EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Mission

We are offering a position as mechanical engineer in the Group of Energy Materials at EPFL, Sion. Our highly interdisciplinary Lab (20 FTE, 1/3rd PhD candidates, 1/3rd postdocs, 1/3rd engineers) is part of the EPFL Mechanical Engineering Institute and specialised since 30 years in fuel cell and electrolysers, especially for high temperature (100 °C, protonic and anionic exchange membrane polymers). Our fully equipped diagnostics lab mounts and investigates fuel cells / electrolysers, from components and single cells up to stacks and small systems (10 - 50 kW), testing durability/ performance and identifying degradation phenomena. Experimental work is assisted by modeling and simulation on different levels.

We look to complement our engineer team. We design and build stacks, and different customized test benches to characterize our fuel cells, electrolysers, and more complex integrated systems including heat exchangers, chemical reactors, gas recirculation, safety sensors etc.

We are specifically looking for an additional mechanical engineer with a solid experience in computational fluid dynamics and structural mechanics. These competences will be applied during the design of low and high temperature fuel cells and electrolysers, including their balance of plants, under pressurized conditions.

Main duties and responsibilities

As a project mechanical engineer, you will be expected to:

• take a lead and responsibility for your tasks
• participate in conception, design and execution
• research in close collaboration with industrial and academic partners
• participate in supervising student projects, if time allows

More specifically, within our ongoing projects, you will:

• simulate flow fields of cells and stack designed in the lab
• design and simulate the structural integrity of low temperature stack end plates under pressurized conditions
• design and simulate an injector to recirculate fuel flow of a high temperature solid-oxide stack
• simulate the scaled-up 100-kW version of a methanation reactor (30 kW version exists)
• support the design of new test benches (up to 30-50 kW / 50 bar) with CFD and structural mechanics simulations of key components

Profile

• MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Prior professional experience with process flow diagrams, P&ID and HAZOP.
• Prior professional experience with pressurization.
• Prior familiarity with fuel cells, electrolysers, chemical reactors is a plus but not a must.
• Good communication skills and working as part of a team
• Enthusiasm, curiosity, motivation, reactivity, organizational skills, rigor in experimental work
• At least good command of English and preferably also of French (though not mandatory for French)

We offer

• Employment at a renowned institution ranked among the leaders in engineering and technology
• Support for professional development through training and continuous learning opportunities
• Supportive and flexible work environment promoting work-life balance
• Language courses relevant to your role
• International multilingual working environment
• Discounts on public transport