Postdoctoral or Researcher Position in Buildings and Embedded/IoT Systems in Zürich

100%, Singapore, temporary

ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems. In collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), SEC is undertaking a research programme on "Future Resilient Systems", The FRS addresses the challenges with critical infrastructure systems that provide essential services to modern societies, which is of particular importance to innovation-driven economies like Singapore and Switzerland. Within this framework we are announcing the following job opening.

Digital-Twin Enabled System Resilience aims to create both the decision support and the operation control interface of the future by creating digital twins to model and simulate interdependent systems. Such an integrated digital twin-enabled analysis is the first of its kind, as existing literature still considers the physical layer (e.g., microgrids) and cyber aspects as independent problems. As a case study, the team will create a digital twin of an airport’s energy systems, taking into account renewable resources (microgrids), airport buildings, utility systems, and cyber systems operations and their interdependencies. System resilience can be analysed by simulating scenarios such as microgrids and allied multi-grid infrastructure, and the impact of hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities on the airport’s energy systems. The project is carried out between the ETH Zurich, Nanyang University of Singapore and the National University of Singapore as part of the Future Resilience Systems Program in Singapore.

Starting on July 2020 or under agreement, we are looking for a talented individual in buildings and embedded systems to join our Digital-Twins for Resilience team in Singapore. You will be part of a team of four PhD's and Postdocs working in different areas of Digital Twin Technology including interfaces, optimization and data analysis.

Your role in the team aims to draw knowledge from machine learning, embedded systems and building engineering to develop the backbone of a Digital Twin Technology. For this you will count with access to a case study in Singapore of several buildings, as well as information regarding one ore more main infrastructure networks (e.g., telecommunications, electric, cooling, sanitary, gas, and fire-safety). 

You will count with a budget to set-up your own physical network of sensors, edge-computing, and local network in our Laboratory. This physical network will aim to represent the main components of the case study. You will use this physical network to emulate the performance of a real system and study potential failures on a critical system of the case study. In particular, we are interested in the resilience of the power systems, but other systems such as fire-safety, gas networks could potentially be studied.

We are looking for a candidate with a strong technical background, as well as presentation and writing skills.

The Ideal candidate MUST have the following skills:

• A Master degree in Building-, Electrical-,Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience with micro-components, demonstrated by exemplary projects building a network of sensors, and collecting information via Wifi, Bluetooth or LORAWAN
• Excellent mathematical programming skills and knowledge on current Machine Learning Models.
• Excellent coding skills in Matlab, Python, Arduino
• Excellent Presentation and Writing Skills.
• Business-level Fluency in English.

The Ideal candidate COULD have the following skills:

• A Doctoral degree in Building Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience working with Digital Twin technology.
• Excellent record of publications in peer reviewed journals in the field.
• Business-level Fluency In Italian or German.

The Singapore-ETH Centre provides a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment to researchers working on diverse themes focussed on sustainable and liveable cities, resilient urban systems, and patient-centric healthcare. The centre is home to a community of over 100 doctoral, postdoctoral and professorial researchers working in three main programmes: Future Cities Laboratory, Future Resilient Systems, and Future Health Technologies.