Postdoc in Open City Making Project

Organisation/Company

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Research Field

Computer science » Informatics
Engineering » Design engineering

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Application Deadline

20 Apr 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Netherlands

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

38.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Join an ambitious, multidisciplinary project at the crossroads of interaction and urban design, where your research can shape the vision of open and accessible cities!
Join Us!
This postdoctoral position integrates data-driven and human-centered research methods first to develop a deep understanding of, and subsequently address, a complex societal challenge, namely the accessibility of urban navigation. The postdoctoral researcher will join a multidisciplinary research team and support the project leadership by coordinating and connecting disciplinary research efforts. In doing so, they will synthesize diverse research outcomes into impactful interventions, developed and deployed in close collaboration with stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, as well as with communities living with disabilities.
This is what you will do
You will be engaged in two main areas of activity:
1. Research and supervision (50%)
This work applies HCI methods to develop a comprehensive understanding of urban mobility barriers from the perspective of lived human experience. Methods from Human-Building Interaction are used to examine how people interact with built urban environments. Data-oriented approaches are employed to analyze the impacts of urban mobility barriers on diverse communities, with a particular focus on people living with disabilities. This includes analyzing existing data from Dutch municipalities, open datasets, and data collected by other researchers in the BEAT project. In parallel, qualitative research methods, especially from affective interaction design, are used to capture the emotional and experiential aspects of navigating urban spaces. These methods examine affective metrics such as perceived safety, comfort, and opportunities for social interaction. The outcomes are synthesized into integrated multidisciplinary solutions that combine data-driven analysis with design-oriented approaches to inform inclusive and actionable urban mobility interventions.
2. Project Management and Coordination (50%)
Contributing to the leadership of the BEAT project, which addresses informal urban mobility barriers through a multidisciplinary approach and active collaboration with stakeholders from both public and private sectors. As an experienced multidisciplinary researcher, you will also join the project management team from the early stages of the project, assisting the project lead (Dr. Hamed Alavi) in the scientific management of BEAT. This includes contributing to the overall vision of the project, co-monitoring progress, and co-coordinating internal scientific events and activities.
What we ask of you
The successful candidate will have:

• PhD degree in Human-Building Interaction with a design and data-oriented perspective.
• Experience in research in the domain of affective interaction design
• Background in large-scale data engineering
• Personal or professional experience of working with people and communities living with disabilities.
• Experience of work in (and preferably coordination of) multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder teams
• Excellent research skills and strong publication record in HBI and affective interaction
• Proficiency in written and verbal English.
• Dutch language proficiency to the B1 level

This is what we offer you
We offer a temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 2 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 12 months, and after satisfactory evaluation, it will be extended for a total duration of 2 years). The starting date is September 2026.
The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,546 to € 5,538 (scale 10). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher 4 is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.
Curious about our extensive secondary benefits package? You can read more about it here.
You will work in this team
The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.
The mission of the Informatics Institute (IvI) is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science, and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational, and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.
The Digital Interactions Lab (DILAB) is a small but vibrant human-computer interaction research group within the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam, established in 2021. Our research bridges the gap between socio-technical and human-centered understandings of what people need technology to be, and how it might enhance our societies. In an inherently multidisciplinary endeavour, the DILAB is committed to connecting the realm of technology with reflections, concepts, and knowledge established in various domains of social science and psychology.
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including 20 April 2026.
Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation, including a description of your research interests and an explanation for why you are applying for this position (1-2 pages);
• a list of publications

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure.
(for details: national knowledge security guidelines )
Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.
If you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Dr. Hamed S. Alavi, h.alavi@uva.nl

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/jobs/359729/postdoc-in-open-city-making-pro…

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/359729/

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

UvA

Country

Netherlands

City

Amsterdam

Postal Code

1098XH

Street

Science Park 904

Geofield

City

Amsterdam

Website

http://www.uva.nl/

Street

Spui 21

Postal Code

1012 WX

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