Apply for Solar Team Twente 2024

As the team manager you are responsible for the whole project. Together with the other members of the management team (MT) you determine the goals of the project, monitor the overall planning and progress and you look for solutions to problems that occur.

You are the face of the team and hence, you will regularly give presentations or speak to the press. In addition, you are the first contact for most big stakeholders of the project, such as the Foundation, the Committee of Recommendation, the core supervisors, the organization of the Solar Race and some of the biggest sponsors. You are responsible for keeping the stakeholders happy. Communication skills and a clear vision are therefore important for the team manager. Affinity with sponsoring and commercial insights are a big plus.

The team manager takes the lead in the development of the team. You know what is going on within the team and it is important to talk to all team members. Coaching and motivating are keywords for this. You discuss problems within the team with the management team and together you think of solutions. If the management team cannot figure it out, the team manager ultimately makes the decision.

Does this description sound like you? Maybe you could be the next team manager of Solar Team Twente!

Are you curious and do you want to know more? Mail to k.bouwman@solarteam.nl and all your questions will be answered.

Are you up for the challenge to inspire, inform, and enthuse people on every aspect of Solar Team Twente with your team? As Content Marketeer of Solar Team Twente you are part of the Marketing & Communications Team. You form the team together with two account managers, a public relations officer, an events coordinator and the marketing & communications manager. Together you are responsible for all media outlets such as online content, press and also the organisation of inspiring events and maintaining great relations with partners.

As content marketeer, you are responsible for the main marketing outputs of the team. Think of social media, photography, videography, our website, and graphic design. You find new ways to share the story of the team, and you’re eager to let your creativity loose on building the team’s perfect public image. You love social media and publicity stunts, and enjoy inspiring other people with your story and getting them on board with you. Your goal is to further build our online community and professionalize the communication through our social media channels, advertising and the website. Do you love writing and designing? Then this position is a perfect fit as you are given the freedom to create all the content that you like! Think about vlogs, videos, infographics, graphic design and the artwork of our car! Your task is completed when as many people as possible have heard of and seen outlets of Solar Team Twente.

As Marketing and Content Specialist within the Marketing and Communication team you are responsible for creating, maintaining and optimizing social media campaigns (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, etc.). Together with the team you set up targets for this edition. Based on these targets, you set up the social media campaigns and strategy for the social media channels. To be able to target the correct group of people you work closely with the Accountmanager. Together you compose a content plan and you will create the inspiring content fitting to the different social media channels.

We are of course looking for someone who is passionate about content marketing. As you will work with a diverse and dynamic group of people, it is convenient if you are flexible and able to switch gears quickly. Taking initiative and carrying responsibility is important and you will have enough space to do this in. Besides this you are a true teamplayer, creative, and have a good grasp of the English and Dutch language. You are good at graphic design and you are familiar with, or like to learn how to work with programs like InDesign, Photoshop, illustrator and Adobe Premiere.

In short, are you the creative genius whose hands are itching to create inspiring (social media) content for a wide variety of people? Do you love making photos and videos? Then we’re looking for you!

Do you want extra information? Send an email to n.vanderijdt@solarteam.nl.

Do we have enough energy left in our batteries to accelerate or should we slowdown in case the weather turns out worse? Is it better to keep driving with our own strategy or should we stay close to the other competitors? How much more efficient should an electromotor be if it is 4% heavier than our current electromotor? As a race strategist you’ll be dealing with these kind of questions.

During the entire year you are working for that one moment: the race. You make lots of different models for the solar car in order to be able to predict the necessary power output for the solar car in different circumstances. You take a lot of different things into account: wind speeds and directions, solar irradiance, other competitors, steep hills and the surrounding environment. During the race it is your job to calculate the optimal speed for the solar car.

During the design phase you support the technical team in difficult decisions that influence the performance of the car, like the optimal positioning of the solar cells on the car, the optimal battery pack and the specifications of the electromotor.

After the car is built, you want to get as much information about the car as possible. You are responsible for several large tests, for example testing on a large banked circuit to determine the energy consumption of the solar car at high speeds or testing the solar panel to determine its power input for different weather conditions.

Before the race you are busy preparing everything for the race: strategic plans, internet coverage, different weather scenarios, the race convoy, optimal camping spots on the route and more. During the race you are in the rear escort vehicle constantly working on different scenarios and trying to determine the optimal race strategy.

Are you a strong analytical thinker, do you have strong communication skills? Do you like analyzing data and making models? Do you perhaps even have some meteorological affinity? Then race strategy is something for you!

Experience with programming (C++/Java/Python/MATLAB) is a prerequisite.

Are you interested in a position as race strategist and do you want to know more? Mail to j.tel@solarteam.nl and all your questions will be answered!

As a mechanic of Solar Team Twente, you are responsible for all parts which can move with respect to the structural part of the car. Among these parts are the suspension, rims with tires, the braking system, the steering system and the solar charging configuration.

You work together closely with all disciplines in the technical team. The available space for the mechanical parts depends on the aerodynamical properties of the car and all the mechanical parts must be attached to the internal structure of the car. You have to discuss a lot to accomplish this, for example how to transfer the forces of the mechanical forces to the structural parts. You are not only busy with the mechanics, but you also give thought to the aerodynamical shape and internal structure of the car.

Both practical knowledge and experience in using CAD-software, as well as theoretical knowledge about the necessary technical design and simulation calculations are a must for this position. You collaborate with a lot of companies during this project. These companies help you with both the optimization and manufacturing of the designed parts. The capability to communicate clearly and have both mechanical and dynamical knowledge are very important.

Are you curious about the position and do you want to know more? Send a mail to l.evertzen@solarteam.nl and all your questions will be answered!

Within Solar Team Twente the electrical engineers make sure that the car can drive and transform it from an electric car to a solar car. To do this you will build upon the electrical systems of previous teams, searching for new opportunities for improvement and implementing them. You will design new parts and improve the existing ones, all the while making sure they work well with the already existing systems. You don’t have to do this alone, there will be constant help from old team members and technical partners.

To make the best car we must be on the cutting edge of technology, which is why we design our own systems. However, as solar car races are marathons and not sprints, the systems all must be very reliable. You will have to find the balance between innovating and making sure that everything keeps working during the race.

The electrical system of the solar car can be split up into four sub systems: drivetrain, energy storage, solar panel and telemetry. While they are all extremely important, the car won’t work if these subsystems can’t communicate with each other. You will learn about the communication between these systems, but you will also learn to communicate with the other people designing these systems.

Solar Team Twente has always been one of the best teams in terms of electrical systems, for example with our self-developed SABINE system. Are you up for the challenge of keeping it that way? Are you ready to test your electrical knowledge in a fantastic project? Can you work precise but also fast? Can you work with a team but also independently? Then you are the person we are looking for! Depending on your function within the team you will learn working with software such as Altium or LabVIEW, communication protocols such as CAN, designing an efficient but also aerodynamic solar panel, testing your own electrical parts and much more. After a lot of work, you will get the most amazing reward: seeing the car you build yourself crossing the finish line, leaving all competition far behind!

Are you curious and want to know more? Mail to j.lenssen@solarteam.nl and all your questions will be answered!

Yes, Solar Team Twente is a full-time endeavour. Your study will be on hold for 1 year. When team members work full-time, they have more opportunities to collaborate, communicate, and build relationships with each other. This consistent interaction allows team members to establish trust and dependability with one another, which ultimately leads to a stronger team bond.

No, you don’t need a technical role to apply for Solar Team Twente. If you’re looking to join one of the engineering roles a technical background is required. However, Solar Team Twente also has many non-technical roles such as Team Leader, Account Manager, or Content Marketeer to name a few.

Of course, you can! Even open applications are possible. So if you’re in doubt, don’t hesitate to apply for several positions at once.

It does not matter if you are a bachelor’s or master’s student when you join the team. This team will be an entirely new adventure regardless of your background or level of knowledge. Of course, any previous experience or knowledge is very valuable, but at Solar Team Twente we mostly pride ourselves on our ability to adapt and learn quickly. If you are a hard-working, adventurous and curious student, we want to talk to you!