PhD in Circular Product Design for High-Tech Manufacturing

Introduction

Are you interested in circular product design and multi-criteria decision support for high tech products? Do you want to develop frameworks and tools that help engineers generate and evaluate circular design alternatives from the earliest design stages? Join our exciting STRIDE project at TU/e, in collaboration with industry leaders ASML, Neways, Prodrive, KMWE, and Eriks, where you can make a significant impact in practice and contribute to the transition toward circular high-tech manufacturing.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated research assistant to develop innovative frameworks and decision support tools for circular product design and multi criteria evaluation of circular design alternatives, culminating in a PhD. This position is part of the STRIDE project (Strategic Design for Circular High Tech Manufacturing), which aims to embed circularity in both product design and supply chain design for high tech systems.

STRIDE consists of three interconnected work packages: circular product design and multi criteria evaluation (WP1, this position), circular supply chain network design (WP2), and data driven simulation of present and future designs (WP3). Together, these work packages enable integrated decision making for circular high-tech manufacturing.

For the position in WP1, the candidate will focus on generating early-stage circular design alternatives for high tech products, developing multi-criteria evaluation methods across financial, environmental, and energy dimensions, and contributing to an integrated design support environment that connects product design choices with supply chain feasibility through close collaboration with WP2 and WP3.

• Create novel methods and frameworks for generating circular product design alternatives and for multi-criteria evaluation of circular designs, including interactive decision support and visualization tools that enable stakeholders to jointly assess tradeoffs and design strategies across circularity, environmental, energy, and cost dimensions.
• Collaborate with Industry Leaders: Work closely with ASML, Neways, Prodrive, KMWE, and Eriks to understand their circular product design challenges, co develop design generation and evaluation methods, and validate your approaches using real high tech product cases and industrial data.
• Design for Collaboration: Develop shared design and evaluation frameworks and interactive decision support environments that enable engineering and supply chain stakeholders to collaboratively explore circular design alternatives, compare reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling options, and assess their impacts across multiple performance dimensions.
• Engage with the Research Community: Collaborate with university colleagues and the international research community, discussing your findings and insights on the (inter)national stage.
• Present Your Work: Report your developments at prestigious international conferences, in leading journals, and at industry events.
• Achieve Academic Excellence: Contribute to the field through your research and ultimately write a PhD thesis.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work on impactful projects that bridge the gap between circularity ambitions and day-to-day supply chain realities, develop your skills in both fundamental research and practical application, and contribute to advancements in circular supply chain design. If you are driven by innovation and eager to make a difference in the transition toward a circular economy, we encourage you to apply.

Job Requirements

The successful candidate will meet as many of the following requirements as possible:

• You have a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Supply Chain Management, Data Science, Computer Science, or a similar field of study.
• You have a good background in programming and are interested in developing interactive tools and visualizations.
• You can work on a challenging topic that has both fundamental and applied research aspects, combining mathematical modeling with practical implementation.
• You have a strong affinity with interdisciplinary research and enjoy collaborating with others, including industrial partners from diverse backgrounds.
• Your communication skills are excellent as is your proficiency in English and your ability to collaborate in an international setting.

The preferred starting date is May 1, 2026, but a later or earlier start date can be negotiated.

Conditions of Employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you: 

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment. 
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 3,059 - max. € 3,881).  
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%. 
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process. 
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.  
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs. 
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us

We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

The Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) department combines disciplinary knowledge from the humanities, social sciences and technical sciences to solve the complex problems of industries and society. We collaboratively focus on and create responsible and effective innovations for the research themes: Humans and Technology, Supply Chain Management, Sustainability and Circularity, and Value of Data-Driven Intelligence.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager, Zumbul Atan (z.atan@tue.nl).

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact our HR advisor, Jolanda van der Sande (j.i.v.d.sande@tue.nl).

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter (max. two pages) in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position;
• Curriculum vitae, including an elaboration of your experience in quantitative methodologies (e.g., survey design, applied econometrics, network analysis);
• Contact information of up to two references;
• Brief description of your MSc thesis (topic, method, contribution) and other related research projects that you conducted;
• List of Master's and Bachelor’s courses, including grades;
• Results of a recent English language test or other evidence of your English language capabilities (TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. We give priority to complete applications.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.