Organisation/Company Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Department Aerospace Engineering Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Physics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 31 May 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number 101231877 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
ROCINANTE is a 5-year ERC-Consolidator Grant aiming to unravel and tame the non-linearly oscillating structures and turbulence present in electrodeless plasma thrusters for in-space propulsion. The success of the project will enable the development of highly efficient devices and open a new research line on active control of space plasma thrusters. At the Plasmas and Space Propulsion Team we seek excellent and motivated candidates to fill two Postdoctoral Fellow positions:
* ROCINANTE‑P1: Your responsibilities will include the supervision of the development and instrumentation of a large plasma source, to characterize and analyze experimentally the fluctuations occurring in the plasma.
* ROCINANTE‑P2: Your responsibilities will include the supervision of the development of an advanced Particle‑In‑Cell simulation framework in the Julia programming language, and apply it to characterize and analyze numerically the plasma fluctuations.
Postdoctoral Fellows will participate in the instruction and guidance of PhD students dedicated to these topics. Frequent interactions between them will enable the achievement of the goals of the project.
Where to apply
E‑mail
Requirements
Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Education Level PhD or equivalent
Research Field Physics Education Level PhD or equivalent
Specific Requirements
Requirements:
* Young PhD holder in disciplines relevant to the project. Previous design/laboratory experience (for P1) or numerical experience (for P2) is a strong requirement.
* Proven capability to lead research activities and publish & communicate results
* Team-working and internal communications skills; previous international experience desirable
* Good proficiency in English (oral & written).
Languages ENGLISH Level Good
Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Physics
Additional Information
What we offer:
* 2-year (extensible +1) postdoctoral fellow contracts.
* One-to-one mentoring and the space/resources needed to nurture your young researcher career.
* Become part of a young, dynamic, highly qualified, collaborative team.
* Opportunity to travel to international conferences to present research activities.
* Flexible working environment and schedule.
Selection process
How to apply:
Interested candidates must send their applications to odriva [at] pa.uc3m.es, indicating in the email subject the reference “ROCINANTE‑Px” (with x=1,2) and attaching the following documents in pdf format:
* A motivation letter highlighting candidate’s skills, experience and research goals (max. 1 page).
* CV, including relevant education and work experience
* The contact information of up to two references (will be contacted during the hiring process)
* Sample of best works of the candidate (e.g. publications or PhD thesis).
Additional comments
Application deadline is May 31, 2026, but the position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Contracts will begin in October 2026, though an earlier/later start date can be arranged. Applications from women and minorities are particularly encouraged.
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