The EVOLF consortium aims to create a living cell bottom up. This groundbreaking endeavour requires careful alignment with societal values and effective goverance.

Job description

The development of a synthetic cell will produce groundbreaking knowledge on our understanding of life, which may lead to promising new applications, but may also give rise to novel risks. Therefore, this knowledge should be produced in a responsible way. This ambitious endeavor should also include dialogues with society, a dedicated approach for responsible innovation as well as philosophical reflections on our understanding and definitions of life. The Ethics and Philosophy Group at Delft University of Technology is developing an integrated approach to address the pressing ethical and philosophical issues accompanying the synthetic cell. Therefore we are currently looking for a postdoc researcher. The candidate will be collaborating with the wider Evolf consortium, consisting of 31 senior researchers from 5 different universities, encompassing disciplines such as nanobiology, biophysics and artificial intelligence.

This particular project aims to align the development of the synthetic cell with relevant societal values, such as safety and accountability. These will be embedded in guidelines for responsible innovation and for effective governance mechanisms.

In the project, the prospective Postdoc will:

• Identify societal values relevant to Evolf.
• Identify measures to address these values and to responsibility allocation within the consortium.
• Organise workshops to validate values and measures.
• Develop and implement governance mechanism to ensure RRI, both within the consortium itself as well as through exchanges with external stakeholders, including large public event to discuss measures for dealing with societal risks so far and to sophisticate them and establishing a platform to achieve international guidelines.

The postdoc will work closely with two PhD candidates. One of these candidates investigates the conceptualisations of life relevant for the creating life bottom-up. The other candidate focusses on how societal values can be embedded in the practice of creating a synthetic cell. The postdoc is expected to actively participate in the EVOLF consortium meetings.

Job requirements

• PhD degree in a relevant field, such as Philosophy of Technology, Science and technology studies (STS) or Political Science
• Preferably a combined background in biotechnology or biology and any of the above mentioned disciplines.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, preferably with scientsist from the synthetic biology community
• Good organisational skills
• Research experience and writing skills demonstrated through a thesis, publications, or previous research projects

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 Technology, Policy and Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 2,5 years Temporary
• A job of 36-40 hours per week.
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• 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.

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 Lotte Asveld, L.Asveld@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 18 September 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV.
• Cover letter of one page.
• And example of your writing.

You can address your application to Lotte Asveld.

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.