PhD Position Climate-Neutral Port Calls under Physical and Infrastructure Constraints

Job description

Research context

European seaports face the urgent challenge of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55% emission reduction by 2030. A large share of port-related emissions, up to 80%, occurs during the port call itself: when ships approach, wait, maneuver, berth, and depart. While most current optimization approaches focus on scheduling and logistics, they largely overlook a critical factor: the physical reality of ports. Water depth, tides, narrow channels, berth limitations, and dredging operations strongly shape how ships move, wait, and consume energy. Ignoring these constraints leads to delays, congestion, higher fuel use, and safety risks.

This PhD position addresses the mentioned gap by developing new methods that explicitly combine:

• Physical port constraints,
• Dredging operations that maintain or modify them, and
• Port call processes that depend on them, all under uncertainty.

The research is part of the PortCall.Zero project, which aims to enable coordinated, efficient, and low-emission port call operations.

Job Description

As a PhD candidate, you will investigate how physical and infrastructure constraints shape port call performance and emissions, and how these constraints can be better accounted for in planning and operations. Your research focuses on three closely linked perspectives:

1. Infrastructure state: Physical and nautical conditions such as water depth, tides, channel geometry, and berth characteristics.
2. Infrastructure use: How vessels interact with these conditions during port calls, including access windows, maneuvering limits, waiting times, and traffic dynamics.
3. Interaction with dredging: How maintenance and improvement dredging alter infrastructure conditions over time, and how these changes affect accessibility, vessel behavior, and operational performance.

Together, these elements are analyzed to understand and optimize their combined impact on port call efficiency and emissions. A core element of the work is the development and extension of OpenCLSim, an open-source Python-based discrete-event simulation framework. You will design integrated optimization and prediction modules that support both strategic planning (e.g. dredging depth and port accessibility trade-offs) and operational decision-making (e.g. coordination between dredging activities and port operations). Your developed methods will be validated through realistic use cases on port calls with water depth variation.

You will work closely with academic and industry partners, including ports and dredging companies. In particular, you will collaborate with Van Oord, a leading international marine contractor and project partner. If the progress of the simulation studies allows it, we aim to demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods through physical experiments with the Researchlab Autonomous Shipping (RAS) Lab at TU Delft. A next step towards practical implementation would be the field demonstration in a living lab setting together with project partners in the Port of Rotterdam area.

You will be embedded in an interdisciplinary and international research environment within the Hydraulic Engineering department at TU Delft.

Job requirements
You are motivated to contribute to the sustainable transformation of port operations and enjoy working at the intersection of optimization, simulation, and real-world infrastructure systems. You are comfortable working independently, while also collaborating closely with academic and industry partners. In particular, we are looking for candidates with:

• An MSc degree in Civil Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Transport and Infrastructure, or any other related field
• Strong analytical skills and affinity with optimization, simulation, and data-driven methods
• Advanced skills in scripting with Python
• Affinity with (or at least interest in) port operations, navigational constraints, dredging, and maritime infrastructure
• Ability to work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment both with scientific partners and stakeholders from industry
• Additional experience with agent-based (and/or) discrete-event simulation and AIS data is a plus

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. More specifically, TOEFL or IELTS English proficiency tests are required for all applicants except those whose MSc program was taught in English. The minimum requirement of a TOEFL score is 100 and IELTS is 7.0. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

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.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

PhD Position Mathematical Statistics

Job description

The candidate will work within the project "Safe Causal Inference" on mathematical aspects of causal statistical inference, funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The work is focused on writing a Phd thesis in mathematics. The project is embedded in a cooperation with computer scientists from TU Delft, biostatisticians and epidemiologists of the university medical centers in Leiden and Rotterdam and mathematical statisticians from TU Delft and VU University Amsterdam. The focus is on developing and investigating methods to draw causal conclusions from observational data.

Job requirements
Master of Science in mathematics with specialisation in mathematical statistics. Ability to communicate and work in a team with scientists from diverse backgrounds.

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 Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

PhD Position Climate-Neutral Port Calls under Physical and Infrastructure Constraints

Job description

Research context

European seaports face the urgent challenge of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55% emission reduction by 2030. A large share of port-related emissions, up to 80%, occurs during the port call itself: when ships approach, wait, maneuver, berth, and depart. While most current optimization approaches focus on scheduling and logistics, they largely overlook a critical factor: the physical reality of ports. Water depth, tides, narrow channels, berth limitations, and dredging operations strongly shape how ships move, wait, and consume energy. Ignoring these constraints leads to delays, congestion, higher fuel use, and safety risks.

This PhD position addresses the mentioned gap by developing new methods that explicitly combine:

• Physical port constraints,
• Dredging operations that maintain or modify them, and
• Port call processes that depend on them, all under uncertainty.

The research is part of the PortCall.Zero project, which aims to enable coordinated, efficient, and low-emission port call operations.

Job Description

As a PhD candidate, you will investigate how physical and infrastructure constraints shape port call performance and emissions, and how these constraints can be better accounted for in planning and operations. Your research focuses on three closely linked perspectives:

1. Infrastructure state: Physical and nautical conditions such as water depth, tides, channel geometry, and berth characteristics.
2. Infrastructure use: How vessels interact with these conditions during port calls, including access windows, maneuvering limits, waiting times, and traffic dynamics.
3. Interaction with dredging: How maintenance and improvement dredging alter infrastructure conditions over time, and how these changes affect accessibility, vessel behavior, and operational performance.

Together, these elements are analyzed to understand and optimize their combined impact on port call efficiency and emissions. A core element of the work is the development and extension of OpenCLSim, an open-source Python-based discrete-event simulation framework. You will design integrated optimization and prediction modules that support both strategic planning (e.g. dredging depth and port accessibility trade-offs) and operational decision-making (e.g. coordination between dredging activities and port operations). Your developed methods will be validated through realistic use cases on port calls with water depth variation.

You will work closely with academic and industry partners, including ports and dredging companies. In particular, you will collaborate with Van Oord, a leading international marine contractor and project partner. If the progress of the simulation studies allows it, we aim to demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods through physical experiments with the Researchlab Autonomous Shipping (RAS) Lab at TU Delft. A next step towards practical implementation would be the field demonstration in a living lab setting together with project partners in the Port of Rotterdam area.

You will be embedded in an interdisciplinary and international research environment within the Hydraulic Engineering department at TU Delft.

Job requirements
You are motivated to contribute to the sustainable transformation of port operations and enjoy working at the intersection of optimization, simulation, and real-world infrastructure systems. You are comfortable working independently, while also collaborating closely with academic and industry partners. In particular, we are looking for candidates with:

• An MSc degree in Civil Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Transport and Infrastructure, or any other related field
• Strong analytical skills and affinity with optimization, simulation, and data-driven methods
• Advanced skills in scripting with Python
• Affinity with (or at least interest in) port operations, navigational constraints, dredging, and maritime infrastructure
• Ability to work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment both with scientific partners and stakeholders from industry
• Additional experience with agent-based (and/or) discrete-event simulation and AIS data is a plus

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. More specifically, TOEFL or IELTS English proficiency tests are required for all applicants except those whose MSc program was taught in English. The minimum requirement of a TOEFL score is 100 and IELTS is 7.0. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

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.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

PhD Position Mathematical Statistics

Job description

The candidate will work within the project "Safe Causal Inference" on mathematical aspects of causal statistical inference, funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The work is focused on writing a Phd thesis in mathematics. The project is embedded in a cooperation with computer scientists from TU Delft, biostatisticians and epidemiologists of the university medical centers in Leiden and Rotterdam and mathematical statisticians from TU Delft and VU University Amsterdam. The focus is on developing and investigating methods to draw causal conclusions from observational data.

Job requirements
Master of Science in mathematics with specialisation in mathematical statistics. Ability to communicate and work in a team with scientists from diverse backgrounds.

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 Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

General Director QuTech

Our mission

At QuTech, we conduct world-class research and develop scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a quantum internet, embedded in a vibrant and fast-growing quantum technology ecosystem. We act as a key enabler of this ecosystem.

We believe quantum technology will be a game changer across many technological, societal and economic domains, including health, climate, agriculture and security. To realise this potential, QuTech brings together scientists, engineers and industry partners in an ambitious, entrepreneurial and highly collaborative environment.

Our activities are organised in three divisions - Quantum Computing, Quantum Internet and Qubit Research - supported by strong technical and professional teams. With around 300 staff members from fifty nationalities, QuTech offers a dynamic and international working environment for top talent.

Strategic ambitions

QuTech is an internationally leading academic institute that combines groundbreaking research and cutting-edge engineering with a strong focus on innovation, societal impact and the development of the Dutch quantum technology ecosystem. It plays a key role at the European level through strategic collaborations, leading consortia and competitive funding initiatives, while education and talent development remain central through its involvement in academic programmes and the QuTech Academy. For the full strategic ambitions of QuTech, please contact Lumen Executive Search - for contact data see below the additional information.

Job description
As General Director, you hold overall responsibility for QuTech’s operations, research direction, business development and internal and external collaboration. You bring coherence to these domains and translate strategy into sustainable impact.

The General Director plays a pivotal role in steering QuTech’s strategic course, forging impactful partnerships and strengthening its position on the global scientific stage.

You articulate a clear vision for QuTech’s future and guide the institute through its next phase of development. With an inclusive and transparent leadership style, you inspire and empower staff, foster collaboration and ensure a socially safe and stimulating working environment.

As QuTech’s key ambassador, you build and strengthen relationships across academia, industry, government and the wider ecosystem. By reinforcing professional, technical and administrative support, you enable researchers and engineers to achieve maximum international impact.

You work with a strong management team, including the Institute Secretary, the Business Development Lead and the leaders of the three divisions. You may also be supported by a QuTech Chief Scientist, who advises on research strategy and integrity and may act as a scientific representative externally.

As General Director you report to the Executive Board of TU Delft.

Responsibilities

As General Director you are responsible for:

• Developing and implementing QuTech’s research and engineering strategy, safeguarding excellence and international competitiveness, in close collaboration with the divisional leadership teams.
• Driving QuTech’s business development, including strategic partnerships in academia and industry, technology commercialization, and active contribution to the Delft quantum ecosystem, supported by the Business Development Lead.
• Overseeing QuTech’s operations—finance, HR, technical infrastructure and housing—ensuring an effective, inclusive and socially safe organisation, supported by the Institute Secretary.
• Representing QuTech at the level of the TU Delft Executive Board and coordinating with faculty deans on strategy, academic staffing, education and shared intellectual property.
• Aligning with the University Corporate Office to ensure that central services optimally support QuTech’s strategic ambitions.

Job requirements
You bring:

• An academic background with a PhD in the exact sciences or engineering.
• Affinity with and basic understanding of quantum technology.
• Senior leadership experience in a complex, international research organisation.
• Deep understanding of the academic research landscape, governance and policy processes.
• A strong entrepreneurial mindset with proven experience in innovation, commercialization and ecosystem building.
• Insight into institutional and external research funding and the ability to align resources with strategic priorities.
• A track record as a strategic leader with high-level academic, governmental and industrial networks.
• Experience in operational management and organisational development.
• Strong organisational sensitivity and political awareness.
• A global outlook, preferably combined with familiarity with the Dutch academic and economic context.
• A strong network in Europe and at the European Commission is seen as an advantage.
• Excellent command of English; Dutch language skills or the willingness to acquire them within one year.

Leadership profile

You are:

• A motivating, collaborative and transparent leader who builds trust and alignment around a shared vision.
• Committed to diversity, inclusion and social safety, and accessible and empathetic in your leadership style.
• Able to balance listening and decisiveness, steering towards results while valuing diverse perspectives.
• A persuasive and effective communicator, internally and externally.
• Dedicated to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional talent.

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!

QuTech
QuTech is a mission-driven research institute of TU Delft. Together we work on a radically new technology with world-changing potential. Our mission: to develop scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a secure quantum internet.

Have a look at our video and get a glimpse of QuTech.