PhD Position Automated Design and Evaluation of 3D-Printed Hand and Wrist Medical Devices

We are seeking a PhD researcher for a 4-year contract to develop streamlined, automated design workflows for 3D-printed hand and wrist medical devices such as patient-specific implants and surgical tools, and to evaluate their performance. The project will also explore data-driven and AI-based approaches to support device design.

Job description

You will be part of a multidisciplinary team and supervised by Drs. Nazli Tümer and Jie Zhou and Prof. Amir Zadpoor within the Department of Biomechanical Engineering at TU Delft. This position is supported by the Hand2Hand project, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Your research will be conducted through close collaboration with the other 10 project partners in the Netherlands and Belgium.

There are many opportunities for you to grow your academic career through coursework, mentoring BSc/MSc Students, consortium participation, conference presentations, webinars/workshops, and teaching.

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.

Job requirements

You should have:

• An MSc degree in Biomechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline by the start date of the position (March 2026)
• Experience in scientific programming (e.g., Python, Matlab)
• Experience in collecting experimental data, for example, through mechanical testing
• Experience in finite-element analysis
• Basic knowledge of and/or experience in AI-driven models
• The ability to manage multiple tasks effectively
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

The following aspects will help you stand out:

• The ability to thrive in a multidisciplinary research environment
• A self-motivated, proactive, and self-driven working attitude
• Curiosity-driven self-learning ability
• Written and oral communication skills in Dutch
• Knowledge of computer aided design
• Experience in medical image analysis and data processing

Keep in mind that this describes the background we imagine would best fit the role. Even if you do not meet all the requirements and feel that you are up for the task, we absolutely want to see your application! The PhD process is a learning experience.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology 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.

Faculty Mechanical Engineering

Research and education at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering focuses 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 state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists.

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.