Software engineer MIRO

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. With more than 15,000 staff members, we are actively engaged every day in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social services. For them, Ghent University is the logical choice: it is one of the largest, most dynamic, and forward-thinking employers in the region. The university comprises 11 faculties and over 80 departments, offering high-quality, research-driven programs across all scientific disciplines.

Within Ghent University, and specifically at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, the MIRO core lab conducts research and develops innovative machines, intelligent systems, and robotics, all based on fundamental electrical and mechanical principles. Through these developments, MIRO aims to play a key role in addressing major societal challenges such as Europe’s Green Deal and Industry 4.0/5.0.

MIRO consists of 18 professors, six laboratories, and more than 180 researchers. They design and develop both digital and physical solutions with the goal of achieving excellence in sustainability, precision, speed, and functionality. The researchers are also active within Flanders Make, the strategic research center for the Flemish manufacturing industry. Their specific research domains include electrical engineering and mechanics, dynamic systems and control, thermo-fluids; with applications in production, energy, automotive, compressors, agriculture, and textiles.

Software Professionalization as a Key to Impact

Research within the laboratories relies heavily on numerical models and data. These models are becoming increasingly complex, large-scale, and multi-physical, often interconnected with other models. Data from test setups and research projects is frequently difficult to structure, manage, and store. Models and data are also combined to create digital twins, smart systems, and innovative designs.

To help researchers gain better control over their models and data, we are looking for a motivated Software Engineer who will contribute to the professionalization of internal software processes within MIRO. By doing so, you will lay the foundation for more robust and efficient research projects, creating real impact for companies and research partners.

YOUR TASKS

As a Software Engineering Expert, your mission is to help researchers professionalize their digital tools—numerical models and data. You will support them throughout the entire lifecycle of models and data by improving structure, documentation, maintenance, and archiving. This will create more opportunities to valorize software and the resulting research outcomes.

Your key responsibilities include:

· Guiding researchers to improve software quality

Many MIRO researchers are not professionally trained programmers. You will assist them in structuring and professionalizing their code by introducing best practices in software development, avoiding hard-coded variables, and improving overall structure. Through one-on-one sessions, you will help researchers critically review and enhance their code to raise internal software quality.

· Documentation and archiving of code

You will play a crucial role in improving the documentation and long-term usability of research software. Beyond preparing code for publications, you will ensure that software remains accessible for future researchers and external partners. You will promote the correct use of platforms such as GitHub and develop tools and workflows for automated documentation, version control, and creating manuals or tutorials for larger software packages.

· Initiating integrated software platforms

MIRO aims to move from isolated software components to coherent, widely applicable software stacks. These stacks consist of well-structured and documented modules forming a robust, reusable system that captures the group’s expertise and research results. As a software engineer, you will take the lead in setting up these platforms, integrating diverse codebases from various researchers and projects into a maintainable whole.

· Building expertise in data integration and software ecosystems

Many large MIRO software projects interact with extensive datasets and/or commercial software packages. While some code can be shared publicly via platforms like GitHub, there is a need for best practices on storing datasets, choosing repositories, and ensuring optimal communication between software, data, and external tools. You will develop these practices and actively share knowledge within the lab.

· Researching and advising on cloud-based data solutions

Industry increasingly relies on cloud platforms such as Azure and Databricks for big data processing and machine learning. Your role will be to establish good practices for using these tools and help researchers integrate them efficiently into their software, with attention to scalability, reproducibility, and maintainability.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a Master’s degree in informatics, computer science or related.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer you a two years contract that can be extended to infinite duration.
• Your contract will start on 1/03/2026 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale WM1 to WM4. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and a transcript of your academic record (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field “other documents”: a reference letter, an overview of your study results, etc.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Wim Van Paepegem (Wim.VanPaepegem@UGent.be). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via selecties@ugent.be.