Are you passionate about using digital technologies to advance sustainability in building design and construction? We are looking for a post-doctoral researcher with expertise in computationally-driven design and optimization, advanced digital fabrication and robotics, and an affinity for sustainability and circularity in building practice.

The TU/e Department of the Built Environment is one of the key drivers behind the newly created Urban Development Initiative (UDI) in the Brainport region Eindhoven. In UDI we have three Research Programs, of which the Future-proof Building and Housing  Program focuses on the development and enhancement of digital design methods (such as parametric modelling, generative design, optimization strategies and the use of artificial intelligence) and digital manufacturing techniques (such as robotics and large-scale 3D printing), to increase the productivity and reduce the environmental impact of the building industry in the residental sector. The UDI Future-proof Building and Housing Program connects regional players working in a set of model/living lab locations. It closely relates to the Deparment's research focus on the development of demand-driven sustainable design and construction.

For the UDI Future-proof Building and Housing Program we are looking for an outstanding post-doctoral researcher with expertise in computationally-driven design and optimization, advanced digital fabrication and robotics, and an affinity for sustainability and material systems.

Within the program you are expected to:

• Conduct research activities on one or more of these domains: digital or robotic fabrication, computational design and (structural) optimization, impact of digitization on sustainability and productivity of the building industry;
• Publish and (co-)author papers for leading scientific journals and conferences;
• Assist the Future-proof Building and Housing research group with writing funding applications;
• Assist the Future-proof Building and Housing research group in supervising graduate students;
• Be a collaborative and independent researcher who is forward thinking in your creative and research agenda;
• Enthusiastically engage with industry partners in the UDI ecosystem as part of the living-lab activities of the group.

The UDI Future-proof Building and Housing Program works in close collaboration with municipalities and companies in the Brainport Region on urban development and building challenges at various scales from buildings to neighbourhoods, cities, and the region.

It builds on the experiences of these community-based innovation ecosystems to:

1. Drive socio-technical innovation for the future of urban living, including new flexible and adaptive housing/living concepts, circular, parametric, computational design, and building innovations.
2. Scale up learning experiences and drive sustainable transformation towards demand-driven design and construction of the built environment.

Founders of the UDI are City of Eindhoven, City of Helmond, TU/e, Brainport Development and the Fraunhofer Research Institute. UDI aims to address urban challenges by focusing the innovation agenda on the existing and potential urban problems to develop a systemic urban planning approach that integrates different sectoral approaches. 

We are looking for a candidate who meets the following requirements:

• A PhD degree in architecture, civil engineering, building sciences, or related disciplines;
• Prior research experience in one or more of these fields: innovation related to computational design, robotics, digital fabrication, structural engineering, construction processes, artificial intelligence;
• Demonstratable experience with sustainable and circular design principles, design processes, construction methods, material supply chains, and assessment systems (life cycle assessment) in the building industry.
• Strong design and process workflow visualization skills;
• Excellent scientific skills, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications;
• Demonstrated interest in collaborating with non-academic (industry, municipal, community) partners in real-life field-lab settings;
• Excellent communication skills and competence in written and spoken English;
• Value open science such as open data and reproduceable research;
• Team player who enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for 2 years.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• A gross monthly salary and benefits in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits (including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes).
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.