Design and Shape the Future of Work in the Built Environment with AI.
Job description
How will AI and digitalisation transform jobs, skills and business opportunities in built environment transitions over the next 5–10 years?
Join FUTURED, a Dutch NWO-funded research programme, and developscenarios at the intersection of AI-driven digitalisation and the energy transition in the built environment. You’ll work with researchers, policymakers, and industry partners to map labour-market futures, identify emerging opportunities and risks, and co-create practical scenarios for the workforce.
If you have strong qualitative research skills, a passion for innovation in the built environment, and the drive to turn foresight into action—this PhD is for you.
FUTURED (Fostering Upskilled Talent for Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, and Digitalisation in the Built Environment) is a Dutch NWO-funded programme examining how the twin transitions of energy transition and digitalisation are reshaping jobs, skills, and labour-market dynamics across the full built-environment lifecycle. Within FUTURED, WP2 develops participatory long- and short-term scenarios (including La Prospective) to provide actionable foresight for policymakers, employers, and education providers, with direct links to workforce capability development, work redesign, and lifelong learning pathways. This PhD (Task 2.2) focuses on 5–10 year scenario planning for AI-enabled digitalisation and its interaction with the energy transition, identifying labour-market and business risks and opportunities, and is closely integrated with WP1 (labour-market evidence), WP2.1 (long-term scenario coherence), WP3 (implications for job redesign, retention, and wellbeing), and WP4 (living-lab validation and co-creation).
Job requirements
Need to have:
- Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., construction management, architecture/engineering management, innovation studies, socio-technical systems, data/AI in the built environment, public policy/transition studies).
- Business, policy, social background, with affinity with digitalisation and the built environment (e.g., BIM, digital twins, automation pipelines used), innovation adoption and governance in construction, and espcially in the work execution of construction activities.
- A doer mentality and open for a problem-solving approach.
- Strong qualitative research capabilities: case-study design, interviewing, coding/thematic analysis; ability to synthesise evidence into scenarios and actionable practitioner outputs.
- Ability to collaborate in a transdisciplinary consortium and engage stakeholders in co-creation settings (workshops, validations, living lab activities).
- Excellent academic writing and communication skills in English and at least B2 level Dutch (if you are at B1 level but strive to learn Dutch quickly, that is also possible but please pay attention that in the first interview, you need to present in Dutch).
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 Architecture & the Built Environment
The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy, with four thousand people enthusiastically studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.
Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.
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
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Tong Wang, via e-mail: T.Wang-12@tudelft.nl.
For more information about the application procedure, please contact Sofie Hennekens, via e-mail: recruitment-bk@tudelft.nl.
Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 12 July 2026 (local Dutch time + 2 hrs) via the application button and upload the following documents:
- A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) addressing your interests and describing how your experience and plans fit with the position.
- A CV and position paper (max 1500 words including references - letters are not required at this stage). The position paper should be written in English, and clearly outlines the applicant's vision of how they see trends in AI and digitalisation shaping the labour market in the specific context of the energy transition in the built environment. The position paper should clearly identify key theoretical influences (citing at least five most seminal scholarly publications), which provides clear positioning for the provisional research question of interest.
Shortly thereafter, selected candidates will be invited for a first-round interview (scheduled on July 27th , 2026). Candidates who are successful in this round will proceed to a second-round interview for a deeper discussion of the project (scheduled on Aug 26th , 2026). Depending on the situation, there may be an additional interview round with practitioners. We aim for the PhD to start in Oct/Nov 2026.
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.
