• Are you a motivated and enthusiastic recent or soon-to-be MSc graduate interested in an academic career?
• Do you want work on improving model-based decision support for the energy transition?
• Do you want to join a lively interdisciplinary research group in one of the world’s leading public research universities?
• Do you have solid quantitative skills that you want to develop further, perhaps adding programming and open-source scientific software development?

We are looking for a new PhD candidate to start as soon as possible. Your main supervisor will be Stefan Pfenninger (www.pfenninger.org), Assistant Professor of Energy Systems Modelling, and you will be working closely with Francesco Lombardi (www.flombardi.org), postdoctoral researcher in the same group.

You will be developing and improving optimization models to develop pathways for the energy transition in Europe and beyond, related especially to wind energy, including onshore, offshore and novel (airborne, floating) technologies, repowering practices, and novel wind farms designs. We are also particularly interested in candidates that have prior experience with or an interest in developing novel mathematical formulations that go beyond the cost-minimisation paradigm usually prevalent in energy system optimization models, to develop radically new ways of creating and assessing energy system scenarios and pathways with direct relevance to real-world decision making. In particular this will include balancing local benefits and costs with system-wide benefits and costs, and developing ways to visualize and communicate resulting trade-offs.

The position will be part of the research project JustWind4All, and collaborating with diverse project partners from around Europe will form part of the work.

You will join a lively community of internationally renowned interdisciplinary energy researchers in the Department of Engineering Systems and Services. Our faculty hosts a diverse group of people from different countries and disciplines, and we welcome candidates that contribute to and enjoy this diversity. We expect that as part of your PhD you will take the lead on interacting and collaborating with other researchers at TU Delft, with research groups at other universities, and with industry and other stakeholders.

You must be able to demonstrate:

• Masters degree in science, engineering, or economics (must have been awarded by the agreed-upon starting date of the PhD)
• Strong quantitative skills
• Very good written and spoken communication skills in English (Dutch is not required)

Our ideal candidate additionally can demonstrate one or several of:

• Programming experience in Python, R, or a similar language
• Prior research experience, especially in energy system modelling or other energy-related research

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

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 Technology, Policy and Management

With its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy, the Faculty of TPM makes an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. We combine insights from the engineering sciences, the social and the humanities. We develop robust models and designs, are internationally oriented and have an extensive network with knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.