Job descriptionThe overarching goal of the SPROUT project is to enable a large scale transition of the Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector toward renewable integrated, highly flexible energy hubs that can actively support the national electricity grid. Greenhouse companies currently provide a significant share of the Netherlands’ dispatchable power capacity; as they move away from fossil fuel based CHP units, the wider energy system risks losing a crucial flexibility resource. Through strategic integration hybrid energy storage systems with greenhouse operations via optimization methods, control architectures, and scalable system designs, this project aims to ensure that greenhouse energy systems can continue to provide grid supporting flexibility. These greenhouse energy hubs can thereby reduce the need for expensive new dispatchable generation capacity, enable deeper renewable energy penetration, mitigate grid congestion, and reducing CO₂ emissions at national scale.
In this PhD project, you will develop advanced predictive control methods to optimize the operation of an integrated system of hybrid energy storage systems (i.e., multi-carrier energy hub or micro-grid) and high-tech greenhouses. These hubs combine electricity, heat, hydrogen, CO₂, and other energy carriers with greenhouse climate control, resulting in a highly coupled, nonlinear, multi-timescale dynamical system. Your work will focus on building dynamic system models for both the energy conversion technologies and the greenhouse climate, integrating these into a unified framework suitable for state estimation, predictive control, and flexibility optimization. A key challenge is to quantify and exploit the inherent operational flexibility of greenhouse processes—such as lighting, heating, and CO₂ dosing—while respecting crop physiology constraints and ensuring reliable operation under uncertainty, variable energy prices, and grid balancing needs.
You will develop hierarchical and/or integrated predictive control strategies that coordinate energy hub assets with greenhouse climate actuators, exploring multiple operational objectives: cost minimization, flexibility maximization, and load shifting in response to grid signals. The project will require translating high fidelity physical/physiological models into computationally efficient control oriented models, supported by online parameter estimation to ensure adaptability across greenhouse types. Your algorithms will first be evaluated through simulation using real operational datasets, and later deployed and tested at two physical facilities: a kW scale testbed at TU Delft’s Green Village and a MW scale greenhouse hub operated by Division Q.
This PhD position is well suited for candidates eager to work at the intersection of nonlinear systems, optimal control, and energy systems engineering, with real-world impact and experimental validation. You will collaborate closely with industrial partners (eFuelution, Division Q) and interdisciplinary researchers at TU Delft (TPM, energy system modeling and optimization) and Wageningen University and Research (plant physiology), contributing directly to the Dutch horticulture sector’s transition toward more flexible, renewable integrated operation.
Teaching activities are part of your PhD trajectory and may include, for example:
supervising workgroups or lab sessions, assisting in courses, or mentoring BSc and MSc students. While teaching will not be your main responsibility, it offers valuable experience that supports your development and prepares you for future academic or professional roles. Teaching activities will not exceed 20% of your total appointment, averaged over the course of your PhD.
Job requirements - Completed a relevant Msc degree in systems and control, engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field.
- A sufficient background and strong interest in systems and control, model predictive control, and energy systems.
- Some experience in basic software engineering and implementation of algorithms in real-world experiments or industrial practice is a plus, but not required.
- Experience with greenhouse climate control is not required, but an interest in this aspect of the research is important.
TU Delft (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 Mechanical Engineering From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.
ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.
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here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These
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Conditions of employment 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 €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
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 a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.
Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit,
Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A
Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.
Additional information For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. R.D. McAllister,
r.d.mcallister@tudelft.nl.
For more information about the application procedure, please contact our HR advisors:
recruitment-me@tudelft.nl.
Application procedureAre you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than
6 April 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:
- A curriculum vitae (CV) that states your education and relevant working experience.
- A brief motivation letter describing your interest and background in the topic (no more than 1 page).
- One research-oriented documents written by the applicant (e.g., MSc thesis, journal/conference publication, project report).
- Transcript for your MSc degree including grades for courses.
You can address your application to Dr. R.D. McAllister.
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.
Please note: - You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
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