PhD Position Ensuring High Quality Urban Water: Monitoring, Modelling and (Data)management
Ensuring good water quality in cities is vital for a healthy city: in this PhD you will develop monitoring and modelling strategies to help design resilient water cities of the future.
Job description
Cities depend on sufficient and sufficiently clean water. However, we often lack the data to fully understand the dynamics of contaminants throughout the urban water cycle. Existing sensors for water quality monitoring do not suffice, since emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and pathogenic micro-organisms are not captured at a real-time basis. As a PhD researcher, you will integrate state-of-the-art water quality sensors with water quality models to come up with a framework allowing cities around the world to effectively monitor and manage their water systems in such a way that water quality deterioration can be avoided. This PhD is part of the EU Horizon QleanUP project, through which you will directly engage with stakeholders and do your research as part of a large international consortium.
Within the project you will work with different types of water, ranging from surface water to wastewater treatment plant effluent. The work will integrate hands-on monitoring with cutting edge data-driven and physical based models, including the deployment of machine learning algorithms. The project aims to have a tangible impact on the way urban waters are monitored, and the findings of your project will be implemented across project partners. Your supervisory team includes Prof. Dr. Luuk Rietveld and Dr. ir. Job van der Werf and you will be embedded in the Water Management department at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences.
Job requirements
Need-to-haves:
- MSc degree in a relevant field (Environmental Engineering or Science, Civil Engineering, or equivalent)
- Affinity with water quality and urban water systems
- Strong analytical skills and highly motivated and curious about urban water quality
- Strong in English in both written and oral communication
Nice-to-haves:
- Experience with water quality modelling and/or monitoring
- Experience in working in mutli-disciplinary research teams
*If your mother language is not English and you do not hold a degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction, you must submit proof of English proficiency from either TOEFL (minimum total score of 100) or IELTS (minimum total score of 7.0). Proof of English language proficiency certificates older than two years are not accepted.
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
For more information about this vacancy, please contact L.C.Rietveld@tudelft.nl
Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 7 November 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:
- CV
- Motivational letter
You can address your application to Job van der Werf.
For information about the application procedure, please contact J.A.vanderwerf@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.
- 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.
- Applying for an exemption for specific research and educational areas is an obligatory part of the selection procedure for this vacancy. This exemption must be obtained from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) before an employment contract is agreed upon. Click here for more information.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services