Postdoc Epistemology of Moral Experiences in Technology | TU Delft

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft); Netherlands; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ABP pension

Relocation assistance

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to lead the philosophical foundations of the Techno-Moral XP project. You will work with Dr James Hutton and Prof.

Ibo van de Poel to develop techno-moral concepts and assess their epistemic role in design decisions. The role involves publishing in prestigious journals, collaborating across philosophy and design, and contributing to an international research team focusing on ethics and technology.

Qualifications

• PhD in philosophy or close to completion with strength in metaethics, moral epistemology, ethics, or philosophy of emotion.

Responsibilities

• Develop a new conceptualisation of techno-moral experiences and distinguish them from related notions.
• Analyse the epistemic roles these experiences can play in justifying design decisions and investigate their limitations.
• Coordinate with WP2 to integrate your work with a practical design toolkit.
• Publish in leading ethics and technology-ethics journals and contribute to shaping the research frontier between moral epistemology, technology ethics and design.
• Join a supportive, international team in one of the world's strongest groups in the ethics of technology.

Skills

English proficiency

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Analytical thinking

Academic writing

Education

PhD in philosophy

Job description

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Organisation/Company Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Research Field Philosophy » Epistemology Philosophy » Ethics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 15 Nov 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 40.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Job description
Technologies increasingly shape the moral landscape of our societies. In response, approaches such as Design for Values (DfV) and Value Sensitive Design seek to embed moral values like privacy, justice, and sustainability directly into the design process. But while DfV has many methods for eliciting what people currently value, it offers virtually no guidance regarding which values are the right ones to design for, which means designers risk baking harmful or mistaken values into the technologies we all live with.
This project, Techno-Moral Experience and the Foundations of Design for Values (TechnoMoralXP), tackles that gap head-on by building a moral epistemology for DfV. Its guiding idea is that our emotional and perceptual encounters with morally significant situations—moral experiences—are central to justified moral judgement, and can be harnessed in design.
As the WP1 postdoc, you develop lead the project's philosophical foundations. Working closely with Dr James Hutton and Prof. Ibo van de Poel, you will:

• develop a new conceptualisation of techno-moral experiences and distinguish them from neighbouring notions;
• analyse the epistemic roles such experiences can play in justifying design decisions and investigate their limitations;
• integrate your work with that of WP2, where a second postdoc builds a practical design toolkit based on your findings.

You will publish in leading ethics and technology-ethics journals; help shape a new research frontier between moral epistemology, technology ethics and design; and join a supportive, international team in one of the world's strongest groups in the ethics of technology.
Job requirements

• A PhD (completed, or very close to completion) in philosophy, with strength in metaethics, moral epistemology, ethics, or philosophy of emotion — or a closely related area.
• A track record, appropriate to career stage, of high-quality research and writing in relevant areas of philosophy.
• Genuine interest in the ethics of technology and/or in Design for Values; prior work in these areas is welcome but not required.
• Competence to work in an interdisciplinary team spanning philosophy and design, and to connect abstract epistemology to applied design questions.
• Excellent command of English and excellent academic writing skills.
• Enthusiasm for contributing to the group's wider intellectual life and, on occasion, its educational activities. (Up to 10% of the postdoc's time will be spent on educational activities.)

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.
For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.
At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.
Faculty Technology, Policy & Management
The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.
Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 3 years. Temporary.
• A job of 36-40 hours per week.
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.

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 questions about the role, contact Dr James Hutton, Assistant Professor of Ethics & Philosophy of Technology ( [e-mail]) . For questions about the recruitment procedure, contact [e-mail] .
At TU Delft we value diversity and inclusion and warmly encourage candidates from groups underrepresented in academia to apply.