PhD in Spatial System Mapping and Decision-Support Design for Nature-Inclusive Agrifood Transitions

Introduction
Are you motivated to contribute to the transition toward nature-inclusive agriculture and horticulture? Do you want to work at the interface of geospatial technologies, information systems, biodiversity restoration, and real-world decision-making by farmers and agrifood stakeholders? Join the NWO-KIC project RISE – Resilient Integrated Systems for Ecosystem restoration as a PhD candidate. You will co-develop an interactive spatial decision-support framework for agrifood transitions in an interdisciplinary team of four PhD candidates, collaborating closely with farmers and societal stakeholders.

Job Description
Biodiversity restoration in agriculture and horticulture is urgently needed, but difficult to realize in practice. Farmers operate in complex systems: they are embedded in value chains, regional communities, regulatory environments, ecological landscapes, and business models that often prioritize short-term productivity and profitability. RISE addresses this challenge by developing systems-based tools and implementation pathways that help stakeholders make nature-inclusive decisions that are ecologically meaningful, economically viable, and socially supported.

RISE is an interdisciplinary project involving Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Leiden University, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences, together with a broad network of societal partners from agriculture, horticulture, regional development, water management, policy, and civil society. The project works in two regional case areas: Reusel-Zuid, focused on open-field agriculture, and Oostland Zuid-Holland, focused on greenhouse horticulture. A third region on tree-nursing will be used for validation and replication.

This PhD position is hosted by the Eindhoven University of Technology, within the Department of the Built Environment (BE). You will be part of a closely connected cohort of four PhD candidates working across universities and disciplines. All candidates receive cross-university supervision to ensure deep integration between innovation science, system dynamics, spatial modeling, and ecology.

The specific focus of this PhD project is on spatial system mapping and decision-support design. You will investigate how spatial development interacts with systemic dynamics and implementation feasibility. Using geospatial modeling, participative mapping, and interactive workshops, you will analyze how landscape conditions, land-use choices, and regional features shape the feasibility of biodiversity-enhancing practices.

Your work will include:

• Socio-Ecological-Economic Mapping: Co-creating integrated regional maps that combine human actors with non-human elements (e.g., ecological features, water systems) to visualize regional interdependencies.
• Decision-Support Framework Construction: Taking the lead in designing and constructing an interactive spatial decision-support framework grounded in system dynamics logic.
• Model Integration: Collaborating with the broader PhD cohort to link temporal system dynamics simulation models to real-world spatial configurations.
• Stakeholder Facilitation: Designing and running interactive scenario workshops where regional stakeholders use geospatial tools to evaluate the spatial feasibility and trade-offs of biodiversity measures.
• Dissemination & Scaling: Integrating spatial insights into actionable technology and policy roadmaps, and validating the developed tools within a third case region.
• Academic Output: Publishing high-quality academic papers, individually and collaboratively, on spatial systems modeling, stakeholder alignment, and digital tool design for sustainability transitions.

This position is ideal for a candidate who is comfortable working interdisciplinary, at the boundary between theory and practice: developing rigorous academic insights while engaging closely with farmers, regional stakeholders, businesses, policymakers, and researchers from other disciplines.

The Department of the Built Environment at TU/e provides a cutting-edge environment with extensive expertise in information systems, decision support, nature-based solutions, and data/information modeling. You will join a group that excels at translating complex spatial data into digital environments, tools, and platforms that support collaborative innovation and real-world impact.

Job Requirements
We are looking for a motivated, curious, and analytically strong candidate who is eager to contribute to both scientific research and practical impact.

You have:

• A Master’s degree in Geoinformatics, GIS/Geospatial Technologies, Architecture/Built Environment, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Strong experience or clear affinity with geospatial modeling, spatial data analysis, and GIS software platforms (e.g., ArcGIS Pro, QGIS).
• Experience in programming (preferably python) and web development languages (JavaScript or TypeScript).
• A demonstrated interest in sustainability transitions, ecosystem services, and integrating spatial elements with social or economic dynamics.
• Experience or strong interest in mixed-method research, including participatory mapping, stakeholder workshops, interviews, or fieldwork.
• The ability to work productively within an interdisciplinary team and translate complex spatial concepts into user-friendly digital tools.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Excellent written and spoken English is required.
• Willingness to perform fieldwork in Dutch agricultural and horticultural regions.
• Speaking Dutch is a strong advantage, as it is essential for facilitating workshops and interviews with local farmers, growers, and regional policymakers.

Conditions of Employment
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station.

In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 3,204 - max. € 4,051 gross base salary per month (full-time)).
• In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
• As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, and on-campus children's day care.
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the Expat Scheme) for international candidates.

On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring managers Shahryar Sarabi, s.ershad.sarabi@tue.nl, or prof. dr. Bige Tunçer, b.tuncer@tue.nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact
Leo van Houten, HR-Advisor, l.v.houten@tue.nl or +31 40 247 8269.

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references. Kindly note that we may reach out to references at any stage of the recruitment process. We recommend notifying your references upon submitting your application.

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. We give priority to complete applications.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

PhD in Spatial System Mapping and Decision-Support Design for Nature-Inclusive Agrifood Transitions

Biodiversity restoration in agriculture and horticulture is urgently needed, but difficult to realize in practice. Farmers operate in complex systems: they are embedded in value chains, regional communities, regulatory environments, ecological landscapes, and business models that often prioritize short-term productivity and profitability. RISE addresses this challenge by developing systems-based tools and implementation pathways that help stakeholders make nature-inclusive decisions that are ecologically meaningful, economically viable, and socially supported.

RISE is an interdisciplinary project involving Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Leiden University, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences, together with a broad network of societal partners from agriculture, horticulture, regional development, water management, policy, and civil society. The project works in two regional case areas: Reusel-Zuid, focused on open-field agriculture, and Oostland Zuid-Holland, focused on greenhouse horticulture. A third region on tree-nursing will be used for validation and replication.

This PhD position is hosted by the Eindhoven University of Technology, within the Department of the Built Environment (BE). You will be part of a closely connected cohort of four PhD candidates working across universities and disciplines. All candidates receive cross-university supervision to ensure deep integration between innovation science, system dynamics, spatial modeling, and ecology.

The specific focus of this PhD project is on spatial system mapping and decision-support design. You will investigate how spatial development interacts with systemic dynamics and implementation feasibility. Using geospatial modeling, participative mapping, and interactive workshops, you will analyze how landscape conditions, land-use choices, and regional features shape the feasibility of biodiversity-enhancing practices.

Your work will include:

• Socio-Ecological-Economic Mapping: Co-creating integrated regional maps that combine human actors with non-human elements (e.g., ecological features, water systems) to visualize regional interdependencies.
• Decision-Support Framework Construction: Taking the lead in designing and constructing an interactive spatial decision-support framework grounded in system dynamics logic.
• Model Integration: Collaborating with the broader PhD cohort to link temporal system dynamics simulation models to real-world spatial configurations.
• Stakeholder Facilitation: Designing and running interactive scenario workshops where regional stakeholders use geospatial tools to evaluate the spatial feasibility and trade-offs of biodiversity measures.
• Dissemination & Scaling: Integrating spatial insights into actionable technology and policy roadmaps, and validating the developed tools within a third case region.
• Academic Output: Publishing high-quality academic papers, individually and collaboratively, on spatial systems modeling, stakeholder alignment, and digital tool design for sustainability transitions.

This position is ideal for a candidate who is comfortable working interdisciplinary, at the boundary between theory and practice: developing rigorous academic insights while engaging closely with farmers, regional stakeholders, businesses, policymakers, and researchers from other disciplines.

The Department of the Built Environment at TU/e provides a cutting-edge environment with extensive expertise in information systems, decision support, nature-based solutions, and data/information modeling. You will join a group that excels at translating complex spatial data into digital environments, tools, and platforms that support collaborative innovation and real-world impact.

PostDoc in Multilayer Meta-Optics for High-Performance Optical Systems

Introduction
What can multilayer metasurfaces do that a single layer cannot?
Emerging applications in semiconductor metrology, advanced microscopy, and sensing demand greater bandwidth, efficiency, and control over light. In this Postdoc project, you will push meta-optics beyond the limits of a single layer through computational design, nanofabrication, and optical experiments.

Job Description
Modern optical systems need to do many things well at once: operate across broad bandwidths, maintain high efficiency, precisely control the wavefront, and remain compact. Meeting these demands simultaneously is a key challenge in semiconductor metrology, advanced microscopy, spectroscopy, and sensing.

Meta-optics offer powerful control over the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light at the nanoscale. Yet most metasurfaces still rely on a single nanostructured layer, which constrains the degrees of freedom available for optical design and imposes trade-offs between bandwidth, efficiency, and functionality as explained in our recent publication. In this Postdoc project, you will explore multilayer and hybrid meta-optics as routes beyond these constraints. By stacking nanostructured layers and combining meta-optics with refractive elements, we aim to expand the available design space and realize broadband optical functionality beyond conventional single-layer architectures.

Your research will cover the full cycle from design to experiment. You will:

• Design and model multilayer and hybrid meta-optics using full-wave simulations, computational optimization, and inverse design, including the co-design of metasurfaces with conventional refractive optics using tools such as Zemax.
• Develop and fabricate multilayer devices using electron-beam lithography, thin-film deposition, and reactive-ion etching, tackling challenges in nanoscale overlay, alignment, stacking, and process reproducibility.
• Build optical experiments for broadband characterization, fiber-optic alignment, and coupling between free-space, fiber, and integrated photonic systems.
• Close the loop between simulation and experiment, using measurements to refine designs and improve device performance.

You will also have the freedom to explore alternative fabrication approaches, including nanoimprint lithography and two-photon polymerization (2PP), toward complex, large-area, and scalable meta-optics.

The position is part of Heliopyxis, a collaboration between TU/e, the University of Twente, and industrial partners including ASML, SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions, and ALUVIA Photonics. The project targets broadband light manipulation and free-space-to-chip integration, with semiconductor metrology as an important driving application.

You will work within the Photonics and Semiconductor Nanophysics (PSN) group at TU/e, with access to advanced nanofabrication and optical characterization facilities. You will join a group of more than 40 researchers and collaborate closely with PhD and Master's researchers and academic and industrial partners. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will also have considerable freedom to shape the scientific direction of the project. Besides research, you will contribute to education and mentor BSc and MSc students during their research projects.

Job Requirements
We are looking for a researcher who enjoys moving between electromagnetic design, nanofabrication, and optical experiments to turn new photonic concepts into working devices.

• A PhD in Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Nanotechnology, or a related field, with a background in nanophotonics, meta-optics, or integrated photonics.
• Hands-on experience with nanofabrication of photonic devices, particularly electron-beam lithography, thin-film deposition, reactive-ion etching, multilayer processing, overlay, or stacking.
• Experience with nanoimprint lithography or two-photon polymerization (2PP) is an advantage.
• Strong experimental skills in optical characterization and alignment. Experience with fiber-optic alignment and coupling to photonic devices is highly valued.
• Experience with electromagnetic modeling and simulation (e.g., Lumerical, COMSOL, Tidy3D, or equivalent). Experience with optimization or inverse design is appreciated.
• A background in theoretical or experimental quantum optics or nonlinear optics is a plus.
• A team player who enjoys coaching PhD and MSc students and working in a dynamic, interdisciplinary team.
• A proven ability to manage complex projects to completion on schedule.
• Excellent (written and verbal) proficiency in English, good communication and leadership skills.

You do not need expertise in all these areas; we value a strong foundation and the ambition to expand your skills during the project.

Conditions of Employment
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus at the heart of one of Europe’s largest tech hubs.

In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for 1 year with the possibility of extension.
• Salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale 10, ranging from € 4,422 (step 4) to € 5,760 gross base salary per month (full-time).
• In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
• As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
• High-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, and on-campus children's day care.
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
• Partially paid parental leave and an allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A TU/e Postdoc Association that helps you to build a stronger and broader academic and personal network, and offers tailored support, training and workshops.
• A Staff Immigration Team is available for international candidates, as are a tax compensation scheme (the Expat Scheme) and a compensation for moving expenses.

On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

The Department of Applied Physics and Science Education is a research-driven department housing high-quality educational programs, all featuring strong connections between research and education. Our research is clustered in three focal areas: Fluids, Bio and Soft Matter (FBSM); Plasmas and Beams (PB); and Nano, Quantum and Photonics (NQP). Our shared ambition is to equip the next generation of ‘engineers of the future’ with the knowledge and the skills they will need to impact science, innovation, and society, from regional to global scales.

Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact lab PI, dr. Ahmed H. Dorrah, a.h.dorrah@tue.nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact HRServices.flux@tue.nl.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application
We invite you to submit a complete application using the apply-button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter highlighting your motivation, research goals, and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and contact information of 2-3 references. References will be contacted at the interview stage.
• A copy of 1-2 publications that best represent your research or a 1-page summary of your PhD thesis.

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. Please note that incomplete applications may not be considered and could be rejected.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

PostDoc in Multilayer Meta-Optics for High-Performance Optical Systems

Modern optical systems need to do many things well at once: operate across broad bandwidths, maintain high efficiency, precisely control the wavefront, and remain compact. Meeting these demands simultaneously is a key challenge in semiconductor metrology, advanced microscopy, spectroscopy, and sensing.

Meta-optics offer powerful control over the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light at the nanoscale. Yet most metasurfaces still rely on a single nanostructured layer, which constrains the degrees of freedom available for optical design and imposes trade-offs between bandwidth, efficiency, and functionality as explained in our recent publication. In this Postdoc project, you will explore multilayer and hybrid meta-optics as routes beyond these constraints. By stacking nanostructured layers and combining meta-optics with refractive elements, we aim to expand the available design space and realize broadband optical functionality beyond conventional single-layer architectures.

Your research will cover the full cycle from design to experiment. You will:

• Design and model multilayer and hybrid meta-optics using full-wave simulations, computational optimization, and inverse design, including the co-design of metasurfaces with conventional refractive optics using tools such as Zemax.
• Develop and fabricate multilayer devices using electron-beam lithography, thin-film deposition, and reactive-ion etching, tackling challenges in nanoscale overlay, alignment, stacking, and process reproducibility.
• Build optical experiments for broadband characterization, fiber-optic alignment, and coupling between free-space, fiber, and integrated photonic systems.
• Close the loop between simulation and experiment, using measurements to refine designs and improve device performance.

You will also have the freedom to explore alternative fabrication approaches, including nanoimprint lithography and two-photon polymerization (2PP), toward complex, large-area, and scalable meta-optics.

The position is part of Heliopyxis, a collaboration between TU/e, the University of Twente, and industrial partners including ASML, SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions, and ALUVIA Photonics. The project targets broadband light manipulation and free-space-to-chip integration, with semiconductor metrology as an important driving application.

You will work within the Photonics and Semiconductor Nanophysics (PSN) group at TU/e, with access to advanced nanofabrication and optical characterization facilities. You will join a group of more than 40 researchers and collaborate closely with PhD and Master's researchers and academic and industrial partners. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will also have considerable freedom to shape the scientific direction of the project. Besides research, you will contribute to education and mentor BSc and MSc students during their research projects.

PhD position robust multi-criteria optical design under uncertainty

Uncertainties are inherent in many engineering design problems and can be translated into the underlying mathematical models. They may, for example, arise from perturbations in boundary conditions, input parameters, or geometrical properties. When neglecting the influence of uncertainties, the performance of a design solution may deteriorate significantly under these perturbations. The aim of robust design strategies is to account for these uncertainties in the design process, yielding solutions that are less sensitive to perturbations and therefore more reliable in practice. Mathematically, this leads to optimization problems with underlying random partial or ordinary differential equations that require careful modeling and analysis.

Imaging optics involves the design and optimization of imaging systems, such as cameras and telescopes, to most accurately capture and reproduce an image. Modern inverse freeform design methods compute surfaces that convert a given source light distribution to a desired target light distribution. These can be used to guide the design process for imaging systems. These methods naturally lead to challenging mathematical models, including nonlinear partial or ordinary differential equations. However, real-world optical systems are subject to manufacturing tolerances, alignment errors, and material variability. To achieve robust designs, existing inverse design methods must be extended to systematically account for these uncertainties.

The design process in imaging optics is inherently multi-objective, involving different competing performance criteria. This could be on a more systematic level the interplay of quality, cost and manufacturability but also image quality itself can be described by competing performance measures.
A further challenge is therefore to account for the effect of uncertainties on different performance criteria.
Standard formulations for single-criteria robust design do not capture these effects. This requires the development of new formulations and strategies building upon modern robust multi-criteria optimization methods based on Pareto losses.

The aim of this PhD project is to extend the existing freeform design strategies to include uncertainties using spectral methods for uncertainty quantification, such as polynomial chaos expansions, and enable the analysis of trade-off solutions under uncertainty. This allows for the integration of uncertainties in the freeform design of optical systems with a specific focus on telescopic systems. The mathematical disciplines involved are mathematical modeling, numerical analysis, and scientific computing.

Your tasks will involve:

• Conducting research on uncertainty quantification in the context of inverse freeform design,
• Developing and implementing design strategies tailored to robust multi-criteria design,
• Applying the developed methods for designing imaging systems,
• Analyzing and interpreting research data, publishing and presenting your research,
• Participating in academic activities, including seminars, workshops and teaching.

You will be part of our Computational Illumination Optics group at TU/e, an applied mathematics group dedicated to problems in the field of optics with a lot of interesting industry-related applications (e.g., Signify, ASML and TNO). We will work together and support your research. The group belongs to CASA (Centre for Applied Analysis, Scientific Computing and Applications), that offers a collaborative research atmosphere with a lot of possibilities for exchange and social activities.