Are you excited about pushing the limits of real-time computing for next-generation high-tech systems?

Join Us!
The Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is looking for an ambitious PhD candidate to join the Parallel Computing Systems (PCS) group. This position is part of the NWO-funded iCARe project , a collaboration between leading academic institutions and industrial partners.

In this role, you will work at the intersection of real-time systems, control theory, and computational architecture , contributing to the design of next-generation motion control platforms. You will be supervised by Andy Pimentel (UvA) and Benny Akesson (TNO-ESI & UvA). The research is carried out in close collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and ASML, where you will contribute to the development of motion control platforms for semiconductor lithography machines. The position involves close collaboration with industry, and you may be asked to spend part of your time (on average up to one day per week) working on ASML premises in Eindhoven.

This is what you will do
As a PhD candidate, you will work on the design of next-generation computational platforms for advanced industrial motion control systems , with a particular focus on semiconductor lithography.

These systems impose extreme requirements on timing predictability, computational performance, and scalability. Control performance in such systems depends not only on the control algorithms themselves, but also on how they are executed on complex multi-core computing platforms.

Your research will address key questions such as:

How do timing effects (e.g. latency, jitter, and resource contention) in computing platforms impact motion control performance and stability?
How can computational platforms be designed and configured to explicitly optimize control performance?
How can we co-design control algorithms, scheduling strategies, and computing architectures to improve overall system performance?

Concretely, you will:

Model and analyze the interaction between control algorithms and computational platforms , including task execution behavior, timing characteristics, and data dependencies;
Quantify the effect of timing variations (such as delays and jitter) on motion control performance using realistic system models and industrial use cases;
Develop novel scheduling strategies for real-time control workloads, taking into account both computational constraints and control requirements;
Design and evaluate computational architectures (e.g. multi-core and heterogeneous platforms) tailored to high-performance motion control systems;
Develop design-space exploration methods and tools to analyze trade-offs between performance, scalability, and cost;
Validate your methods in an industrial context , in close collaboration with ASML and TU/e, using realistic motion control scenarios.

Your work will directly contribute to the development of next-generation motion control platforms for lithography systems, ensuring both strong scientific contributions and real industrial impact.

What we ask of you
You are motivated to work at the interface of multiple disciplines and enjoy tackling complex system-level challenges.

Your experience and profile:

a Master’s degree in Control Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field;
experience with control systems and at least one of the following areas: 1) real-time systems and scheduling, or 2) computer architecture or embedded systems
familiarity with optimization, distributed/parallel systems, or system modeling is an advantage;
strong analytical and programming skills;
ability to work independently as well as in an interdisciplinary team;
excellent command of written and spoken English.

This is what we offer you
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is as soon as possible. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,204 to € 4,051 (scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile promovendus / PhD student is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Curious about our extensive secondary benefits package? You can read more about it here.

You will work in this team
The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000 and 1,800 staff members working in education, research, and support services.

You will be based at the Institute for Informatics within the Parallel Computing Systems (PCS) group at the University of Amsterdam. The PCS group is internationally recognized for its work in system-level modeling, simulation, and design-space exploration of complex computing systems.

Within the iCARe project, you will collaborate closely with:

researchers from TU/e specializing in control systems and system engineering;
engineers from ASML working on cutting-edge semiconductor equipment.

This position offers a unique opportunity to combine fundamental research with direct impact on real-world high-tech systems.

Want to know more about our organization? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the red button. Applications will be accepted until and including 22 January 2027. However, we will review applications on a rolling basis and may invite suitable candidates for an initial interview before the application deadline. We therefore encourage you to apply early.

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
a letter of motivation;
a list of publications;
the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.

A knowledge security check will be part of the selection procedure.
(for details: national knowledge security guidelines )

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

If you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

Prof. dr. Andy Pimentel, a.d.pimentel@uva.nl

PhD Position in Computational Platforms for Advanced Motion Control

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