PhD: Paradoxical Leadership in Digitalized Infrastructure

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft); Delft; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

TU Delft invites applications for a PhD position examining how infrastructure leaders navigate tensions between digitalisation and sustainability. The project uses longitudinal case studies, qualitative interviews and ethnographic fieldwork within a multidisciplinary team.

You will publish your findings, present at conferences and contribute to stakeholder workshops, while developing as an independent researcher in a globally active university.

Qualifications

• A master's degree in construction management, civil engineering, project management, business administration, information systems, innovation studies or a related field.
• A strong interest in leadership, organisational change, digitalisation, sustainability and infrastructure.
• Affinity with empirical research methods, especially qualitative interviews, case study research, observations, document analysis and, ideally, ethnographic work.
• The ability to connect academic ideas with challenges faced by infrastructure organisations and public‑sector stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and a genuine curiosity about how people make decisions under competing demands.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Dutch is an advantage, but this is not specified as a formal requirement for this PhD project.

Responsibilities

• Longitudinal, embedded case study in the Dutch infrastructure domain using qualitative interviews, observations, document analysis and ethnographic fieldwork.
• Study how leaders and teams navigate short-term performance versus long-term value and digital efficiency versus environmental impact.
• Publish in journals, present at conferences and participate in stakeholder-focused workshops and knowledge-sharing events.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary supervisory team and a second PhD candidate on Infra-PaX project.

Skills

Leadership interest

Organisational change

Digitalisation

Sustainability

Empirical research methods

Analytical skills

English proficiency

Education

Master's degree in construction management, civil engineering, project management, business administration, information systems, innovation studies or related field

Job description

TU Delft invites applications for a PhD position examining how infrastructure leaders navigate tensions between digitalisation and sustainability. The project uses longitudinal case studies, qualitative interviews and ethnographic fieldwork within a multidisciplinary team.

You will publish your findings, present at conferences and contribute to stakeholder workshops, while developing as an independent researcher in a globally active university.