Help shape the future of offshore structures' safety! Join a PhD project advancing how wave conditions are modelled to design safer, more reliable structures.
Job description
Ocean waves and wind are usually the dominant design loads for coastal, flood protection, and offshore structures. Safety standards to design these structures are based on risk-based approaches where the design load conditions are derived from statistical analysis. Traditional climatic analysis relies on univariate distributions. However, several variables are usually required to characterize those design conditions (e.g.: wave height and wave period), which are physically linked and, thus, correlation existsbetween those variables and needs to be taken into account in the statistical analysis. During the last years, advances have been made using highly flexible copula-based models, namely vine-copulas. However, questions remain regarding their application, specifically in the model selection and performance assessment.
This PhD position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in the safety of structures under wave loading, and probabilistic modelling of metocean variables. In this project, you will work on better characterizing the probabilistic dependence between metocean variables, understanding ocean dynamics through multivariate statistics, and embedding the generated knowledge in the design and safety assessments of structures under wave loading. You will also perform simulations on computational statistics with High Performance Computing to further develop the mathematical methods, derive implications for design and draw recommendations.
You will join the department of Hydraulic Engineering at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Geosciences of TU Delft as a full-time (1 fte) PhD candidate. We offer a rich international research environment with access to industrial networks to ensure your research contributes to practice while having academic impact.
Job requirements
As a successful applicant, you hold a MSc degree in a relevant field (hydraulic engineering, offshore engineering, applied mathematics, applied physics or similar). Ideally, you are already familiar with the topics of ocean waves, reliability assessment of coastal and offshore structures and/or probabilistic analysis and have some programming experience (i.e. Python) or are very motivated to acquire strong programming skills.
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.
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 €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
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.
Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.
Additional information
Please do not contact us for unsolicited services. For more information about this vacancy, please contact Patricia Mares Nasarre at P.MaresNasarre@tudelft.nl.
Application procedure
Are you passionate about scientific research and real-word applications where natural hazards and offshore engineering meet? Do you have or want to develop a strong background in reliability, probabilistic analysis and hydraulics? Then please get in touch with us and share your vision for the project and how your skills could contribute to the research. Please apply no later than the deadline (6 May 2026) via the application button and upload 1) your motivation letter and 2) a CV. Please combine all these documents in one PDF file.
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.
- As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
