Postdoc position in digital twin for Positive Energy Districts

The Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE) is looking for a post-doc candidate with interests in digital twins on a district-scale for local energy- and climate modelling with visualization, stakeholder engagement, and programming skills. We offer a transdisciplinary research team, close collaboration with municipal stakeholders and partners from industry as well as international partners.

Information about the division
The research team is hosted in two divisions at the Department of ACE, both with competencies in sustainable building and building stock modelling. The division of Architectural theory and methods has a specific focus on spatial visualization and stakeholder engagement, and the division of Building Technology on energy and climate modelling of buildings, neighbourhoods and cities. Additionally, the research is linked to DTCC, a national competence center hosted by ACE.

Project description
Now we have an open position for a post-doc who will perform research on energy and climate resilience – Positive Energy Districts (PED), developing a district-scale digital twin as a dialogue tool and contributing to a quality assurance process. An important part of the work is related to scenario analyses, energy and climate optimizations, stakeholder engagement, as well as to visualization and communication of the research to support decision-making processes for more efficient planning of urban energy supply. The digital twin for PED will be tested in a pilot residential area with mixed uses in Gothenburg including renovation and densification.

The project will be carried out in transdisciplinary settings, with researchers from architecture, civil engineering and computer science and in close cooperation with housing companies and other municipal stakeholders. The post-doc is part of the ongoing research project DigitalTwin4PEDs DUT JPI Urban Europe with collaborators in Austria and Turkey. The project is also linked to an ongoing project with a focus on the development of a digital twin viewer for urban building stocks.

Major responsibilities
In your role as a post-doc you will join the academic leader of the project, helping to plan, drive and carry out the research activities of the “DigitalTwin4PED” project. You will also collaborate with the project’s external partners, local municipal partners and property managers, be part of the international research project, and take part in research communication through co-authored research articles, popular science papers, animations, and other relevant outreach channels.

Specific responsibilities are:


• District-scale digital twin development for climate and energy resilience
• Development of scenarios, energy/climate simulations and optimizations
• Linking digital twin to quality assurance process in different phases (planning, construction, management)
• Preparation and implementation of workshops including stakeholder engagement
• Data collection, structuring, and documentation
• Handling of open data and data aggregations
• Development of visualizations
• Documentation of work in popular science and scientific journals as well as in short videos.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of two years. The preferred start date is September 2023.

Qualifications
As a successful candidate, you should have a PhD degree and a background in architecture, civil engineering, environmental science, or other built environment fields with interest in digital twins and climate resilience. The PhD degree should generally not be older than three years.

Experience in energy/climate modelling and optimization, scenario development, GIS, and stakeholder collaboration is a requirement and experience from working with digital twins is a merit. Demonstrated experience in programming (C/C++, Python, R, JavaScript etc.), data management, and visualization skills will be considered an asset. We value a pro-active, self-propelled personality with a collaborative attitude and a genuine interest in working in teams from both research and practice to ensure proper integration and utilization of the project for different stakeholders. Sector experience and speaking Swedish are meritorious but not a requirement to apply for this position.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg. Preferably your work is carried out onsite but working remotely can be offered to a certain extent. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
To apply, please go to: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=11751

Application deadline: 16 July, 2023

For questions, please contact:
Professor Liane Thuvander, division Architectural theory and method
liane.thuvander@chalmers.se, +46 31 772 2266