Introduction
Are you passionate about shaping the future of work in the built environment? Join us to co-create adaptive labour market futures for the digital and energy transitions. Contribute to long-term scenario development and future-making strategies that strengthen skills, jobs, and workforce resilience towards 2050. Join our team to drive innovations that support urban resilience. This is your chance to make a real impact!
Job Description
As a PhD candidate, you will conduct cutting-edge research on how digitalisation and the energy transition reshape the labour market in the built environment. You will be part of the interdisciplinary NWO-funded project FUTURED – Fostering Upskilled Talent for Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, and Digitalisation in the Built Environment.
The project develops adaptive labour market futures to 2050 and translates them into actionable strategies for policymakers, industry, and educational institutions. A key innovation is the development of a scenario-based serious game that supports future-oriented dialogue and strategic workforce planning.
You will work at the intersection of foresight, labour economics, computational analysis, and interactive design to strengthen workforce resilience under accelerating twin transitions.
You will collaborate with the research group of dr. Xiao Peng in the Organisation in Digital Transition (ODT) at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. You will work within the research line “Digitalisation and Sustainability – Energy Transition”, which includes several research projects focused on the energy transition, such as Local Energy Systems and Energy Behavior Change. https://www.internationalhu.com/research/organisations-in-digital-transition#Onderzoekslijnen
Job responsibilities
- Design and implement scenario planning and future-making methodologies
- Conduct quantitative and qualitative labour market analyses and projections at national and regional levels
- Engage with stakeholders in co-creation workshops and case studies (e.g., Midden-Utrecht and FoodValley regions)
- Develop conceptual and analytical models for labour market adaptivity
- Design and develop a scenario-based serious game to support future-making and stakeholder engagement
- Contribute to high-quality scientific publications and conference presentations
- Support coordination of WP2 research activities within the FUTURED consortium
- You will be contributing to the Urban Informatics research theme at the chair of Information Systems in the Built Environment (ISBE).
Job Requirements
- A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Innovation Sciences, Labour Economics, Public Policy, Built Environment, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Data Science, or a related field.
- Strong interest in labour market transformation, digitalisation, and the energy transition.
- Demonstrable experience with scenario analysis, foresight methods, or system-level analysis.
- Experience with qualitative and quantitative data analysis; familiarity with computational methods (e.g., NLP, text-as-data, Python/R) is highly desirable.
- Interest in serious games, interactive tools, or participatory research methods is an advantage.
- A research-oriented attitude.
- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with societal partners.
- Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
- Fluent in spoken and written English, (C1 level).
- A positive attitude and good communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work in a team and on own initiative.
- Fluency in Dutch, both spoken and written, is required due to the intensive collaboration with Dutch-speaking stakeholders and regional partners.
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. € 3,059 - max. € 3,881).
- A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
- 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, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
- Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate, for you and, if applicable, your partner.
- An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
- A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.
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.
Sustainability, in its broadest definition, is the cornerstone of research and education in the Department of Built Environment. We take the lead in (re)shaping the built environment to be future-proof, safe, healthy, inclusive and respectful of planetary boundaries. We house the entire spectrum of technology, engineering, design, and human behavior disciplines in the built environment, with world-class experimental facilities at all scales. This allows us to address societal challenges from a uniquely integrated perspective.
Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Dr. Qi Han, q.han@tue.nl of dr. Dujuan Yang, d.yang@tue.nl.
Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact L. 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.
