项目介绍

2025年4月12日

Are you passionate about revolutionizing ship design with cutting-edge data science techniques? Join us in innovating the ship design process as we know it. 

Job description 

As we speak, the entire world fleet and the environmental conditions they are operating in are continuously monitored by AIS transceivers, (onboard) sensors, and satellites. The main characteristics of these vessels can be retrieved from shipping registers, databases, and classification societies. More data about ships is readily available now than ever before. Unfortunately, naval architects rarely use this data to propose modifications for existing vessels or when designing new ones. This is because it is not always clear how data from existing vessels can be used to design the vessel of the future.

The objective of this research is to increase the accuracy and to speed up design performance estimation methods. This will reduce the time to market and lead to better ship designs performance estimation in realistic environmental conditions. The means to realize these goals involve analyzing static, environmental, and operational ship data and use this data to train novel machine learning algorithms that replace existing empirical ship performance estimators. Better estimators will enable naval architects to make informed and realistic decisions in the preliminary ship design stage for newbuilds that must operate on clean energy or when proposing retrofits of existing vessels.

In short, this PhD project named “Data-Driven Ship Design”, Static, Operational, Environmental, and Sensor data will be combined and analysed to provide insights into:

1. Performance estimations of ship design alternatives,
2. Realistic operational profiles,
3. Endurance and range of designs, and
4. Environmental scenarios in which vessels operate.

You will work in a young team of researchers led by Dr. Roy de Winter. Besides you, the team consist of PhD candidates who focus on the automation of the ship design process and the algorithmic optimization of ship designs.

Job requirements 

We are seeking an enthusiastic PhD candidate who has expertise and/or interest in one or more of the following areas:

• Ship Design,
• Big Data Analysis.
• Time Series Analysis.
• Requirements Engineering.
• Machine Learning.
• You have obtained a MSc or an equivalent degree or expect to obtain an MSc very soon, in a related field (Computer Science, Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Mathematics, Aerospace Engineering, or other related fields).
• Good spoken and written English and the ability to work in a team are mandatory.

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.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

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 € 2901 per month in the first year to € 3707 in the fourth year. 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. Roy de Winter, email: r.dewinter@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 25 May 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• Your CV.
• Cover letter, and names and contacts of at least two references. 

You can address your application to Roy de Winter.

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. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.