Ph.D. in Additive Manufacturing of Shape Changing Polymers (F/M/D)

Facing the challenges of our time - Help us grow and be more impactful!

The Additive Manufacturing and Component Reliability group within CSEM’s Micro and Nano Systems Business Unit, based in Neuchâtel, is offering a PHD position in additive manufacturing of shape-changing polymers – starting date ideally in Q2 2026 / for a duration of 4 years.

 

Your mission

Your goal will be to develop the additive manufacturing of shape-changing polymers to produce miniature valves. This technology will be used in wearable medical devices. Your research will be focused on resin formulation, micro-stereolithography (µSLA) process optimization, device architecture design, and performance validation.

 

Your responsibilities

The project integrates polymer chemistry, process engineering, and experimental characterization. Key responsibilities include :

• Resin development: formulate photocurable, stimuli-responsive resins; tune and characterize thermal, mechanical, and printing properties; assess biocompatibility in collaboration with life sciences experts.
• µSLA process development: optimize printing parameters to reliably fabricate miniature valves with precise internal features.
• Valve design and integration: design stimulus-responsive valve architectures and integrate actuation and control electronics with embedded-systems specialists.
• Testing and validation: develop test setups to evaluate valve performance, durability, reproducibility, and failure modes.
• Dissemination and collaboration: publish and present results, support IP activities, and collaborate with system integration partners.

 

Your profile

Know-how

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Strong background with polymer chemistry and materials science of stimuli-responsive polymers.
• Hands-on experience with SLA-based additive manufacturing, CAD design, programming and or experimental characterization are strong assets.
• Further experience in mechanical, thermal, and multiphysics modelling to support design optimization is a plus.
• Strong communications skills in English. French and or German is a plus.

Interpersonal skills

• Curious and creative, with a strong desire to innovate across disciplines.
• Proactive, hands-on, and results driven.
• Able to work both independently and in collaboration with multidisciplinary partners.
• Strong organizational skills.

CSEM mission and values

Our mission is the development and transfer of innovative technologies to the Swiss industry. Our objective is to make an impact on our customers and on society at large in the fields of precision manufacturing, digital technologies and sustainable energy. Our strength is the excellence of our people, about 650 passionate specialists dedicated to innovation and technology transfer. We believe that strong values support the successful development of our organization as well as the harmonious and balanced development of all our employees.

We are

• A unique place between research and industry at the cutting edge of new technologies
• An innovative, non-profit, and employee-driven company
• A dynamic, multidisciplinary, and multicultural environment
• A solar team focused on enabling solutions to energy challenges for a sustainable world

Working@CSEM means

• being part of a passionate community
• incredible flexibility, attractive working conditions, and great opportunities of development
• benefit from a management style based on trust & feedback and that favors a work-life balance

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity.
We look forward to receiving your complete application file via (CV, cover letter, certificates & diplomas) our job page. Preference will be given to professionals applying directly.