Do you want to contribute to the energy transition, engage with renewable energy experts, and develop model-based policy recommendations? Join our interdisciplinary faculty to create impact.

Job Description

Decentralized flexibility is pivotal to the energy transition. Numerous companies, start-ups, pilot projects, and not-for-profit organizations offer decentral flexibility solutions to integrate renewable energies, provide storage capacity, balancing power and resilience for electricity grids. Decentral flexibility designs include, among others, peer-to-peer energy trading, flexibility aggregation of home batteries, heat pumps, and electric vehicles, as well as energy communities. These designs represent different pathways to achieving decentralized flexibility, each offering distinct benefits. While some of these designs have proved successful, others have not.

This PhD project investigates the systemic factors that cause decentral flexibility designs to succeed or fail in European energy markets. The aim is to analyse whether a convergence towards certain designs can be expected and where tipping in the diffusion could emerge. The PhD thesis should result in a set of policy recommendations for companies and governments to further stimulate the spreading of decentral flexibility. A mixed-method approach is foreseen for the PhD thesis. The methods applied in this PhD project are a market and literature review, System Dynamics modelling, and empirical analysis.

The candidate is expected to contribute to the stimulating intellectual environment at the Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management at TU Delft and to support its portfolio of teaching and knowledge transfer activities. Supervision of the PhD project will be shared by Dr. Özge Okur and Dr. Merla Kubli, with Prof. Dr. Martijn Warnier as the promotor.

Job Requirement

• Master’s degree in Engineering and Policy Analysis, Complex System Engineering, Sustainable Energy Technologies, System Dynamics, or a similar degree related to energy transition, sustainability, or management.
• Methodological experience in System Dynamics modelling or strong willingness to develop such skills.
• Strong interest in the energy transition, in particular decentral flexibility and energy communities.
• Affinity with qualitative research and/or empirical surveys.
• Curiosity to research complex socio-technical systems, professionalism to engage in transdisciplinary collaborations and ability to manage a long-term research project.
• Proficiency in English, including strong writing skills. Dutch language skills are welcome but not mandatory.

• Open communication and team player qualities.

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.

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 Technology, Policy & Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Additional information

If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Merla Kubli and Dr. Özge Okur, via m.d.kubli@tudelft.nl and o.okur-1@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 3 Jan 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents merged into one PDF file:

• CV.
• Motivational letter (including an indication of when you could start the position earliest).
• Contact details of two references.
• Master diploma including the grades, or if not yet fully graduated the master grade transcript.
• A writing sample (usually the master thesis or a seminar paper).

Interviews are foreseen to be held in January 2025. The successful candidate is expected to start the position within the period of February-June 2025 or based on mutual agreement. Please state in your application when you could start the position at the earliest.

You can address your application to Dr. Merla Kubli, Dr. Özge Okur and Prof. Dr. Martijn Warnier.

For information about the application procedure, contact the HR Advisor Martine van de Vorst, email: recruitment-tbm@tudelft.nl.

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.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• A knowledge security check will be part of the selection procedure (for details page 45: national knowledge security guidelines).
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.