Postdoc Icy Moons and their Oceans
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
Postdoc Icy Moons and their Oceans
Join the ERC LeakingOceans team to uncover how hidden oceans on icy moons reach the surface and what this reveal about their composition, dynamics and accessibility.
Job description
We are pleased to announce one posdtoc position within the newly awarded ERC Advanced Grant LeakingOceans. This interdisciplinary project aims to reveal how the hidden oceans of icy moons, such as Enceladus, Europa and Ganymede, interact with their surfaces. Although these oceans are unreachable today, they leak through the moons’ icy crust, providing natural access to their composition and dynamics. Previous missions have shown that subsurface oceans reach the surface through several processes, and LeakingOceans aims to understand, quantify and detect these leaks and the ocean materials they deliver.
About the LeakingOceans ERC Project
Most oceans in our Solar System lie beneath kilometres of ice. On Enceladus, one moon of Saturn, observations have revealed that its subsurface ocean escapes through geysers or plumes via crevasses in the icy shell, reaching the exosphere. These plumes, composed of icy grains and water vapour, were extensively studied during Cassini flybys. Analyses revealed that the grains are salty and contain complex organic molecules, indicating that Enceladus’ ocean holds key ingredients for life, such as water, salts and organics. Europa, a moon of Jupiter, may also host plume activity, although the evidence is less certain. Hubble observations suggest intermittent, smaller plumes. However, surface fractures on Europa indicate that its ocean can reach and spill onto the surface. Together, plumes and cracks offer exceptional opportunities to study these hidden oceans.
Recent JWST observations have revealed fine spatial and spectral variations in icy moon surfaces. For example, the CO₂ band on Ganymede and Europa appears in multiple components, indicating diverse structural ice states that could be linked to a subsurface origin. These features cannot be interpreted with existing laboratory data, as it is unknown if they belong to the microscopic (molecular level) or macroscopic (icy grains) state of the ice. This highlights the urgent need for experiments that reproduce ice formation and processes occurring on icy moons.
The goal of LeakingOceans is to determine the efficiencies, mechanisms and spectroscopic signatures of processes that bring oceanic material to moon surfaces. By combining laboratory experiments, quantum mechanical and radiative transfer modelling, to compare with JWST data, this project will provide tools to identify where and how oceans leak to the surface, supporting the search for habitable environments beyond Earth.
About the Postdoc Position — Icy moons' surfaces in laboratory
This postdoctoral position focuses on the design, construction and scientific exploitation of a novel frozen droplet generator, a key experimental setup within the LeakingOceans project (building on Häusler et al. 2018). The goal is to produce well-calibrated frozen icy grain analogues on a microchip perforated with hemispherical cavities of defined sizes, allowing deposition of liquid droplets of controlled dimensions. Reflectance spectra from well-calibrated icy grain analogues submitted to different conditions (temperature of formation and fluctuations) will serve as spectral references for interpreting JWST observations and supporting future JUICE mission data analysis.
The postdoc will work in close collaboration with the PhD and Postdoc students of the LeakingOceans team and will contribute to the:
- Design and construction of the frozen droplet generator.
- Execution of experiments producing size-controlled frozen droplets under icy moon conditions.
- Acquisition and analysis of reflectance spectra to build a grain spectral reference library.
- Comparison of laboratory spectra with JWST and JUICE observational data.
Job requirements
We are looking for a motivated researcher with:
- A PhD in experimental physics, planetary science, astrochemistry, physical chemistry, or a closely related field.
- Hands-on experience with vacuum systems, cryogenic equipment and optical setups.
- Experience with infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
- Familiarity with icy moons science, planetary ices, or astrochemistry is a strong asset.
- Experience with instrument development or laboratory setup design is highly valued.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
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 Aerospace Engineering
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.
When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace, assisted by an active Diversity & Inclusion team. This includes tangible support such as funding for extra personnel for family and caregiving responsibilities, mentoring programmes, and initiatives that promote cultural exchange and integration.
You don’t just join our faculty, you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.
Conditions of employment
- Duration of contract is 3 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
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Stéphanie Cazaux, via smcazaux@tudelft.nl or .
Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 9 Jun 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:
- CV
- Motivational letter
You can address your application to Dr. Stéphanie Cazaux.
Please note:
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
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