Research Project
The recently awarded Dutch Coastline Challenge (DCC) project will investigate and support decision making on long term (>10 year) coastal maintenance strategies for the Netherlands that are sustainable on the long term (i.e. beyond 2050). Currently, shoreface nourishments are the main strategy along the majority of the Dutch sandy coast to protect the dunes and hinterland. Over the last decades, this nourishment strategy has been successfully optimized to provide the maximum safety against flooding for the lowest costs. Projected sea level rise, changing weather climates, changing views on (CO2) emissions, dredging contract forms, sediment scarcity and ecology may however very well require alternative beach maintenance strategies in the future. The DCC project with its five interconnected workpackages spread out over different partners is focused on advancing to coastal maintenance policy by evaluating concrete examples of alternative sustainable nourishment strategies.

TU Delft Workpackage
The TU Delft workpackage in the project focusses on identifying and evaluating alternative nourishment concepts. Alternatives can be in terms of location, volume, frequency, shape amongst others. Innovations in low-emission dredging technology may induce an increased interest in nourishments higher in the coastal profile. Moreover, the impact of nourishments on beach, surfzone and dredging pit ecology is a topic of discussion. Depending on the ecological species and the form of nourishment, the time scale of recovery can be from months to years and effects may be well beyond the area of ​​the nourishment itself. There are however not many quantitative tools for nature-inclusive design of nourishments yet. Some suggestions have been made for reducing the impact, such as concentrated application to reduce the disturbance area, application in thin layers or creating extra heterogeneity with mosaics, but it is still unclear how these would evolve morphologically and to what extent these alternatives are feasible and applicable to the Dutch situation.

Within work package, various maintenance concepts are compared starting from previous research projects. Various innovative maintenance concepts have been proposed in the recent past which will be assessed for feasibility in collaboration with dredging technology experts in the larger DCC project. We’ll synthesize from previous research (e.g. federal coastal maintenance programs, specialty nourishments (e.g. Sand Engine, outer delta nourishment), water safety projects in practice and over 10 years of ecological nourishment research) to provide an overview of the potential for different strategies. An important part of the work will be to examine morphological and ecological consequences of these concepts with conceptual and numerical model experiments.

Collaboration
Key element of the 2-year project is the close collaboration with the team of the DCC project. In the project we expect regular meetings and exchange of ideas on alternative strategies. This provides an opportunity to connect and collaborate with experts at Deltares, the Ministry of Public Works and the Dutch dredging industry.

The post-doctoral/junior Researcher we are recruiting will work in a team with dr. Matthieu de Schipper, dr. Arjen Luijendijk and Prof. Stefan Aarninkhof at TU Delft. This position has a duration of 2 years with a full-time employment. You wil be employed by Deltares and the direct working environment will be the Coastal Dynamics group within the Faculty Civil Engineering and Geosciences specialized in nourishment science, currently consisting of 3 PhDs, Dr. de Schipper and several MSc/BSc students per year. We ask you to be an active member of the group, collaborating with others to improve the success of the collective.

• A PhD on Hydraulic Engineering or Physical Geography or a related field. Candidates with a with a similar background having a MSc degree with several years of experience are also welcome to apply.
• Track record in morphological research in coastal waters.
• Understanding of the Dutch coastal system and its stakeholders is essential, enabling a rapid integration with the other project partners
• Excellent ability to think conceptually and quantitatively
• Excellent ability to communicate in English, both orally and in writing. Knowledge of the Dutch language is preferred.
• Good communication skills and ability to work in a team
• Experience in numerical morphological modelling of beaches
• Experience or strong affinity with data processing

We are committed to the diversity of our group and explicitly welcome people from all under-represented backgrounds to apply.

Fixed-term contract: 2 years.

Your formal appointment will be with Deltares, the terms and conditions of employment include a good pension scheme and numerous vacation days. 

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 and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource depletion, urbanisation and the availability of clean water, conducted  in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced that Open Science helps to achieve our goals and supports its scientists in integrating Open Science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

Department
The position is located within the department Hydraulic Engineering of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. The Department of Hydraulic Engineering aims at a thorough understanding of the behavior of rivers, estuaries, coasts, seas, and interventions in these systems. The focus is on understanding, engineering, designing, and managing human interventions in the natural environment for purposes such as: flood safety, navigation, and construction in water. The department generates and disseminates academic knowledge in an internationally highly respected tradition.

The researcher will be working in the section of Coastal Engineering (CE). The CE section focuses on research and education related to coastal engineering systems, structures and integrated coastal management. The section aims to provide an excellent academic education for future generations of coastal engineers and scientists, based on the international experience and history.