Wastewater transport systems into 2050: dealing with uncertainties in design, operation and maintenance.
Job description
Wastewater transport systems, comprising pumping stations and transport mains, are key components of the urban water infrastructure. Wastewater transport systems have a long (design) service life, while both the upstream sewer systems and the downstream wwtp's change and evolve over time introducing new failure mechanisms. E.g. The introduction of blue green infrastructures result in a changed hydraulic loading, while RTC and optimisation of wwtp's introduce changes in the day to day operation which may result in higher sedimentation or strongS degradation rates. Moreover, for decades the Dutch water boards assumed a zero growth in population, while over the last decade both the Dutch population and the urban area have increased strongly. All of this warrants the development of new design strategies that incoporate aspects such as redundancy, flexibility and adaptability.
This PhD position focuses on the development of novel design and maintenance strategies for wastewater transport systems that are able to deal with foreseen and unforeseen transitions in the upstream and downstream infrastructures. This research is part of the knowledge programme Urban Drainage funded by the Dutch urban drainage sector. The Urban Drainage programme is part of the Sanitary Engineering section of the department of Water Management at the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences of TU Delft.
The Sanitary Engineering section conducts research into the treatment and transport of drinking water, wastewater and industrial water: in other words the urban water cycle. The water quality and the extraction of raw materials, water, and energy from the water cycle is a particular area of focus.
Job requirements
A candidate with a MSc degree or equivalent in sanitary engineering, civil engineering, hydraulical engineering or equivalent. We expect a very good level of Dutch, as there will be very close cooperation with Dutch practitioners, strong communication skills and ability to work in a team.
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 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.
to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.
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 € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 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.
Coming to Delft Service is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.
7 April 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:
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CV
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Motivational letter
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:
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A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
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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.
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Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
Het salaris bedraagt €2872 - €3670