Job Description

If you are building your career as a researcher in systems engineering, interface management, and complex product development — and you are looking for a PhD where your research addresses one of the most persistent sources of delay, rework and cost overrun in large engineering programmes — this opportunity is for you.

At DTU, you will investigate how interface management and systems engineering can help organisations coordinate design and manufacturing across company boundaries, where complexity cannot be designed away but must be actively managed. Using Danish naval shipbuilding as your empirical case, you will study how interfaces between structure, propulsion, fluid systems, electrical power, sensors, weapons and control software can be specified, verified and maintained across a distributed, multi-site, multi-company construction programme. Through close collaboration with industrial and organisational partners, you will build a research profile combining scientific rigor with hands-on engagement in one of Denmark's largest ongoing engineering programmes.

The PhD project is hosted within the Section of Engineering Design and Manufacturing Systems at the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, DTU. You will investigate how interface management and systems engineering can reduce delays, integration problems and errors that arise when interfaces between subsystems are poorly understood, particularly in projects delivered across multiple companies and suppliers. The empirical part of the project will be developed and tested on naval ship programmes, using Denmark's current naval modernisation programme — delivered through distributed, multi-site construction — as a live and accessible case. The framework and methods you develop are intended to be generic and applicable beyond shipbuilding, to any multi-domain, multi-company development programme.

Responsibilities and qualifications

Your overall purpose will be to investigate how interface management and systems engineering can reduce delays, integration problems, and other errors that arise in the design phase of large manufacturing projects when interfaces between systems are poorly understood, particularly when working across multiple companies and suppliers rather than within a single organisation. Your research will give designers methods for understanding how subsystems interact as a combined system and for making designs robust to change across the system lifecycle, and give buyers a basis for specifying and governing interfaces across a distributed supplier base and evaluating competing designs on long-term adaptability.

Your primary tasks will be to:

• Conduct a literature study of interface management, systems engineering and modularity, and map current practice in Danish and international naval shipbuilding
• Develop and conceptualise an updated framework for interface management across organisations with multiple companies and suppliers
• Apply and validate the framework on naval ship case studies, in collaboration with industrial partners
• Investigate how interface management and systems engineering can support future-proofing and modularity of large-scale systems such as naval ships
• Disseminate research through scientific publications and conferences, and in collaboration with industrial and academic partners.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with the following qualifications:

• M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline
• Knowledge of systems engineering, interface management, product architecture, or modularization
• Interest in, or experience with, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Understanding of large-scale, multi-domain engineering projects (e.g. shipbuilding, offshore, aerospace, or other complex systems)
• Ability to work independently, manage research activities, and collaborate with industrial and organisational partners across companies
• Strong analytical skills and a structured approach to research
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

You 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.

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 DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Professor and Head of section Niels Henrik Mortensen.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its 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 characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please see DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures

The period of employment is 3 years. The position is a full-time position.

Our preferred starting date is 1 October 2026 or by mutual agreement.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here

Further information

You can read more about Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineeringat https://construct.dtu.dk/ and Section of Engineering Design and Manufacturing Systems https://construct.dtu.dk/sections/engineering-design-and-manufacturing-systems

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “ PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 1 September 2026 (23:59 Danish time)

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• A copy of your BSc thesis (in pdf)
• A copy of your MSc thesis (in pdf)
• A copy of your scientific articles (if any) published so far (in pdf)

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Civil and Mechanical Engineering develops and utilises science and technical knowledge for the benefit of society and the sustainable development. We undertake research, education, innovation, and scientific advice of the highest quality within building design and processes, building construction and safety, building energy and technical services, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, coastal and maritime engineering, materials technology, manufacturing engineering, engineering systems design, design for sustainability, and thermal energy.

The Section of Engineering Design and Manufacturing Systems (EDM) advances the design of intelligent, resilient, and sustainable products and manufacturing systems. Research covered by the section integrates systems engineering, modular architectures, robust and bio-inspired design, portfolio and risk management, and AI-enabled engineering. By combining engineering knowledge, industrial data, and artificial intelligence, we develop next-generation engineering methods and digital platforms that accelerate innovation, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and enable intelligent decision-making across the product lifecycle.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.