Numerical Tribology Expert - Automotive Business

SKF has been around for more than a century and today we are one of the world’s largest global suppliers of bearings and supporting solutions for rotating equipment. Our products can be found literally everywhere in society. This means that we are an important part of the everyday lives of people and companies around the world.

In September of 2024, SKF announced the separation of its Automotive business, with the objective to build two world-leading businesses. The role you are applying for will be part of the automotive business. This means you will have the opportunity to be a part of shaping a new company aimed at meeting the needs of the transforming global automotive market.

Would you like to join us in shaping the future of motion? 

We are now looking for a …

Numerical Tribology Expert - Automotive Business

Automotive is all about bold innovation, execution with speed and outstanding quality. Bring your passion for new technologies and experience in surface engineering and you will be part of the core technical team, the Technology Office, for our new automotive ventures. In this highly technical role, you will be a key team member, overcoming complex technical challenges to enhance the value of customized automotive products. You will be the reference and owner of numerical tribology knowledge, interacting globally with colleagues, customers, and industry experts from universities to suppliers. This pivotal role will require handling of bearing surface and lubrication mathematical models as an enabler for wear and friction prediction, contributing to boost innovation momentum and securing cutting-edge technologies. The Technology Office will be composed of a pool of experts skilled in multiple technology areas essential for a leading automotive bearing supplier: material science (steel and non-metallic materials), tribology, manufacturing processes (such as heat treatment, machining and forming), life prediction, NVH & diagnostics.

Key responsibilities 

• Modeling of bearing features: material wear (steel, polymer, coatings), surface failures, friction
• Modeling of bearing application: induced force and vibration due to surface imperfections
• Expand electrical erosion phenomena knowledge, as a result of interaction of tribo-chemical bearing surface layer with electric current
• Optimize tribological test methods and enrich the tribological know-how, suitable for bearing modeling
• Owner of the tribology roadmap as input for digital engineering tools, including dynamic multibody simulation for transient analysis
• Training & knowledge owner related to bearing surface models 
• Coordinate external collaborations

Requirements

• A PhD or MSc in tribology or related field with significant modelling experience. Elasto-hydrodynamic (EHL) modelling proficiency is of particular interest;
• Demonstrated experience in computational tribology with the focus on modeling various surface failure modes under (mixed) lubrication conditions;
• Broad knowledge of advanced numerical methods for solving contact mechanics problems (e.g. familiarity with FFT, Boundary Integral Method, Finite Element Method, … is a prerequisite);
• Knowledge and understanding of multiscale physics of contact problems
• Practical experience of (in-house) code development (Python, Matlab)
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals or patents
• Membership in relevant professional organizations or associations, as well as good network of academic collaborations and external partnerships, will be considered as an advantage
• Proficient in English, both written and spoken
• Availability to travel

What you can expect:  

• Technical lead position with opportunity to build a deep knowledge foundation. 
• Train and mentor a large technical audience from product development colleagues to testing, laboratories, through application engineering 
• Enjoy a global collaboration and opportunity for technical networking by working with experts from around the world. 
• With a global footprint and customers, you will enjoy leading and inspiring across diverse cultures.

SKF is committed to creating a diverse environment, and we firmly believe that a diverse workforce is essential for our continued success. Therefore, we only focus on your experience, skills, and potential. Come as you are – just be yourself. #weareSKF

Some additional information
This position will be located in Gothenburg (Sweden). Local contract. Or, as alternative, in one of the other major SKF Automotive site in EMEA, such as Airasca (Italy), Schweinfurt (Germany), Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (France).

You will report to the Technology Office Manager.

For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Simona Collino, Recruitment Expert EMEA, at simona.collino@skf.com.

At SKF, we are committed to promoting fairness and inclusivity throughout our recruitment process. To achieve this, we may include assessments and verify the information in your application in compliance with country-specific laws and regulations. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the recruiter.

Is this you? 
If the answer is yes, submit your application with your CV in English no later than May 9, 2025. Please note that we can't accept applications via email. We will screen candidates continuously throughout the application period, so make sure to submit your application as soon as possible.