PhD Position on Twin Transition of Infrastructure: Ecosystem Orchestration

Job description

Infrastructure organisations do not navigate the twin transition alone. Digitalisation and sustainability are shaped across wider ecosystems that include owners, contractors, consultants, policymakers, regulators, suppliers and communities. These actors often depend on one another, but they do not always move at the same speed or work towards the same priorities. This PhD project investigates how such ecosystems can be orchestrated when digital and sustainability ambitions are interdependent, long-term and often contradictory.

This post on ecosystem orchestration is part of the NWO-funded Vidi "Infra-PaX" project. You will study how paradoxes in the twin transition emerge and can be navigated across public-private infrastructure ecosystems rather than within a single organisation (macro-level perspective). You will study issues such as top-down versus bottom-up change, tensions between short-term gains and long-term values and stakeholder alignment in projects. Please see more information about the research here: https://youtu.be/bHaZjh5OXTQ

The research is designed as an embedded case study in Dutch infrastructure. You will carry out interviews across the infrastructure ecosystem, analyse documents and strategies, and use systems thinking to map paradoxical tensions and their path-dependencies over time. Your work will contribute to research on infrastructure governance, inter-organisational collaboration, paradox theory and socio-technical transitions. You will produce tangible outputs that stakeholders can use directly. As part of the project, you will engage with practitioners and policymakers through collaborative activities.

You will be based at TU Delft and work in a multidisciplinary research environment connected to infrastructure management, project studies and sustainability transitions. The supervision will be by the project lead together with a broader interdisciplinary supervisory team of the section Integral Design & Management and strong links to industry and academic partners. You will also work alongside the second PhD candidate in the project, sharing fieldwork, collaborating and reflecting on the micro- and macro-level aspects of the research project, Infra-PaX.

This is an opportunity for an MSc graduate, interested in the twin transition and complex ecosystems, who wants to grow into an independent researcher while staying closely connected to real-world infrastructure challenges. You will learn how to design and carry out rigorous field research, how to publish your work, and how to translate academic insights into practical knowledge that leaders and policymakers can actually use.

Job requirements

• A master's degree in construction management, civil engineering, project management, business administration, information systems, innovation studies or a related field.
• A strong interest in infrastructure ecosystems, inter-organisational collaboration, governance, digitalisation and sustainability.
• Affinity with empirical research methods, especially qualitative case study research, interviews, document analysis and systems thinking.
• Interest in understanding how public and private actors coordinate across complex projects, policies and long-term transitions.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to connect organisational, technological and policy perspectives.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Dutch is an advantage, but this is not specified as a formal requirement for this PhD project.
• The ability to work independently while successfully collaborating with a multidisciplinary research team.
• Willingness to conduct fieldwork in infrastructure organisations and to contribute to publications, presentations and stakeholder engagement during the PhD trajectory.

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.

Click here 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 €3204 - €4051 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 specific questions about this vacancy, please contact Eleni Papadonikolaki (e.papadonikolaki@tudelft.nl).

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 3 November 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV, including education, relevant work experience, research experience and relevant skills (maximum 2 pages, in case of longer document, only the first 2 pages will be considered).
• If you have academic publications such as published (a) conference papers and/or (b) journal articles, please include a separate "Scientific outputs" document including full bibliographic information, DOI link and a short narrative (maximum 100 words) for a maximum of three contributions explaining why they are relevant to this PhD position (optional).
• Cover letter, maximum one page and 400 words, explaining your motivation for the position and your fit with the research topic.
• One-minute video introduction, in which you briefly introduce yourself and explain why you are a good fit for this PhD position. The video does not need to be professionally produced. A simple recording from laptop or mobile is sufficient. Please include a link to the video in your cover letter.

Applicants selected for an interview will be asked to provide contact information of at least 2 references.

The first round of interviews is planned for 17th and 24th November 2026. Target start date is 1st February 2027.

You can address your application to Eleni Papadonikolaki.

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.

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Working at TU Delft

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