Research Assistant in Agentic AI for Infrastructure Management

Job description

This position is part of the project Neuro-Symbolic AI for Infrastructure Management, which aims to develop explainable, adaptive, and trustworthy AI systems for infrastructure management under uncertainty. Infrastructure managers increasingly need to make reliable decisions in the context of climate change, ageing assets, fragmented data, and limited monitoring information. However, conventional AI methods often depend on large datasets and offer limited explainability, making them difficult to apply in safety-critical infrastructure decisions. This project addresses that gap by combining machine learning, structured domain knowledge, knowledge graphs, simulations, multi-agent systems, and reinforcement learning.

The (proposed) research assistant will support the development and testing of AI agents that can codify infrastructure management knowledge from standards, manuals, inspection reports, and other technical sources into machine-readable knowledge structures. They will also help develop and evaluate agentic AI systems that use this knowledge to reason, coordinate with simulations, and support decisions related to maintenance, inspection, resilience, and planning. The role will involve working with machine learning methods, knowledge graphs, large language or concept models, multi-agent systems, and decision-support workflows.

The successful candidate will work within the Integral Design and Management Section of the 3MD Department, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, TU Delft, and will be associated with the DigiConstruct Lab. The position is suited to someone with a strong interest in machine learning and infrastructure management, and offers opportunities to contribute to prototypes, case studies, publications, and scientific papers.

Job requirements

• A completed or ongoing MSc degree in a relevant field, such as Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Infrastructure Management, or a closely related discipline.
• A strong interest in working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the built environment, particularly in infrastructure and asset management, or digital twins.
• A suitable profile may include either a computer science, data science, or AI background with an interest in infrastructure systems, or a civil engineering, architecture, or construction management background with a strong interest in AI and computational methods.
• Demonstrated experience with, or clear motivation to work on, one or more of the following areas: agentic AI systems, knowledge graphs, large language or concept models, machine learning, infrastructure management datasets, simulation-based decision support, multi-agent systems, or reinforcement learning.
• Good programming skills, preferably in Python, and familiarity with tools or libraries used for machine learning, data analysis, semantic modelling, knowledge graphs, or AI system development.
• Experience with data processing, data structuring, or working with heterogeneous technical datasets, such as standards, manuals, inspection reports, infrastructure records, or simulation outputs, is desirable.
• Knowledge of infrastructure management, construction management, asset management, or decision-making processes in the built environment is desirable, but not essential.
• Awareness of FAIR research principles, including the ability or willingness to work with research data, code, models, and documentation in a way that supports findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability.
• A willingness to learn new algorithms, tools, and developments in AI, including neuro-symbolic AI, knowledge graph-based reasoning, agentic AI, and reinforcement learning.
• A critical, creative, and proactive approach to research, with good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to document technical work clearly and contribute to academic outputs.
• Demonstrated experience in academic writing, technical reporting, literature review, or preparation of research papers is an advantage.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment involving AI, infrastructure management, digital twins, and decision-support systems.
• Motivation to contribute to prototypes, case studies, datasets, research publications, and the broader activities of the DigiConstruct Lab and the Integral Design and Management Section at TU Delft.

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.

PhD Position in River Basin Hydrology: Climate Change & Hydrological Extremes

Job description

Climate change leads to shifts in the magnitudes and timing of precipitation and atmospheric water demand, i.e. potential evaporation. This will directly affect soil moisture, groundwater dynamics and eventually streamflow. In addition, these changes will have cascading effects on vegetation that adapts to new conditions. As vegetation regulates the fraction of available water that is released into the atmosphere as evapotranspiration, these adaptations will feed back and either amplify or moderate the direct effects of climate change on soil moisture, groundwater and streamflow. These feedbacks and their effects on extreme events, such as floods and droughts but also on seasonal water supply are poorly understood and not accounted for in current-generation hydrological models.

The PhD research project will address these issues for more reliable hydrological predictions with a focus on the Rhine-Meuse river basin, aiming (1) to quantify natural vegetation adaptation to a changing climate, (2) to further develop the wFlow-SBM hydrological model to account for these changes with a time-variable vegetation parametrization and to (3) use this model to quantify and analyze the effects of changing vegetation on predictions of soil moisture, groundwater and streamflow under a changing climate in the Rhine-Meuse system.

In this project you will work in close collaboration with Rijkswaterstaat RWS (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) and the industry project partner Deltares. At TU Delft, you will be hosted by the Water Management Department in the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences and the supervision team at TU Delft will be led by Prof. Markus Hrachowitz.

Job requirements

• MSc degree in Hydrology, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering or a related field
• Excellent computer programming and GIS skills
• Proficiency in written and spoken English (Dutch language is an advantage)
• Demonstrated interest in and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary approaches, linking plant physiology, soil science and geology to hydrology.

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.

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & 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.

Postdoc Multi-Agent Aerial Manipulation for Construction 2

Job description
Advancement of aerial robotics are reshaping the future of construction. In the HARPA project funded by the EIC Pathfinder Challenge, you will explore how heterogeneous aerial robotics teams can collaboratively and autonomously assemble a pavilion. Together with other team members and collaborators from TUM and ETH, at the end of the project will perform a real-world demonstration of the autonomous assembly of a pre-fabricated pavilion using a team of aerial robots.

HARPA is looking for a highlyg motivated and competent postdoctoral researcher.

You will develop task-level planning and coordination methods for heterogeneous aerial robotic teams composed of Cable-Suspended Aerial Multi-Lifting Systems (CAMLs) and Aerial Robotic Manipulators (ARMs). The research will address fundamental challenges in multi-agent planning under heterogeneous robot capabilities, dynamic constraints, contact-rich interactions, perception limitations, and high-level human guidance. A key objective is to bridge high-level task planning with the physical constraints of aerial manipulation and cooperative construction, enabling robotic teams to reason not only about what tasks to perform, but also about when, how, and by which robotic platform they should be executed.

In close collaboration with PhD researchers and project partners from TUM and ETH, you will contribute to the development of novel control and learning methods for aerial manipulators and multi-drone system and to the development of a physics-aware digital twin for aerial robotic construction. This digital twin will integrate robot dynamics, aerodynamics, contact interactions, component geometry, and construction-task constraints, supporting real-time 3D visualization, human monitoring, algorithm testing, and pre-assembly validation. The platform will serve both as a research environment for developing and benchmarking planning algorithms, and as a system-level validation tool before real-world deployment.

By the end of the contract, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to play a leading role in enabling coordinated collaboration between CAMLs and ARMs for the assembly of prefabricated building submodules. The candidate will be encouraged to publish in leading robotics venues, help shape the research direction of task-level planning for heterogeneous aerial construction systems and collaborate with other team members. The position offers the opportunity to contribute to both high-impact academic research and a large-scale robotic construction demonstration within an international EU project.

The position is available with a flexible start date to be agreed upon. The postdoctoral researcher will join the Autonomous Multi-Robots Lab at the Cognitive Robotics Department and will be supervised by Dr. Sihao Sun and Prof. Javier Alonso-Mora. You will also have the chance to collaborate and visit our partners from ETH Zurich and TU Munich. As part of the postdoctoral position, there will be opportunities to gain teaching experience in the relevant courses and/or supervising MSc and PhD students.

More information about our research group can be found at: https://autonomousrobots.nl/

Job requirements
We are looking for a candidate with:

• A PhD degree in Robotics, Control, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.
• A strong research background in one or more of the following areas: multi-agent planning and coordination, task and motion planning, robot autonomy, aerial robotics, robotic manipulation, optimal control, robot learning, or human-robot interaction.
• Experience with developing planning, control, or coordination algorithms for robotic systems, preferably with consideration of dynamic constraints, perception uncertainty, contact interactions, or real-world deployment.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python, with experience in robotic software development using ROS and/or ROS 2.
• Experience with simulation environments, digital twins, or physics-based robotic simulators, such as Isaac Sim, Newton, MuJoCo, PyBullet, or similar platforms.
• A demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, publish in peer-reviewed venues, and contribute to high-quality scientific outputs.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team involving robotics, control, perception, simulation, and experimental validation.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.    

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 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.

Postdoc Multi-Agent Aerial Manipulation for Construction

Job description
Advancement of aerial robotics are reshaping the future of construction. In the HARPA project funded by the EIC Pathfinder Challenge, you will explore how heterogeneous aerial robotics teams can collaboratively and autonomously assemble a pavilion. Together with other team members and collaborators from TUM and ETH, at the end of the project will perform a real-world demonstration of the autonomous assembly of a pre-fabricated pavilion using a team of aerial robots.

HARPA is looking for a highlyg motivated and competent postdoctoral researcher.

You will develop task-level planning and coordination methods for heterogeneous aerial robotic teams composed of Cable-Suspended Aerial Multi-Lifting Systems (CAMLs) and Aerial Robotic Manipulators (ARMs). The research will address fundamental challenges in multi-agent planning under heterogeneous robot capabilities, dynamic constraints, contact-rich interactions, perception limitations, and high-level human guidance. A key objective is to bridge high-level task planning with the physical constraints of aerial manipulation and cooperative construction, enabling robotic teams to reason not only about what tasks to perform, but also about when, how, and by which robotic platform they should be executed.

In close collaboration with PhD researchers and project partners from TUM and ETH, you will contribute to the development of novel control and learning methods for aerial manipulators and multi-drone system and to the development of a physics-aware digital twin for aerial robotic construction. This digital twin will integrate robot dynamics, aerodynamics, contact interactions, component geometry, and construction-task constraints, supporting real-time 3D visualization, human monitoring, algorithm testing, and pre-assembly validation. The platform will serve both as a research environment for developing and benchmarking planning algorithms, and as a system-level validation tool before real-world deployment.

By the end of the contract, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to play a leading role in enabling coordinated collaboration between CAMLs and ARMs for the assembly of prefabricated building submodules. The candidate will be encouraged to publish in leading robotics venues, help shape the research direction of task-level planning for heterogeneous aerial construction systems and collaborate with other team members. The position offers the opportunity to contribute to both high-impact academic research and a large-scale robotic construction demonstration within an international EU project.

The position is available with a flexible start date to be agreed upon. The postdoctoral researcher will join the Autonomous Multi-Robots Lab at the Cognitive Robotics Department and will be supervised by Dr. Sihao Sun and Prof. Javier Alonso-Mora. You will also have the chance to collaborate and visit our partners from ETH Zurich and TU Munich. As part of the postdoctoral position, there will be opportunities to gain teaching experience in the relevant courses and/or supervising MSc and PhD students.

More information about our research group can be found at: https://autonomousrobots.nl/

Job requirements
We are looking for a candidate with:

• A PhD degree in Robotics, Control, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.
• A strong research background in one or more of the following areas: multi-agent planning and coordination, task and motion planning, robot autonomy, aerial robotics, robotic manipulation, optimal control, robot learning, or human-robot interaction.
• Experience with developing planning, control, or coordination algorithms for robotic systems, preferably with consideration of dynamic constraints, perception uncertainty, contact interactions, or real-world deployment.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python, with experience in robotic software development using ROS and/or ROS 2.
• Experience with simulation environments, digital twins, or physics-based robotic simulators, such as Isaac Sim, Newton, MuJoCo, PyBullet, or similar platforms.
• A demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, publish in peer-reviewed venues, and contribute to high-quality scientific outputs.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team involving robotics, control, perception, simulation, and experimental validation.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.    

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 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.

Phd Position Multi-Agent Aerial Manipulation for Construction

Job description
Advancements in aerial robotics are reshaping the future of construction. In the HARPA project funded by the EIC Pathfinder Challenge, you will explore how heterogeneous aerial robotics teams can collaboratively and autonomously assemble a pavilion. Together with other team members and collaborators from TUM and ETH, at the end of the project we will perform a real-world demonstration of the autonomous assembly of a pre-fabricated pavilion using a team of aerial robots.

HARPA is looking for two motivated PhD candidates who closely collaborate to enable this vision:

PhD #1: Multi-Agent Planning and Control for Cable-Suspended Aerial Multi-Lifting Systems

Cable-suspended Aerial Multi-Lifting systems (CAMLs) are composed of several UAVs that lift and control the orientation of the pre-fabricated building components through cables. You will investigate multi-agent planning, learning and control methods to enable decentralized, robust, and precise aerial manipulation with CAMLs. The goal is to allow existing UAV platforms to operate in a scalable and decentralized manner while achieving obstacle avoidance using onboard sensing and adapting to changes in dynamic environments. In parallel to the theoretical and algorithmic developments, you will work closely with the other PhD, postdocs, engineers in the lab, and other collaborators from TUM and ETH, to establish a digital twin for construction, and optimize CAML hardware platforms for the precise manipulation of prefabricated building components. You will also collaborate with FlyingBasket to validate the heavy-lifting system. In the final HARPA demonstration, you will be responsible for the CAML platform and its collaboration with aerial robotic manipulator platforms.

PhD #2: Contact-Aware Planning and Control for Aerial Robotic Manipulators

You will investigate contact-aware planning, control, and perception methods for aerial robotic manipulators (ARMs). These aerial manipulators will act as “flying hands” to support the connection and assembly of prefabricated building components. You will explore how learning-based methods, such as imitation learning and reinforcement learning, can be integrated with model-based low-level controllers and multimodal sensing to enable contact-rich aerial manipulation in unstructured and dynamic environments, particularly in close proximity to objects. The developed algorithms will be validated through real-world experiments that enable multiple ARMs to work together with CAMLs for construction tasks. In addition, you will contribute to the design and optimization of aerial manipulation hardware platforms, supported by engineers in the lab, as well as to the development of digital twin platforms for simulation and pre-assembly validation. Finally, you will contribute to the final demonstration of pavilion assembly.

The positions are available with a flexible start date to be agreed upon. The PhD candidates will join the Autonomous Multi-Robots Lab at the Cognitive Robotics Department and will be supervised by Dr. Sihao Sun and Prof. Javier Alonso-Mora. You will also have the chance to collaborate and visit our partners from ETH Zurich and TU Munich. As part of the PhD position, there will be opportunities to gain teaching experience in the relevant courses and/or supervising MSc students.

More information about our research group can be found at: https://autonomousrobots.nl/

Job requirements
We are looking for a candidate experienced with aerial robotics, motion planning, control, manipulation and/or machine learning.

• Master of Science (MSc) diploma in Robotics, Computer Science, Systems & Control, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Maths or any other related field.
• Drive for excellence in research and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Willingness to conduct multidisciplinary research in collaboration with both scientific and industrial partners.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• TOEFL or IELTS English proficiency tests for all applicants except those who graduated from an MSc program that was taught in English. The minimum requirement is a TOEFL score of 100, or IELTS of 7.0 per sub-skill (writing, reading, listening, speaking).  

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 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.