A PhD Fellowship (Boursier de Doctorat in French) (f/m/x) in AI-Driven Optimisation for Energy Communities

Votre mission

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Mons (UMONS), Belgium, invites applications for a three-year PhD fellowship within the Horizon Europe project AISCEND (AI-driven, socially embedded forecasting and energy sharing for community-centered grids).

The research will focus on combining mathematical optimisation and artificial intelligence to improve energy sharing and flexibility management in energy communities.

You will develop day-ahead scheduling methods integrating renewable generation, flexible demand, storage and electricity-grid constraints.
The work will explore decision-focused learning and machine-learning-assisted optimisation to improve decision quality and computational efficiency.

You will also investigate reinforcement learning to adapt energy-management decisions to forecast errors and changing operating conditions.

In collaboration with European partners, you will contribute to integrating these methods into an agentic AI platform for coordinated energy management.

The developed approaches will be tested and validated in the Belgian living lab, involving energy communities supported by IDETA, in collaboration with distribution system operator ORES.

Particular attention will be paid to collective self-consumption, user comfort, voluntary participation and human-in-the-loop decision-making.

Applicants should hold a Master's degree in electrical engineering, energy engineering, computer science engineering or a related engineering field, with strong programming and quantitative skills.

An interest in electric power systems, optimization, machine learning and energy economics, together with good communication skills in English, is essential.

Votre profil

• Applicants should hold a Master's degree in electrical engineering, energy engineering, computer science engineering or a related engineering field.
• Excellent applicants able to start immediately will be given precedence.
• An experience in engineering of 1 to 4 years is required.
• Strong programming (Python, Julia) and quantitative skills are required.
• An interest in electric power systems, optimization, machine learning and energy economics, together with good communication skills in English, is essential.

Notre offre

What we offer

• An international and multidisciplinary research environment: The opportunity to work within a European research consortium, collaborating with leading academic institutions, research organizations, technology developers, public authorities, and energy-sector stakeholders across Europe.
• Interdisciplinary research opportunities: Active involvement in innovative research at the intersection of electrical and energy engineering, economics, machine learning and operations research, fostering the development of a broad and complementary scientific skill set.
• Scientific and professional development: Opportunities to strengthen research expertise, develop methodological and analytical competencies, contribute to high-quality scientific publications, and participate in international conferences, workshops, and scientific events.
• Career development and networking: Opportunities to expand international academic and professional networks, establish new research collaborations, and strengthen the candidate's profile for future academic, research, or innovation-oriented careers.
• International mobility and visibility: Opportunities to participate in European consortium meetings, research exchanges, international workshops, and dissemination activities, enhancing the candidate's scientific visibility and international experience.

• Contract type: Fixed-term employment and temporary contract, in accordance with applicable Belgian legislation and UMONS employment regulations.
• Contract duration: 12 months, which could be renewed two times to reach a total of 36 months, subject to the project's implementation schedule and available funding
• Working arrangements: Full-time position, in accordance with the working-time regulations applicable at UMONS
• Work location: Mons, Belgium, with opportunities for international mobility and participation in European project activities
• Expected starting date: 01 st January 2027
• Remuneration: Salary determined according to the applicable UMONS salary scales and relevant professional experience, in accordance with institutional regulations

Three-year PhD fellowship (Horizon CL5-2026-03-D3-22 , Type of Action: HORIZON-IA)

Intéressé(e) ?

Interested candidates shall send an updated CV, including a list of scientific publications, and a list of two professional or academic referees, to: [email protected] and [email protected]

Best candidates will be invited for an online interview.

UMONS aims to be a diverse and inclusive community. Job vacancies respect the principle of non-discrimination and the recruitment procedure guarantees fair treatment of applications regardless of the gender, presumed race or ethnic origin, social origin, religion or beliefs, disability, age, sexual orientation or political opinions of applicants.