Offer Description
Are you excited about making circular products easier to inspect, test and bring back to life? Join one of Germany's largest production-engineering institutes and develop the design methods that let optical, computed-tomography (CT) and functional inspection guide the next generation of repairable, remanufacturable products — while completing your doctorate.
About the host.
The wbk Institute of Production Science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is one of Germany's largest production-engineering institutes. Within the Production Systems research group led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gisela Lanza, the Quality Assurance team develops measurement, inspection and data-driven assessment methods for advanced and circular manufacturing. You will have access to state-of-the-art metrology and inspection infrastructure — including optical measurement systems and industrial computed tomography — and to the Karlsruhe Research Factory. The doctorate is embedded in KIT's structured doctoral training within the Collaborative Research Centre CRC 1574 "Circular Factory", in close cooperation with European industrial and academic partners.
The project.
This PhD position is part of a European doctoral training network on ecodesign and the circular economy (a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network). The network trains researchers to ensure that, in future, only environmentally sustainable and circular products enter the EU market, in line with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
Research background.
Inspection of mechatronic and mechanical components is today still dominated by manual visual checks or stand-alone functional testing. Where automated and AI-based methods exist, they focus on detecting defects rather than on understanding how design decisions shape inspectability. At the same time, ecodesign approaches prioritise disassembly and recycling but rarely integrate inspection and functional testing into the design stage. As a result, reliable pre-disassembly condition assessment of returned products remains difficult and costly.
Research objectives.
The objective is to develop an ecodesign-for-inspection framework for mechatronic products, focusing on optical inspection, CT-based structural assessment and functional testing prior to disassembly. The aim is to enhance inspectability by optimising product geometries and adding features that enable efficient, reliable condition assessment, and to connect inspection-relevant information to DPP-compliant data structures.
Expected results:
guidelines for ecodesign that integrate design-for-inspection principles; quantitative metrics and indicators that make inspectability and functionality retention assessable; data models and interfaces linking inspection outputs (optical, CT-based and functional test information) to DPP-compliant structures; and experimental validation on representative mechatronic assemblies.
Validation and secondments.
The methods will be validated through industrial case studies with European partners. The PhD includes two mandatory international secondments (2–3 months each) — for example in the drive-systems sector and in consumer-electronics remanufacturing — giving direct exposure to industrial practice and real-world remanufacturing constraints.
Please note: this position is offered within a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network and is subject to the final signature of the corresponding Grant Agreement. No formal employment commitment can be made before the Grant Agreement is signed.
Where to apply
E-mail: johannes.buchholz@kit.edu
Requirements
Research Field: Engineering » Mechanical engineering
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
- Education: You do not yet hold a doctoral degree. You hold (or will shortly complete) a Master's degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, industrial engineering, production engineering or a closely related discipline, with very good results, qualifying you for admission to a doctoral programme.
- Technical skills: Interest and ideally hands-on experience in metrology and inspection (optical measurement, computed tomography, non-destructive testing), CAD/product design, and data analysis or programming (e.g. Python); an interest in machine learning for inspection is an asset.
- Research focus: A strong interest in ecodesign, inspection and testing, remanufacturing and the circular economy in an industrial context.
- Communication: You have strong written and spoken communication skills in English and German, at a minimum B2 level.
- Drive and teamwork: Motivation to conduct independent doctoral research in a multidisciplinary, international team.
Specific Requirements
Willingness to carry out experimental research and to complete two mandatory international secondments (2–3 months each) with industrial partners.
Languages
- German: Good
- English: Excellent
Additional Information
Benefits
- Funded full-time doctoral position within an international, application-oriented research network, with structured doctoral training and individual career development.
- Remuneration according to the German public-sector collective agreement (TV-L), salary group E13, full-time (100%).
- Two international secondments with leading industrial partners, plus network-wide training events across Europe.
- Excellent research infrastructure (optical metrology, industrial CT, the Karlsruhe Research Factory) and a strong industry–science network.
- Flexible working hours, mobile-working options and KIT's family-friendly support offers.
Eligibility criteria
- Mobility rule (MSCA): At the time of recruitment, you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before 1 October 2026.
- Doctoral status: You must not already hold a doctoral degree at the start of the appointment.
Selection process
The network adheres to the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, ensuring a transparent, merit-based selection. Initial screening uses a standardised scoring matrix; shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview and a written test, followed by a final selection workshop. To support a structured, bias-aware evaluation, please complete the consortium "Summary Sheet" (download: Summary sheet.docx) and place it as the first pages of your motivation letter. To enable an initial bias-reduced review, please avoid using your first or family name in the motivation letter and in your file names (e.g. save the combined file as Summary_Motivation.pdf). KIT is committed to diversity and inclusion; we expressly welcome applications from women and people of all backgrounds, and persons with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if equally qualified.
Additional comments
The position is subject to the final signature of the Grant Agreement (expected July 2026).
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: wbk Institute of Production Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Country: Germany
State/Province: Baden-Württemberg
City: Karlsruhe
Postal Code: 76131
Street: Gotthard-Franz-Str. 5
Contact
State/Province: Baden-Württemberg
City: Karlsruhe
Website: https://www.wbk.kit.edu/produktionssysteme.php
Street: Kaiserstr. 12
Postal Code: 76131
E-Mail: johannes.buchholz@kit.edu, martin.benfer@kit.edu
Phone: +4915239502651
