PhD position Co-creating circular business models and services e-bikes and home appliances Job Delft area,South Holland Netherlands

Position: PhD position Co-creating circular business models and services for e-bikes and home appliances

PhD position:
Co‑creating circular business models and services for e‑bikes and home appliances

Are you eager to make repair, refurbishment and reuse the new normal for e‑bikes and white goods? Do you want to co‑create product‑service systems that nudge sustainable behavior with firms and users?

The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is hiring a doctoral candidate on the topic of “Co‑creating circular business models and product‑service systems (PSS) for consumer behavior change”. Despite growing policy attention and new legislation such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Right to Repair Directive, household consumption remains locked in a linear “take–make–dispose” pattern. This PhD project focuses on circularity for two product categories in the Netherlands: e‑bikes and washing machines.

How can circular business propositions be co‑created to make repair, reuse and refurbish strategies simultaneously attractive for consumers and viable for firms across the value chain?

Which behavior‑change elements are needed to nudge consumers into new PSS business models?

How can co‑designed propositions be piloted and tested in the case of e‑bikes (primary case) and white goods (comparative case) – and what cross‑sectoral learnings emerge?

During your PhD you will:

Co‑create user‑centered opportunity spaces and R‑strategy requirements with consumers, translating behavioral insights into personas, user journeys and opportunity spaces.
Co‑create circular propositions with value‑chain and societal actors, such as repair subscriptions, refurbished offers, deposit and take‑back systems, mapping legislative barriers and enablers across the chain.
Pilot the propositions in real‑world settings, focusing first on e‑bikes and then on white goods, qualitatively evaluating feasibility, desirability and product life‑extension.

This fully funded 4‑year PhD position is part of the NWO KIC funded project CIVIC‑4CE (Circular Consumption through Value‑Chain Integration and Co‑Creation for the Circular Economy).

Job requirements

Driven, enthusiastic and independent thinker
MSc degree (or equivalent) in design engineering, business or innovation studies, or a related field
Experience with participatory research methods, co‑creation, or co‑design approaches and their application in product‑service system development
Experience in the micromobility sector or affinity with e‑bikes is highly beneficial
Demonstrated interest in sustainability and circular economy
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in transdisciplinary contexts engaging with diverse stakeholders
Affinity with design for behavior change
Proficiency in English (written and spoken) is essential; working knowledge of Dutch is a strong advantage

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4‑year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5‑year contract with an official go/no‑go progress assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming satisfactory performance.

Salary and benefits

According to the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, the salary increases from €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month between the first and fourth year based on a full‑time contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end‑of‑year bonus of 8.3%. Other benefits include a customizable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, a monthly work costs contribution, and flexible work schedules.

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