Job description

Floating offshore wind turbines are widely regarded as a key technology to accelerate renewable power generation and reach climate targets. Installing a wind turbine on a floating structure comes with opportunities as well as new engineering challenges. Due to the floating motions, the blades are subject to large angle of attack variatios affecting loads and performance. The development of ad hoc control stategies is key to address this challenge, and experimental testing is highly relevant to assess the impact of these logics.

We are looking for highly skilled and motivated candidates to join our Wind Energy section and the Floating Wind Energy team, and pursue the following postdoc project:

Control for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines:

The project focuses on the development a closed-loop control strategy to mitigate the unsteady angles of attack variations of floating wind turbines, learning from CFD-trained surrogate models and experimental data. The controller will be physically implemented in a wind turbine scale model and its effects will be experimentally investigated with a hybrid wind tunnel setup.

As a postdoc, you will work among young and energetic peers which offers a stimulating and inclusive working environment for further developing your research and academic skills. In addition, your research will contribute to and benefit from others and you will closely work in team with PhDs and staff.

Job Requirements

• A MSc. degree and a PhD degree (or close to finishing) in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, with a specialization in control, aerodynamics, wind energy, or a related field;
• Significant expertise in the field of control;
• Knowledge of mechanical system dynamics, mechanical and mechatronic designs;
• Fundamental knowledge of wind turbines and aerodynamics;
• Experience in wind turbine control, model testing of wind turbines and wind tunnel testing in general are pluses;
• Affinity with programming and data processing;
• Hands on with lab-work and hardware construction;
• Attitude to teamwork and excellent communication skills in spoken and written English towards peers, students and stakeholders, combined with creativity, self-learning skills and an inclination towards research;
• Potential in being a positive and open-minded supervisor for (graduate) students

TU Delft

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 Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 2 years.
• A job of 36-40 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
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Federico Taruffi, via F.Taruffi@tudelft.nl or Axelle Vire via A.C.Vire@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 15 August 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents (in pdf format):

• CV
• Motivational letter (max 1 page)

• A summary of your PhD research (max 3 pages, incl. figures)

• Contact information of two references (if desired support letters can be attached).

• (A part of) your PhD thesis or a jornal paper that you have written, in which you demonstrate your research and scientific writing skills

You can address your application to Federico Taruffi. he selection process will start immediately. After a first selection, online interviews will be arranged. The intended start date is autumn 2025.

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.