Professional Doctorate Candidate in the maritime field

Closing date: Closes with sufficient candidates
Location: Amsterdam
Salary: € 4.173,00 - € 6.359,00
Employment: 32 – 40 hours
Contract: Temporary 1-year contract, with extension option of 3 years to finalize the professional doctorate time-frame

Are you interested in making the (maritime) maintenance sector safer and more sustainable? In bringing the output of academic research to full potential in everyday practice? Would you like to work on state-of-the-art practice-based research questions straight from the maintenance sector? Read on!

Where else than at AUAS…

• Are you able to research new capabilities to enable a sustainable restoration of parts of high value with an efficient repair process?
• Do you have the possibility to contribute to a safer and more sustainable sector by combining academic and practice-based research?
• Are you provided with the opportunity to work in a practice-oriented equivalent of University PhD tracks at a university of applied sciences, in Amsterdam?

In the maritime sector, there is a need for academic and more practice-based research to reinforce each other to make the sector safer and more sustainable. Technological solutions are offered from academia. However, without a deep understanding of the everyday practice of the sector, there might be doubt that the full potential of these developments can be realized. The Professional Doctorate can bridge this gap by making knowledge practically applicable. The Professional Doctorate is the practice-oriented equivalent of PhD tracks at universities where the candidate conducts research at a university of applied sciences at the highest level.

We are looking for candidates who recognize themselves in one or more of the following profiles:

• Managers and senior professionals working in private/public organizations in the maritime domain.
• Academic staff working at universities of applied sciences/universities looking for a further step in their research career.

Do you want to know if this job is right for you? Call or send a WhatsApp message to Konstantinos Stamoulis, Professor, Aviation Engineering, 06- 21155138 or Hubert Schaafsma, Maritime Studies, 06- 11719290 and get in touch!

Here's how you will make a difference:
You will conduct practice-oriented research that contributes to the sustainability, safety, and competitiveness of the maritime sector. In particular, our group is engaged in multiple (inter-)national research projects which include the topic of repair innovations. With the introduction of novel repair methodologies, such as the cold spray method, new capabilities can be developed to enable a sustainable restoration of parts of high value with an efficient repair process.

This Professional Doctorate is the practice-oriented equivalent of PhD tracks at universities where the candidate conducts research at a university of applied sciences at the highest level. Our group is engaged in multiple (inter-)national research projects which include the topic of cold spray. Cold spray shows great promise as a repair technology that can reduce the need for spare parts and decrease downtime.

Your professional doctorate program starts with a proposal phase. Before you start working at AUAS, you are expected to write a research proposal for the maritime program, together with the lector and supervisors. You bring in your own vision and network. After a positive assessment, via the PD-program, you receive a one-year employment contract, followed by a potential three-year contract. The aim is to submit the proposal beginning of 2026 and to start with the PD trajectory (contract) after the summer 2026.

During your Professional Doctorate route, you follow support courses to further develop yourself and your research skills. As a member of our multidisciplinary team, you are supervised by a professor and fellow researchers.

Your other perks

• A gross monthly salary between € 4.173,00 - € 6.359,00 (VSNU profile Researcher 3 scale 11), based on a full-time appointment and depending on education and experience.
• An end-of-year bonus of 8.3% and holiday allowance of 8% of your gross annual salary.
• 10.7 holiday weeks per year with a 40-hour working week.
• Entitlement to various types of leave, such as (un)paid parental leave, care leave, adoption and foster care leave, and various other arrangements.
• A travel allowance for your commute, an NS-Business Card, your own AUAS bicycle, or a tax incentive to purchase your own bicycle. If you are unable to use personal or public transport to travel to work, e.g., because of a disability, we will explore alternate possibilities together.
• Discounts on various facilities, such as books, cultural courses, soft- and hardware, and a number of insurances.
• A strong focus on your job satisfaction, work-life balance, and vitality.
• A good pension scheme via the ABP pension fund.
• A monthly internet allowance, a laptop, and smartphone on loan.
• Last but not least: a chance to work in a dynamic and pleasant environment with wonderful colleagues. You and your colleagues can also get together outside work, e.g., in one of our communities such as HvAPride, HvA Alumni, HvA United, JongHvA, and FEM IT.

Have a look at our employment conditions here and learn more about the tailor-made opportunities we offer.

What you bring to the table:
At AUAS, no two employees are the same. No matter who you are, you are sure to be a valuable addition to our team. You are independent, persistent, curious, have a collaborative spirit, and a drive to improve practice.

You also possess:

• A completed university of applied sciences or university master’s degree in the maritime field or in another relevant field e.g., Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or similar with a research topic relevant for this project;
• Affinity with the solid mechanics and materials engineering background;
• A demonstrable good command of the English language (at least level C1); A good command of the Dutch language or willingness to learn is a plus;
• An EU residency or work permit is mandatory;
• Prior experience in mechanical testing and/or materials characterization is highly desirable;
• Up-to-date knowledge of maritime practice and experience in maintenance and repair is a plus;
• Research and publication experience is a plus, however, this vacancy is not open to people that already hold a Ph.D.

Become our new Professional Doctorate Candidate in the maritime field

• Upload your CV and letter of motivation via the application button. We will get back to you within two to three weeks, so keep an eye on your inbox.
• For more information about the application procedure, you can send an email to vacatures@hva.nl.
• This vacancy has been published simultaneously internally and externally. In the event of equivalent suitability, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.
• Candidates will be subject to an information security check and should live and work in the European Union already.
• We apply the AUAS Job Application Code to this vacancy’s recruitment and selection process. No (recruitment) agencies please.

Creating tomorrow at the Faculty of Technology
At the Faculty of Technology, students, teachers, researchers, and external partners work intensively together on current issues in society. Consider challenges such as climate, sustainability, housing shortage, transport, and health.

Together with our partners, our education and research make a substantial contribution to technical and technological solutions for social issues of today and the future. All our employees contribute to this from their own expertise and thus literally lay the foundation for the developments of tomorrow!

Talent as our foundation, diversity as our strength
No two of our more than 45,000 students and 4,500 employees are the same! Can you imagine how dynamic that enormous diversity of personalities, backgrounds, and perspectives is? It is also important because we believe it is this diversity that makes us even more valuable as both an employer and as a university of applied sciences of and for the metropolitan region of Amsterdam. We strive to have our staff reflect the rich diversity that Amsterdam has to offer and be an organization where every employee and every student feels welcome, valued, and at home. Whoever you are: you are welcome here!