Are you interested in contributing to knowledge development for the sustainability transition in infrastructure through research with a real-world impact? Then we may have the right challenge for you!
Job description
For the NWO-funded project on Adaptable Design Pathway Transitions (ADEPT), we are looking for a highly motivated postdoc researcher. This fully funded position is offered as a 0,8 or 1,0 FTE appointment.
Infrastructure transitions are happening all around us. We can find them in circular design, application of digital technologies as well as in solar, wind and nature-inclusive energy solutions. In the Netherlands, the national infrastructure systems are managed and governed by various infrastructure agencies, each responsible for their own networks, i.e., railroads, motorways, airports, seaports, energy grids and waterways. These agencies are competent in decision-making regarding their own transitions. However, they are also affected by and care about the decisions made by other agencies. This sprawl of changes among the various agencies raises questions about their interwovenness and their implications for the users and stakeholders of infrastructure systems. What if different technologies, pursued by some agencies, are incompatible for the different systems and stakeholder needs? What if certain decisions are made based on policy ambitions and agreements turn out to go against the tide of broader societal shifts?
ADEPT addresses these questions. In the short term, relevant communication lines are needed between the organizations about their decisions. In the long term, the ability of these agencies to redirect their aims in a continually changing policy landscape needs to be developed. For example, their own ambitions and goals are likely to change and should not lead to ineffective policy mixes and irreversible dead-end paths as time progresses. ADEPT proposes that a systems-of-systems approach helps to place and pace an individual agency’s ambitions into a more systemic orientation: How does the Netherlands need to govern infrastructure transitions for the long term in a constantly changing environment?
You will be embedded as a postdoc in the ADEPT team. In your role as a senior researcher, you will:
- work with an interdisciplinary team of five research staff from TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam and one PhD researcher;
- lead work package 3 on the subject of systems-of-systems governance;
- collaborate with four infrastructure agencies engaged in transitions for parts of their infrastructure.
Requirements
We are looking for:
- A PhD with a background in Civil Engineering, Public Administration or Public Policy, or Transition and/or Innovation studies
- A Dutch speaking candidate (preferred)
- Strong skills in qualitative research methods
- Good communicative and entrepreneurial skills, independent attitude paired with an ability to work in a research team
- A new team member who is able to lead a work-package and involve the research team and industrial partners in knowledge co-creation and sharing activities.
Conditions of employment
Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (based on scale 10: € 2.960,00 – € 4.670,00). The employment contract is agreed for 2 year. The position is open for 32-40 hours per week. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.
For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.
TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.
At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.
Challenge. Change. Impact!
Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment
The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy from early in the morning until late at night, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on ‘design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.
Additional information
For more information about this position, please contact Daan Schraven, Associate Professor New Economics in the Built Environment, email: d.j.f.schraven@tudelft.nl
For information about the selection procedure, please contact Julia Kreuwel, HR Advisor, email: hr-bk@tudelft.nl.
Interviews will be conducted in 2 rounds:
- First round: 11-13th September
- Second round: 25th-29th September
Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 31 August 2023 via the application button and upload your:
- Motivation letter (max 1 A4)
- Research plan (max 2 A4’s)
- Curriculum Vitae
Please note:
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- A pre-Employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
FACULTY/DEPARTMENT
Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment
JOB TYPE
Postdoc Positions
SCIENTIFIC FIELD
Engineering
HOURS PER WEEK
32-40
SALARY
€ 2.960,00 – € 4.670,00
DESIRED LEVEL OF EDUCATION
Doctorate
VACANCY NUMBER