Postdoc Safe Waterborne Digital Systems

Challenge: Integrating Fault Tolerance and Dependability
Change: "What if" cyber-physical ship design
Impact: Integrating resilience, safety and security

Job description

The candidate will work in the HorizonEurope Project WARRANT (www.warrant-project.eu) with 13 partners,  pursuing innovative research to meet the following objectives: (1) The functional analysis and reliability assessment of waterborne digital systems, addressing the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Remote & Autonomous shipping, and the increasing cybersecurity threat landscape; (2) The experimentation and validation of the WARRANT methods and platforms in Living Labs with representative stakeholders concerned with waterborne digital systems dependability innovations, and safe, secure and resilient operations of digitalized ships, (3) the scientific dissemination and communication, and industry engagement.

The candidate will work in the department of Maritime and Transport Engineering (MTT) of Mechanical Engineering Faculty and will be a senior researcher in the SAFE-NET group (https://www.safe-net.team/). He/she will enjoy interacting with the MTT Young Professionals (https://mtt-colloquium.github.io/index.html) and the researchers of the Transport Engineering & Logistics Section, and joining social activities.

Job requirements

• A PhD degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as Fault Diagnosis, Fault Tolerant Control, Reliability-Availability-Maintainability-Safety, Risk Assessment/Mitigation, Safe/Secure by design
• Excellent skills for quantitative/qualitatitve modelling of ship systems/operations
• Advanced programming skills
• An excellent command of English, as you’ll be working in an internationally diverse community and with international partners
• A problem-solving mindset and passion for interdisciplinary research working together with academic/industrial partners

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 Mechanical Engineering 

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. 

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Conditions of employment 

• Duration of contract is 1 year Temporary
• A job of 36-40 hours per week. 
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP. 
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year. 
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages. 
• Flexible working week. 
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget. 
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses. 
• Partially paid parental leave 
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program. 

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

 If you would like additional information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Vasso Reppa, Assistant Professor in Safe Autonomous Maritime Transport, email: v.reppa@tudelft.nl

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 3 August 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• Motivation letter
• Detailed CV
• Copies of your MSc degree and transcripts, and PhD degree
• PhD thesis (if it is in English) and/or 2 relevant publications

You can address your application to Dr. Vasso Reppa.

Please note:

• #EUfunded This is an EU funded project, named WARRANT, with project number 101202581 (Horizon-CL5-2024-D6-01-10), within program HorizonEurope.

• 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.