"Postdoc Prognostics for Wind Turbines"

Job Description

X-ray Enhanced Prognostics for Composite Structures

Offshore wind energy is a cornerstone of Europe’s transition to a carbon-neutral energy system. As offshore wind capacity in the Netherlands rapidly expands and existing assets age, there is an urgent need for cost-effective and sustainable maintenance strategies. Wind turbine blades are among the most failure-prone components due to their composite construction, large size, and exposure to harsh cyclic loading. Current inspection-based maintenance approaches often lead to conservative lifetime estimates, premature blade replacement, and significant economic and material losses.

This postdoctoral position is essential to enabling predictive maintenance and circular end-of-life strategies for offshore wind turbine blades. The role focuses on developing advanced prognostic models that can reliably predict the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of wind turbine blades' components. By transforming diagnostic inspection data into actionable predictions, the work will directly contribute to reducing downtime, lowering operational costs, and improving the sustainability of offshore wind operations.

You will develop, implement, and validate prognostic models for composite blade structures, with a focus on integrating diagnostic information from advanced Digital X-ray inspections into physics-informed prognostic frameworks. Key responsibilities include uncertainty quantification and management in RUL predictions, model validation using experimental data, and contributing to scientific publications and project deliverables.

The position is based at TU Delft and is part of a close collaboration with SpectX, an industrial partner specializing in Digital X-ray diagnostics.

This role is embedded within the Intelligent Systems Prognostics (iSP) Group in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology. The iSP Group is dedicated to advancing prognostics and health management (PHM) methodologies for engineering systems and structures, supporting efficient and reliable operations and maintenance.

Job Requirements

• Educational Background: A PhD degree in engineering, mathematics, or a related field, with a strong background in prognostics for engineering systems and structures. Experience with composite materials is considered an advantage.
• Programming Skills: Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C, and/or R.
• Experimental Expertise: Demonstrated experience in experimental research, including structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques.
• Critical Thinking and Scientific Leadership: Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to independently define research directions, and lead key technical aspects of the project.
• Teamwork and Responsibility: Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary project team while taking ownership of individual research objectives and deliverables.
• Communication Skills: Excellent proficiency in English, both written and oral, with the ability to communicate research outcomes clearly to academic and industrial stakeholders.

Conditions of Employment

• Duration of contract: 18 months (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.

Location

Mekelweg 5, 2628CD, Delft

Additional Information

If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Nick Eleftheroglou, Assistant Professor and Head of the iSP Group, via N.Eleftheroglou@tudelft.nl.

Application Procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 28 Feb 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV
• Motivational letter

You can address your application to Dr. Nick Eleftheroglou, Assistant Professor and Head of the iSP Group.

Interviews with shortlisted candidates are expected to take place at the beginning of March 2026. The anticipated starting date for the position is between April and June 2026.