This 30-month full-time postdoctoral position, starting in February 2027, will lead the Dutch work package and contribute to the work of an international consortium. In this role, you will combine qualitative, quantitative, and design research methods to develop and test a structured methodology for intergenerational co-design of public spaces in various European cities.
The project aims to develop and test a methodology for planning intergenerational contact zones in urban environments, addressing the current lack of systematic, empirically grounded methods for involving multiple generations in the collaborative design of inclusive and climate-adaptive public spaces.
What you do
- Designing and operationalizing a protocol, building on findings from previous work packages, and developing participatory methods such as storytelling, collaborative mapping, role rotation, multi-sensory design, and feedback loops.
- Leading stakeholder recruitment, including experts, community organizations, and mixed-age participants across sites.
- Coordinating an expert Delphi study with experts across several countries to validate the protocol.
- Supporting pilot implementation through workshops across diverse cities, where mixed-age groups (18–35 and 65+) co-design local public spaces as intergenerational contact zones.
- Overseeing data collection and data management in line with ethical and FAIR data principles.
- Refining the final protocol with experts based on pilot insights.
- Leading academic publications, including a scientific article on the pilot results, and contributing to knowledge translation activities for policy, practice, and community audiences.
What they ask
- A PhD in design, social sciences, health sciences, the built environment, or a related discipline, with a focus on co-design, participatory design, or product, service, or system design.
- Familiarity with social design approaches that center equity, inclusion, and power-sharing, and experience working alongside communities to co-create socially meaningful change in public and civic contexts.
- Enthusiasm for participatory approaches to healthy aging, intergenerational connection, and inclusive public spaces.
- Strong design skills for making research tangible and engaging, such as storytelling, visual communication, prototyping, and creating accessible co-design materials for participants of different ages and abilities.
- A theoretical grounding in design research, ethnography, and fieldwork practices, with strong analytical skills for collecting, managing, and processing qualitative data.
- A track record in mixed-methods research, including qualitative interviews, co-design tools and methods, and quantitative data analysis.
- Experience with Delphi or other consensus methods and Virtual Reality is an advantage.
- Experience recruiting and facilitating co-design activities with diverse groups, ideally including both older and younger adults, community organizations, and policy stakeholders.
- Proven ability to work independently and within interdisciplinary and international teams, managing priorities to meet deadlines and project deliverables.
- Ability to communicate effectively with academic and non-academic audiences.
- Fluency in Dutch and English, essential for facilitating workshops at the Dutch site and collaborating with international partners.
Practical
- A gross monthly salary between €4,422 and €5,760, depending on experience and qualifications.
- An annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an annual year-end bonus of 8.3%.
- A minimum of 29 days of annual leave.
- High-quality professional and personal development programs, including training in general skills, didactics, and design research.
- Partially paid parental leave, and allowances for commuting, working from home, and internet costs.
How to apply
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