Postdoc Innovation Synthetic Cell

Job description

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

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.

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 a 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.

• PhD 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 scientists from the synthetic biology community.
• Good organisational skills.
• Research experience and writing skills demonstrated through a thesis, publications, or previous research projects.

• 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.
• Excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• 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.

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 5 January 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV.
• Motivational letter one page.
• An example of your writing.

You can address your application to Lotte Asveld and Jeroen van den Hoven.

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.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.