Postdoc Sustainability and Responsible Innovation for Climate-Resilient Water Systems

1000scholars; Delft; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

TU Delft invites applications for a researcher to investigate hybrid urban water innovations within the RESILIENT-FLOWS project. You will combine stakeholder engagement (interviews, workshops) with ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment across European pilot sites, shaping sustainability assessment in decision-support tools.

Working in a multidisciplinary team across Europe, you will publish in international journals and contribute to project deliverables, collaborating with academia and industry

Qualifications

• PhD in Industrial Ecology, Sustainability Sciences, Technology Assessment, or a related field
• Proven experience with Life Cycle Assessment
• Proven experience with qualitative data gathering methods, such as interviewing and focus groups
• Interest in Urban Water Systems and Nature Based Solutions
• Ability to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data
• Excellent communication and scientific writting skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating in interdisciplinary and international teams
• Excellent command of English

Responsibilities

• Designing and coordinating stakeholder engagement activities, such as stakeholder interviews and focus groups
• Analyze how values such as resilience and sustainability could be taken into account in technology assessment and decision-making
• Apply ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment methodologies for emerging water infrastructure solutions
• Support project partners on the integration of stakeholder insights and sustainability assessment results into broader assessment and decision-support frameworks
• Publishing research findings in leading international journals and presenting results at scientific conferences
• Contributing to project deliverables and collaborating with academic and non-academic partners across Europe

Skills

Quantitative data analysis

Qualitative data gathering

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Excellent writing

English proficiency

Education

PhD in Industrial Ecology or related field

Tools

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Job description

Job description

Are you excited about shaping the urban water systems of the future? Join us in a Dutch research project where your analysis of urban water system innovations will support decision-making.

European water systems face increasing pressures from climate change, urbanization, ageing infrastructure, and stricter environmental requirements. At the same time, new hybrid urban water management approaches combining nature-based solutions and conventional gray infrastructure bring opportunities to improve system performance and adaptability. However, significant uncertainties remain regarding the environmental, economic, and societal implications of these innovations, limiting the ability of technology developers, utilities, planners, and policymakers to make responsible decisions about their development and implementation.

In this position you will investigate hybrid urban water innovations, which combe green and grey water infrastructure, seeking to anticipate the potential societal and environmental impacts associated to them. For that, you will integrate Value Sensitive Design (VSD) and ex-ante sustainability assessment within the Horizon Europe project RESILIENT-FLOWS. Therefore, this position involves two parts: Part a focuses on how stakeholders perceive urban water innovations, identifying how values such as sustainability and resilience, should be integrated in their design and implementation. For this, you are expected to develop and analyze stakeholder engagement activities (e.g. interviews, participatory workshops), and coordinate partners to conduct them across multiple European pilot sites. Part b focuses on an ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to assess the environmental impacts of hybrid urban water innovations in selected case studies from the RESILIENT-FLOWS project. Depending on your interests, you may focus more on part a or b above, however the position requires you to engage in both. The results from your research will serve as key inputs to decision-support tools developed within the RESILIENT-FLOWS consortium, enabling utilities, planners, and policymakers to evaluate alternative innovations for climate-resilient urban water management.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Designing and coordinating stakeholder engagement activities, such as stakeholder interviews and focus groups
• Analyze how values such as resilience and sustainability could be taken into account in technology assessment and decision-making
• Apply ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment methodologies for emerging water infrastructure solutions
• Support project partners on the integration of stakeholder insights and sustainability assessment results into broader assessment and decision-support frameworks
• Publishing research findings in leading international journals and presenting results at scientific conferences
• Contributing to project deliverables and collaborating with academic and non-academic partners across Europe

You will become part of a multi-disciplinary team and collaborate closely with researchers working on nature-based solutions, water treatment technologies, digital twins, amongst others. This position offers a unique opportunity to help shape emerging approaches for integrating sustainability assessment and responsible innovation in the design of future climate-resilient water systems. In this position you will be working closely with researchers, utilities, municipalities, regulators, and technology providers across various European countries.

Job requirements

We are looking for a reseracher who has afinity with quantitative and qualitative methods, and who enjoys questioning assumptions, metrics, and indicators to better understand what a desirable innovation is.

For that, the vacancy's requirements are:

• PhD in Industrial Ecology, Sustainability Sciences, Technology Assessment, or a related field
• Proven experience with Life Cycle Assessment
• Proven experience with qualitative data gathering methods, such as interviewing and focus groups
• Interest in Urban Water Systems and Nature Based Solutions
• Ability to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data
• Excellent communication and scientific writting skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating in interdisciplinary and international teams
• Excellent command of English

Good to Have

• Experience with ex-ante or prospective Life Cycle Assessment
• Background or experience with Urban Water Systems and Nature Based Solutions

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 of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water 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.
• Flexible working week.
• 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.