performant building envelope solutions and integration of multiple technologies of varying maturity into innovative building systems and processes.

Our team integrates knowledge on building physics, building envelope engineering, energy generation and storage (e.g. BIPV, PCMs), solar shading, sensors and actuators, robotics, integrated product development... The team does not focus on subcomponent material research as such.

Ready to contribute to our product innovation projects? Read on!

Some of your responsibilities:

• You work on research projects and service contracts related to building envelope innovation in close collaboration with industry and research partners; Proven project management experience is plus.
• Together with a team of colleagues, you are responsible for developing innovative building envelope solution prototypes, with advantages in terms of energy and sustainability performance, design-for-prefabrication, design-for-disassembly, and with integration of material science innovations and HVAC/energy technology innovations.
• You will be involved in activities of product design, design optimization-oriented simulations, prototyping, testing, and interaction with industry partners on transferring prototypes to market-ready products for the construction market.
• You contribute to the formation of our research and innovation roadmap. You follow-up on evolutions in the market and the research field.
• You will be part of national and international consortia and build a network with relevant Belgian and international stakeholders and customers.
• You also contribute to the acquisition of projects and the writing of research proposals with the aim of securing future research funding.
• You may be involved in patenting processes, in scientific publications of our work and in presenting our work to clients, stakeholders, and peers on national and international fora.

• You obtained a PhD in building envelope engineering and/or building services engineering or you can demonstrate an equivalent level of work experience
• You have a broad field of interest covering building physics, building construction engineering, building services and façade engineering
• You like to explore new technologies and retain a good overview of the State Of The Art
• Experience with building envelope performance simulations (e.g. energyplus) and/or experimental testing (thermal, structural, hygric,..) are an important asset
• Experience with applied technology development and a hands-on attitude are a plus
• Experience with research programs is a plus, both in terms of acquisition and project execution (e.g. VLAIO, HEU, ERDF, FWO,...)
• You are a collaborative person, getting energy from working in a project team and taking care of good communication between team members.
• You express yourself fluently in English (oral and written), knowledge of Dutch is an added value.

• If you're tired of the frequent commute, you've come to the right place. We work 'activity based', our activities bring us to our location. Our EnergyVille office is in Genk, here we meet at least once a week. Hybrid work arrangements and/or working in a satellite office in Antwerp-Berchem, Ghent, Ostend or Mol is possible.
• A competitive salary with a range of benefits including allowances, insurances, and a modular vacation package.
• Innovation is our asset, so it goes without saying that we offer our employees the opportunity to follow additional training courses and stay up to date in their field of expertise. You always get the opportunity to broaden your knowledge on for example the development of new construction products.
• You will be part of an organization with an international reputation, known for its advanced technological research and scientific consultancy.
• With us, you will contribute directly to sustainable developments at local, national, and global level through your innovative applications. You provide an answer to today’s societal challenges.
• Moreover, at VITO we attach great importance to work-life balance. We do this by being flexible, depending on your specific needs.