Phd student (d/f/m) Intelligent Process Monitoring and Digital Twinning

Job Description:

In order to support the materials and processes department, Airbus Defence and Space is looking for a

Phd student (d/f/m) in the field of Materials & Processes, Intelligent Process Monitoring and Digital Twinning for Cold-Sprayed Repair Applications

You are looking for a PhD thesis and want to get to know the work in this area? Then apply now! We look forward to you supporting us in the Materials and Processes department as a Doktorand (d/f/m)!

Location: Manching

Start: 01.10.2026 / as soon as possible

Duration: 36 months

Your location

Located about an hour’s drive north of Munich, Manching is an up-and-coming market town that offers a wide range of leisure and cultural activities. Here, you can enjoy the quality of life in the countryside while the pleasures of near-by cities are still within easy reach.

Your benefits

Attractive salary and work-life balance with an 35-hour week (flexitime).

Traveling overseas or within Germany (team events) is possible after consultation and agreement from the department.

International environment with the opportunity to network globally.

Work with modern/diversified technologies.

At Airbus, we see you as a valuable team member and you are not hired to brew coffee, instead you are in close contact with the interfaces and are part of our weekly team meetings.

Opportunity to participate in the Generation Airbus Community to expand your own network.

The repair of metallic components using cold spray technology is subject to increasingly stringent quality requirements, particularly in safety-critical applications. Ensuring process stability and part integrity demands advanced monitoring strategies. However, current quality control methods are typically performed offline (ex-situ), leading to delayed defect detection and increased scrap rates. Moreover, certain critical and non-acceptable defects remain undetectable with conventional approaches.

To enable a true "Industry 4.0" implementation and establish cold spray as a qualified repair technology for high-integrity components, an integrated, real-time process monitoring system is essential. Such a system must continuously analyze production data and correlate it directly with component quality.

This PhD project aims to develop a data-driven monitoring framework that combines sensor-based process data acquisition with advanced machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The goal is to create an intelligent diagnostic tool capable of detecting process deviations in real time and feeding them into a digital twin architecture, enabling proactive optimization of process parameters in an industrial environment.

Your tasks and responsibilities

Conduct a comprehensive state-of-the-art review on detectability of process  irregularities and anomalies using sensor technologies (NDT & PM)

Identify and integrate suitable sensor systems for capturing process-relevant signals correlated with deposition parameters

Establish a robust data acquisition strategy and implement preprocessing pipelines for large-scale datasets (Big Data)

Design and implement machine learning models and AI algorithms for automated recognition of process patterns and quality deviations

Develop a digital twin framework by linking real-time monitoring data with physical process behavior

Evaluate the reliability and robustness of the monitoring system under realistic conditions

Implement the complete data pipeline into an industrial setup for validation and demonstration

Preparation of conference papers and scientific publications in accordance with industrial guidelines and internal approval processes

 

 Desired skills and qualifications

Completed Master’s degree from a university in the field of Computer Science, Mechatronics, Physics, Data Science, or a related engineering or natural science discipline

Strong background in data signal processing and machine learning (ML/AI)

Proven experience with programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, or C++; familiarity with ML libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn) is highly desirable

Ability to quickly grasp interdisciplinary challenges beyond your core expertise

Creative problem-solving skills and an innovative mindset – we seek candidates who go beyond standard approaches and explore novel solutions

Analytical thinking and the ability to model complex physical phenomena

Willingness to plan, coordinate, and carry out a multi-month research stay at a European partner institution, if required

Basic understanding of manufacturing processes or materials science is an advantage

Excellent written and spoken English skills; German is a plus

 

Please upload the following documents: cover letter, CV, relevant transcripts, enrollment certificate. 

Not a 100% match? No worries! Airbus supports your personal growth.

Take your career to a new level and apply online now!

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This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH

Employment Type: PHD, Research

Experience Level: Student

Job Family: Support to Management <JF-FA-ES>

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At Airbus, we support you to work, connect and collaborate more easily and flexibly. Wherever possible, we foster flexible working arrangements to stimulate innovative thinking.