PDEng Trainee

Smart Buildings & Cities PDEng program

The Smart Buildings & Cities PDEng program wants to contribute to the transition towards smart, intelligent and sustainable cities where quality of life is high. This transition requires new solutions which can only be created through multiscale and transdisciplinary (design) approaches. The transition is a relevant theme for society (as reflected by the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges formulated by the European Commission), building industry and university (consider the TU/e's Strategic Areas: Energy, Health and Smart Mobility and the TU/e's Smart Cities Program).



This requires technical designers who are able to work in a multidisciplinary environment and know how to communicate with different disciplines and stake holders. This PDEng program educates trainees to become those technical designers! Please note that this program is about technological design, i.e., the process of solving problems by means of a technological design, this in contrast to (PhD) research, which is the process of understanding problems.

After the two year program our trainees become technical designers with a broad technological understanding of energy related disciplines in the built environment (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, building physics and services and ICT), who excel in their own discipline and who are able to work in multidisciplinary design teams, contribute to design issues outside their own core disciplines, integrate different technologies into new products and concepts, and who understand the commercial aspects of these innovative products and concepts.



Job description

The Department of the Built Environment of the Eindhoven University of Technology offers you a trainee position to follow a two-year post-master technological designer program, which leads to the degree of 'Professional Doctorate in Engineering' (PDEng). The SEB&C program consists of two main parts:

1. Workshops. You will follow technical workshops in which you acquire knowledge concerning important concepts of disciplines other than your own (master) specialism. You will follow these workshops with other SEB&C trainees (all with different master specialisms). The workshops increase your ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with these other disciplines in multidisciplinary design teams. Furthermore, you will follow workshops on design methods, entrepreneurship and professional skills.

2. Design projects. You will work on a design project with a group of SEB&C trainees and you will work an individual in-company assignment (see description below). The latter is a design project in collaboration with a company and the university. You work within the company structure (facilities, office desk, computer and other required equipment are provided by the company). It is your main responsibility to manage and execute the project. You are supported by an advisor from the company and an advisor from the university. A business plan for implementation or marketing of the project or product is part of the final deliverables.



A significant part of the first year of the program is dedicated to the workshops, while the second year is mostly dedicated to the in-company assignment. Nonetheless you will start working on the in-company assignment from the start of the program. The in-company assignment related to this traineeship is described below.



The Brainport Smart District in the municipality of Helmond (near Eindhoven) is under development aiming at new smart transport, health, energy solutions in a circular economy. Residents are involved is the design of their future living environment. Over the past years companies that are interested to develop and test new smart solutions were attracted and potential inhabitants of the district participated in co-creation sessions. For 2020 the construction of temporary housing is planned that will be replaced and extended the years after.

For and within this project a Digital Twin of the Brainport Smart District is developed encompassing all data about the designed and constructed urban environment to support future inhabitants and companies over the phases: Inspiration phase, Orientation phase and Realization phase. In the Inspiration phase users get more insight whether this new district meets their expectations by experiencing the 3D landscape. In the Orientation phase the user can view his/her new house in its neighborhood. In the realization phase the users can check their ideas against regulations and opportunities. The Digital Twin will be implemented as a web-based service using the technology developed by Geodan (www.geodan.nl) and (open) data standards for geographical data modelling (GIS) and building data modelling (BIM). The most important technological and scientific innovations that are expected from this project are:

•             Integrated 2D and 3D modelling to support simulations and calculations

•             Integrated 2D and 3D visualization to support AR/VR technology

•             Design checking against different type of conditions: legal, environmental, subsidies, etc.

Who can apply?

We are looking for

• An excellent and highly motivated candidate with an MSc degree in Building Science, Urban planning, or equivalent. Knowledge and experience in GIS, BIM and software development are essential.

• An interest in software engineering and applications for smart cities.

• An academic attitude in order to develop new systems and perform applied research with an integral view on what is needed for the future built environment.

• An excellent command of the English language, both in speaking and writing.

What do we provide?

We offer a fulltime traineeship of two years. The traineeship is a formal employment at the Eindhoven University of Technology according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (CAO-NU). Trainees receive a financial compensation according to this standard. Gross salary: 1913



Trainees are provided with their own work place in the building of the Department of the Built Environment. The university provides all general modern facilities belonging to first class universities; mediation in housing, excellent sports facilities, language courses, modern digital library facilities etc. For more information please visit http://www.tue.nl/en/.