PhD Position on Twin Transition of Infrastructure: Paradoxical Leadership

PhD Position on Twin Transition of Infrastructure: Paradoxical Leadership

How do leaders make responsible decisions when digitalisation and sustainability goals pull in opposite directions? This PhD studies strategies on how infrastructure leaders navigate these tensions.

Job description

Digitalisation and sustainability are both transforming infrastructure, but they do not always align. Digital twins, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other data-driven solutions can support better services and more sustainable operations, yet they can also create extra energy use and new dependencies. This PhD project asks how leaders in infrastructure organisations understand and navigate these tensions in their strategic and day-to-day decision-making.

This PhD post on paradoxical leadership is part of the NWO-funded Vidi "Infra-PaX" project. You will study how leaders and their teams (at a micro-level) deal with competing demands such as short-term performance versus long-term value and digital efficiency versus environmental impact. Rather than looking for simple “best practices”, the project examines how leaders work through persistent paradoxical tensions over time and how their responses evolve as the context changes.

The research is designed as a longitudinal, embedded case study in the Dutch infrastructure domain. Your work will combine qualitative interviews, observations, document analysis and ethnographic fieldwork. The project will contribute to academic debates on paradox theory, leadership, infrastructure and project management. It will also generate practical outputs for the sector. Alongside your PhD thesis, you will be encouraged to publish in journals, present at conferences and take part in stakeholder-focused activities such as workshops, focus groups and knowledge-sharing events.

You will be based at TU Delft and work in a multidisciplinary research environment connected to infrastructure management, project studies and sustainability transitions. The supervision will be by the project lead together with a broader team of interdisciplinary supervisory team at the section Integral Design & Management and strong links to industry and academic partners. You will also work alongside the second PhD candidate in the project, sharing fieldwork, collaborating and reflecting on the micro- and macro-level aspects of the research project, Infra-PaX.

This is an opportunity for an MSc graduate, interested in the twin transition and leadership, who wants to grow into an independent researcher while staying closely connected to real-world infrastructure challenges. You will learn how to design and carry out rigorous field research, how to publish your work, and how to translate academic insights into practical knowledge that leaders and policymakers can actually use.

Job requirements

• A master’s degree in construction management, civil engineering, project management, business administration, information systems, innovation studies or a related field.
• A strong interest in leadership, organisational change, digitalisation, sustainability and infrastructure.
• Affinity with empirical research methods, especially qualitative interviews, case study research, observations, document analysis and, ideally, ethnographic work.
• The ability to connect academic ideas with challenges faced by infrastructure organisations and public-sector stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and a genuine curiosity about how people make decisions under competing demands.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Dutch is an advantage, but this is not specified as a formal requirement for this PhD project.
• The ability to work independently while successfully collaborating with a multidisciplinary research team.
• Willingness to conduct fieldwork in infrastructure organisations and to contribute to publications, presentations and stakeholder engagement during the PhD trajectory.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means joining an international community of professionals and students.

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.

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 €3204 - €4051 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. Coming to Delft Service offers information to help you prepare your relocation and 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.

Target start date is 1st February 2027.

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.

As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. The assessment takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed.