Postdoc in BEAVER (Burrowing Experimental Analysis of Vulnerability of Embankments due to Rodents)

Challenge: Dike stability failure due to animal burrowing Field Test.

Change: Inclusion of animal burrowing in dike design practice.

Impact: Increasing flood safety in dike protected riverine areas.

Job description

Several rodent species — beavers, muskrats, nutrias, and brown rats — are widespread across the Dutch landscape and pose a significant threat to the national flood defence system. Beaver populations in particular have left significant evidence of their mating and nesting patterns in dikes located near riverine areas. While ecologically beneficial, their burrowing behaviour creates serious flood safety risks for soil-based flood defences stability: burrows can extend beyond 20 metres in length with diameters of approximately 35 centimetres. During high-water periods beavers can dig deeper and higher into embankments to keep their chambers dry. Despite these documented hazards, the extent to which burrowing reduces dike strength — and its implications for failure and breaching — remains poorly understood and not explicitly considered in the requirements for reliability analysis inside the legislative safety assessment.

The BEAVER project (Burrowing Experimental Analysis of Vulnerability of Embankments due to Rodents) aims to address this knowledge gap by combining numerical modelling with a full-scale dike failure experiment so that the effects of burrowing can be quantified and better understood in terms of time and space and possible breach closing measures. The real-scale experiments are to be executed at the Flood Proof Holland testing facility while monitoring the failure process in real time with a multi-sensor installation set-up. The work is carried out in joint collaboration between TU Delft, HZ University of Applied Sciences and several Dutch water authorities and stakeholders.

The postdoctoral researcher will lead the core project activities, jointly supervised and supported by TU Delft and HZ senior staff, and is expected to engage and disseminate results with relevant water authorities. The position is embedded in the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at the Environmental Fluid Mechanics section, in collaboration with the Department of Geosciences, for a period of 18 months. The position offers a unique opportunity to work on a combination of fundamental research and real-world application in a collaborative, internationally recognised environment at the Hydraulic Engineering department.

Job requirements

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with the following qualifications:

• A PhD in Civil Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following numerical or experimental topics: slope stability, granular erosion processes and groundwater systems.
• Demonstrated skills in at least two or more of the following tools or methods: finite element modeling (e.g. Plaxis, Comsol, Abaqus, Kratos), image processing, fiber-optics DTS, DSS or DAS, Python programming, or signal processing.
• Ability to work well independently as well as in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Fluent in English (oral and written). Knowledge of Dutch is a plus.
• Availability to start preferably in August 2026.

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 of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the fields of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions.

Conditions of employment

Duration of contract is 18 months. Temporary external finance.

• 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.
• If relocating to the Netherlands, TU Delft offers support to help make the move as smooth as possible, including information and events to help you settle in Delft and expand your social network. A Dual Career Programme is available to support an accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.