Profile of the Full Professor of Hydrology & Water Resources

1. Key characteristics of the position

1.1 Appointment and responsibilities

The appointment concerns a full-time position (1.0 FTE) for a full professor of Hydrology, in
the section of Water Resources Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of
Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology. The main selection
criterion is the scientific quality of the candidate, as witnessed through peer-reviewed
publications, externally funded research projects, teaching excellence, and leadership.

Research
The professor of Hydrology is expected to develop research activities that are globally
recognized as cutting edge in the field of expertise. An internationally recognized research
profile, as witnessed by a high impact publication record, is desired. The publication record
will also reflect a broad set of theoretical and practical scientific innovations. As acquisition
of research resources is essential for a productive research career, an extensive portfolio of
successful research grants and projects is required, preferably from different funding
sources. Management of research groups and consortia within these projects is also seen as
important. The successful candidate will maintain and enhance the relations with other
research groups in the Netherlands, Europe, and the world, particularly with public and
private funding agencies.

Education
The professor of Hydrology has a joint responsibility for the 2-year Master track Water
Management, which is part of the civil engineering Master program and results in the MSc
title of Civil Engineer. Teaching responsibilities include classes on hydrology and water
resources in both the Bachelor and Master program, the management and supervision of
BSc, MSc, and PhD students. The Department of Water Management is actively developing
online education opportunities, including the MOOC “Water & Climate”. The Professor of
Hydrology is expected to play a major role in the development of online and blended
education strategies.

Service and valorisation

The professor of Hydrology will play an important role in the cooperation of the university
with engineering practice and other academic institutions, both in the Netherlands and
globally, especially in the important area of water resources availability for society. The
professor of Hydrology is expected to be involved in innovative developments in projects in
the Netherlands and abroad through positions in boards and (review) committees, and will
represent the university in external expertise groups and networks.

Management
The Department of Water Management follows the PI (principal investigator) model, which
means that each scientific staff member is expected to build and maintain a research group
of PhDs and Post-Docs. Quality assessment and control of the larger group takes place
through continuous review and development of scientific staff members through a well-
defined R&D cycle. The professor of Hydrology will be responsible for the management and
coaching of a group of about 5 scientific staff members, as well as the general financial
health of this group. In addition, the professor can be asked to participate in the

Profile Chair Water Resources Delft University of Technology

management of the Department of Water Management and in management tasks at the
level of the Faculty or University.

1.2 Profile of the candidate

The successful candidate meets the following criteria:

1. A PhD in Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering, or a related field.

2. Broad experience in the field of water resources and hydrology, preferably
including experience with different geographical settings.
3. Excellent track record in scientific research in hydrology and water resources, as
demonstrated by high-quality scientific publications, and a clear vision on future
developments in research in the field.
4. Excellent record of acquisition and management of externally funded research
projects.
5. Great affinity with education and educational innovation with a clear vision on
future developments of Hydrology education including development of online
education.
6. Excellent teaching qualities, with an enthusiasm for, and a strong interest in,
teaching the next generation of engineers and scientists, as demonstrated by
personal experience with knowledge transfer and dissemination.
7. Strong leadership skills and the ability to create a stimulating environment,
focused on the supervision of graduate students, the leading of research teams
and projects, and collaboration with academic staff in adjacent fields.
8. Ability to communicate fluently in English and the willingness to learn Dutch within
the first three years of the appointment, when Dutch is not the mother tongue.

2. Position of the Professor of Hydrology

2.1. Position in the broader field of water resources

Water research at the TU Delft is world-renowned. Civil Engineers from the TU Delft are an
important export product of the Netherlands and help to solve the increasing number of
water-related problems in the world. Water resources research includes both the quantity
and quality of the water cycle, with scales varying from the local scale to the basin scale and
beyond, in a transboundary framework. Future challenges, including water availability,
droughts and floods, cannot be met without new and innovative ideas including new
modeling techniques, new sensors (from hand-held to airborne), and new data assimilation
techniques.

2.3. Position within the Department of Water Management

The Department of Water Management focuses on quantitative (discharge, normal
conditions, and extreme floods and droughts) and qualitative (pollution, solute transport)
aspects of fresh and salt/brackish water systems and related user functions such as building
(drainage, soil management, urban water management, etc.), drinking water (extraction,
storage, purification and distribution), wastewater (collection, transport and treatment) and
agriculture (drainage and irrigation). The department also contributes to the societal needs
with respect to water management, water related economical aspects, eco-hydrology, land
use management, and optimization questions with respect to water use.

Profile Chair Water Resources Delft University of Technology

The department of Water Management is organized in two Sections: Water Resources
Engineering and Sanitary Engineering. A distinction is made between the global water cycle
and the urban water cycle. The Water Resources Engineering Section covers the global cycle
consisting of the natural system and the engineering used to control water. The Sanitary
Engineering Section covers the urban water cycle, which concerns drinking water and waste-
water conveyance and treatment.

The department includes six full-time and four part-time full professors (see Figure 1). Total
permanent scientific staff (assistant professors, associate professors and researchers) of the
Department of Water Management comprises around 40 persons representing 34 FTE, who
work as autonomous scientists with responsibilities in research, education and
management.

Figure 1: Sections and full professors within the department of Water Management

Profile Chair Water Resources Delft University of Technology

2.4. The Section Water Resources Engineering
The Section Water Resources Engineering has an excellent international research reputation
and is very well embedded in both the national and international research community and
networks such as IAHS, AGU, and EGU. A significant part of the research is done in strong
collaboration with national and international research institutes and industry. There is active
interaction and cooperation with other relevant disciplines particularly in the areas of new
observation techniques (satellites, in situ, citizen science) and advanced mathematical and
numerical techniques, including data assimilation.

Research of the Section Water Resources Engineering focuses on:

1. Understanding and modeling hydrological processes (surface and groundwater) at river-
basin scale, rural scale and local (urban) scale. Particular attention is given to the effects
of man-induced or natural changes in land use and climate, interventions in the natural
system for improved water use, and on the impacts on the water quality in relation to
abiotic aspects of hydrological processes.
2. Water control engineering on national, regional and local levels concerning design and
regulation of man-made water systems;
3. Integrated Water Management at the level of river basins, considering the conceptual
aspects (integration of technical, environmental and socio-economic aspects of water
management systems, policy pre-processing and planning) as well as the modeling
aspects (quantification methods for decision-making and strategies).

Profile Chair Water Resources Delft University of Technology