PhD Candidate in Hydroinformatics - Uncertainty-Aware Optimisation for Robust Water Distribution System Operation

• Plan, develop and implement the methods and tools mentioned in the objectives, following state-of-the-art on decision-making under uncertainty and robust multi-objective optimisation for drinking-water distribution systems.
• Contribute to i3WaterS project deliverables, technical reports, meetings and network-wide activities related to the research.
• Publish research results in peer-reviewed journals and present them at national and international conferences and symposia.
• Participate actively in the International Doctoral School, secondments and collaborative activities with academic and non-academic partners.
• Support or mentor MSc thesis projects linked to the doctoral research, where appropriate.
• Prepare and successfully defend a doctoral thesis within the appointment period.

•   A Master's degree with strong academic results in Hydroinformatics, civil or environmental engineering, water engineering, applied mathematics, operations research, computer science or a closely related field.
• Strong knowledge of hydraulics and hydraulic modelling of drinking-water distribution systems.
• Knowledge of optimisation, preferably multi-objective, robust or stochastic optimisation, and an interest in decision-making under uncertainty.
• Programming experience in Python; experience with optimisation libraries and water-network modelling software is highly desirable.
• Experience with data science, machine learning, uncertainty quantification or Value of Information methods is an advantage.
• English language proficiency (written and spoken) and demonstrated skills in independently writing academic texts in English.
• A collaborative and proactive attitude, capacity for independent research and readiness to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment.

MSCA Doctoral Network eligibility

• At the date of recruitment, the applicant must be a Doctoral Candidate and must not already hold a doctoral degree or have defended a doctoral thesis;
• The MSCA mobility rule applies: during the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date, the applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work or studies) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months. Compulsory national service and time spent obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not counted.

This is a position for 48 months (4 years), (38 hours per week), with the expectation that the candidate will submit and successfully defend the PhD thesis within this period. The candidate will be stationed in Delft, the Netherlands. Employment at IHE Delft is according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (scale P). The appointment implies entry into the Netherlands' Civil Service Pension Fund (ABP).

The initial contract is for 18 months. Within the first year a go/no-go decision will be made based on a detailed PhD research proposal to be developed by the candidate, which will determine whether or not the contract will be extended.

The final remuneration package will follow IHE Delft employment conditions and the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network allowances.

The mobility plan includes a three-month secondment at the University of Cartagena (UC), planned from project month 21, for specialised training in water-demand forecasting and optimal operation and collaboration with Aguas de Cartagena (AC). A second two-month secondment at Cetaqua (CET), planned from project month 34, will focus on testing and validating the research findings. The timing of secondments may be adjusted in consultation with the supervisory team and host organisations.

The expected contract starting date is 1 January 2027.

Additional information can be obtained from Associate Professor Leonardo Alfonso (l.alfonso@un-ihe.org).

Applications must be submitted in English by 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST (Brussels time). Applicants should submit:

• a curriculum vitae;
• a motivation letter;
• an abstract of your MSc thesis;
• two names of contactable referees.

Qualifications, experience and other claims included in the CV should be supported by appropriate evidence.

Please submit your application using the Apply button. Applications submitted by email will not be considered. You can upload all required documents as PDF files in the Motivation and CV upload section.

Selection process

Applications (in English) will first be checked for formal eligibility. Eligible curricula vitae will be assessed against the required specialisation, academic training, technical and organisational competences, professional experience and overall fit with the position. Candidates who obtain at least 5 out of 10 in the CV assessment may be invited to an online interview. The interview will assess functional suitability, the relevance of professional experience and the overall professional profile; the minimum interview score is 3 out of 5. Eligible candidates will be ranked according to the final assessment. Interview dates and arrangements will be communicated in advance by email.

IHE Delft follows an open recruitment procedure that respects diversity and provides equal opportunity to applicants from all backgrounds.