GREiA Research Group - University of Lleida

Organisation/Company GREiA Research Group - University of Lleida Research Field Engineering » Industrial engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 21 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 15 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

At the University of Lleida, the GREiA research group is seeking a candidate for a PhD position to research the use of concrete as a material for high-temperature thermal energy storage (TES). The PhD candidate will investigate the use of concrete as a sensible heat storage material, with particular focus on formulations able to maintain their thermal and mechanical performance under high-temperature operation and repeated thermal cycling.

As a participant, the PhD student will be enrolled in one of the doctoral programmes at the University of Lleida. The main supervisor will be Prof. Luisa F. Cabeza.

Responsibilities and tasks

The overall aim is to develop concrete-based formulations suitable for use as a sensible heat storage material in high-temperature thermal energy storage applications and to test thermal and mechanical stability. The key tasks include:

- Design and optimisation of concrete and cementitious formulations
- Experimental characterisation of thermal, physical and mechanical properties
- Assessment of durability and analysis of degradation mechanisms
- Evaluation of the suitability of the developed materials for thermal energy storage applications
- Evaluation of the compatibility of such new materials with heat transfer fluids used in thermal energy storage

Qualifications

Candidates must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points)



or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree in Civil Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, or a similar field. Experience in concrete mix design, experimental material characterisation (e.g., thermal and mechanical testing, DSC/TGA), or thermal energy storage is a plus.

Further obligations

The PhD student will have to fulfil any requirement from the University of Lleida to obtain his/her PhD, such as a one-time UdL Doctoral Workshop and the yearly justification activities.

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at the University of Lleida. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see University of Lleida webpage .

We offer

GREiA is a research group at the University of Lleida (Lleida, Spain) that has a long experience in the fields of thermal energy storage (TES) technologies, buildings energy efficiency, artificial intelligence applied to control strategies, advanced control strategies implementation, chemical engineering and sustainable tannery processes. Since its foundation in 1999, the group has been developing TES concepts and systems for different applications, such as solar water tanks, building envelopes, buildings heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, industrial applications, and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Moreover, GREiA has developed the life cycle assessment (LCA)



of different systems such as energy-efficient buildings, energy-efficient HVAC systems, waste management systems, and others. Besides that, the University of Lleida is globally recognised for its excellence in research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterised by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective bargaining agreement for technical and engineering office staff. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 4 years.

The start date will be 15 January 2027, or according to mutual agreement. The minimum salary approximately equates to 17.190,48 € per year (pre-tax and social security), depending on the chosen candidate's seniority.

The workplace is University of Lleida in Lleida, Spain.

You can read more about the University of Lleida here and about the GREiA research group here .

All interested candidates, irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background, are encouraged to apply.

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Civil engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Materials engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Industrial engineering Energy Level Master Degree or equivalent

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field Engineering » Industrial engineering Years of Research Experience None

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute University of Lleida, GREiA Research group Country Spain State/Province Lleida City Lleida Postal Code 25003 Street Pl. de Víctor Siurana Geofield

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📌 PhD Position – Concrete for high-temperature thermal energy storage (España)
🏢 GREiA Research Group - University of Lleida
📍 España