Junior and/or Postdoctoral Researcher: Activating History and Heritage

Join the Chair History of Architecture and Urban Planning at TU Delft to analyze Amsterdam’s quaywalls and bridges as part of this UNESCO World Heritage site's future development.

Job description

The UNESCO Chair in Water, Ports and Historic Cities of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus PortCityFutures research center, located in the Chair History of Architecture and Urban Planning at TU Delft, explores the relation between water and historic cities through the lens of the World Heritage site of Amsterdam. We are partner in the national Groeifonds project Multifunctional Urban Waterfronts and seek new researchers, either junior (pre-PhD) or postdoc, to complement our project team.

The selected researcher(s) will collaborate with members of the Chair to develop and refine methodologies that link historical analysis and long-term thinking on quaywalls and bridges of the World Heritage site Amsterdam (the historic urban ensemble of the canal district built at the turn of the 16th and 17th century), to future design solutions that allow for its sustainable development in line with the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. The selected researcher(s) will be employed to co-lead the Groeifonds project's Work Package 7, to connect heritage approaches to research by design.

The Work Package's research has three main goals:

To produce advanced historical knowledge of the past, connecting archival knowledge to contemporary data sets. We aim to develop a web platform that allows for advanced understanding of the Amsterdam World Heritage site as historic palimpsest, comprising sewage lines, canal foundations, historic dams, etc.

To collaborate with other project work packages, focused a.o. on engineering and research by design, to provide a conceptual background to assure that design interventions as part of future sustainable development respect the site’s unique character and heritage value.

To explore how newly conceptualized multifunctional quaywalls - defined here as having multiple spatial purposes, social practices and cultural meanings - can build on/reinvent historic practices. To facilitate future changes in building practices and lifestyles, this Work Package will engage in Living Lab settings that allow to experiment with temporary quaywall setups, as permitted by World Heritage regulations during reconstruction moments and in preparation for permanent interventions.

The selected candidate(s) will collect relevant historical and archival data on Amsterdam's underground and canal belt infrastructure, a.o. from the City Archives and Engineering Office, to develop a web platform that allows for connecting archival and contemporary information, while also providing input for overarching project deliverables and other work packages when needed. The researcher(s) will have affinity with archival research, GIS- and/or computer science-based methods, heritage preservation and valuation frameworks, and interdisciplinary and participatory research skills to connect to the other work packages and the project's main research by design approach (through Living Labs and design interventions). The selected candidate(s) will participate in the project to focus on a quaywalls/bridges-focused HUL-based analysis of Amsterdam, in collaboration with the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency, relevant departments of the Municipality of Amsterdam, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Center.

Most importantly, the candidate(s) should be able to start on short notice in a running research project, engage and collaborate with other stakeholders, and focus on engaging with heritage-related questions for the design of new quaywalls. (Postdoc-level researchers should be able to take on a leaderhip role and supervise younger researchers and student assistants).

Job requirements

You have:

Completed a Master's degree in Architecture, Urbanism, Heritage Studies, Architectural/Urban History, Digital Humanities or Computer Science; and a recently completed PhD in one of these fields (only for Postdoc candidates).

Awareness of urban historic developments and interest to connect this to future design practices.

Familiarity with spatial data analysis, GIS and 3D modelling; coding skills are a plus.

Familiarity with research by design and data-driven design processes.

Previous research experience in interdisciplinary settings (only for Postdoc candidates).

Ability to work collaboratively with researchers from other disciplines and societal stakeholders; (for postdoc level researchers: supervision and project leadership experience).

Excellent Dutch and English language skills.

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 Architecture & the Built Environment

The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy from early in the morning until late at night, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Conditions of employment

Duration of contract is 2,5 years.

A job of 32 hours per week.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. 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! 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

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Dr. Ing. Carola Hein, via c.m.@.

For information about the application procedure, please contact Julia Kreuwel, HR Advisor, via .

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 1 June 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

A motivation letter (indicating clearly whether you are applying for a Junior or Postdoc research position).

A detailed CV.

Contact details of two references (letters not required at this stage)

A short reflection on how you would address the research (max. 1 page) taking into consideration:

Experience with archival analysis.

Space-based and data-driven methodologies for historical and heritage analysis.

Affinity with the UNESCO HUL approach.

Reflection on the role of Living Labs and engagement with societal stakeholders in research settings.

For Postdoc level researchers: Explanation of leadership skills, capacity of guiding projects and younger researchers.

Please note:

You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.

A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.

For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.

Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.