项目介绍

2026年3月18日

Job description

How will AI and digitalisation transform jobs, skills and business opportunities in built environment transitions over the next 5–10 years? As a PhD candidate within the NWO-funded FUTURED programme, you will develop short-term, evidence-based scenarios at the intersection of AI-driven digitalisation and the energy transition.

You will investigate how technologies such as AI, BIM, digital twins and automation pipelines are reshaping professional roles, required competencies and organisational models in the construction sector and built environment in general. Your research will focus on identifying labour-market risks, emerging opportunities and governance challenges, translating these insights into actionable scenarios for policymakers, industry and educational institutions.

Working in a transdisciplinary consortium, you will collaborate closely with researchers, policymakers and industry partners. Through case studies, stakeholder interviews and co-creation workshops, you will gather qualitative insights and validate your findings in real-world settings. You will synthesise complex evidence into clear scenarios and practical outputs that support workforce development and strategic decision-making.

Beyond your research, you will contribute to academic publications and actively engage with stakeholders to ensure societal relevance and impact. You will be part of a vibrant academic environment at TU Delft, where research, education and innovation come together to address pressing societal challenges.

Job requirements

• You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as construction management, architecture or engineering management, innovation studies, socio-technical systems, AI in the built environment, or public policy.
• You demonstrate clear affinity with AI and digitalisation in the built environment, such as BIM, digital twins, automation or innovation governance in construction.
• You have strong qualitative research skills, including case study design, interviewing and thematic analysis.
• You can synthesise complex findings into scenario designs and actionable outputs for practitioners, policymakers and help inform future education design.
• You thrive in transdisciplinary collaboration and are comfortable engaging stakeholders in workshops and co-creation settings.
• You have a proactive, solution-oriented mindset and enjoy turning foresight into practical impact.
• You have excellent academic writing and communication skills in English and Dutch.

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 Architecture & the Built Environment

The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy, with four thousand people enthusiastically studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on ‘design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

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. Tong Wang, via e-mail: T.Wang-12@tudelft.nl.

For more information about the application procedure, please contact Sofie Hennekens, via e-mail: recruitment-bk@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 3 May 2026 (local Dutch time + 2 hrs) via the application button and upload the following documents:

• A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) addressing your interests and describing how your experience and plans fit with the position.
• A detailed CV.
• Graduate transcript.
• The names of two references, with contact information (letters not required at this stage).

Selected candidates will be invited for a first-round interview (scheduled on May 20th, 2026). Candidates who are successful in this round will proceed to a second-round interview for a deeper discussion of the project (scheduled on June 3rd, 2026). Depending on the situation, there may be an additional interview round with practitioners. We aim for the PhD to start in September 2026.