Scientist Care and Health

Do you want to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to creating sustainable and healthy buildings in the healthcare sector that positively impact people and the environment? Then this vacancy is for you! Your contribution to the future resilience of the healthcare sector will make a real difference. At TNO, we work on the future by developing and promoting innovative solutions for societal challenges. You will join a close-knit, informal, and ambitious team focused on the Cure & Care domain. You’ll be part of the Buildings & Energy Systems research group.

You will focus on issues related to the construction and management of healthcare buildings, aiming to create sustainable and healthy environments for people who need care or work in healthcare. You will contribute to innovative solutions for energy-neutral healthcare buildings and optimal indoor climates. Your work will also help make healthcare future-proof and reduce the impact of climate change.

Our focus is on research and consultancy. You will work on various projects and research programs at the intersection of building technology, installation engineering, and healthcare processes. These challenges often require a multidisciplinary approach and frequently extend beyond the healthcare domain. Therefore, you will collaborate closely with different TNO departments and (international) stakeholders in the healthcare sector, such as governments, healthcare organizations, suppliers, and technical experts. As an independent research organization, we translate project results into practical applications, reports, tools, and more making a real difference for healthcare and society.

You will shape the future of healthcare by making buildings more sustainable and ensuring a healthy indoor climate for everyone who lives, works, or recovers there. In this dynamic field, you and your colleagues will seek innovative solutions that truly make an impact such as developing smart installations, advising on legislative and regulatory changes, creating decision-making models, writing advisory reports, and developing climate-adaptive strategies.

You will explore how healthcare buildings can operate optimally 24/7, and how they can be designed or renovated with attention to care processes, affordability, and the latest technologies.

This way, you directly contribute to healthcare buildings and homes for a healthier society and a more sustainable world. You’ll work from the office, your home workspace, or the laboratory where our test setups are located. You will also visit hospitals and healthcare organizations to conduct measurements or interviews.

More concretely, on a typical day, you might research how innovative solutions (such as self-learning installations, predictive maintenance, and digital twins) contribute to energy reduction and an optimal indoor environment. You might develop and analyze measurement data and contribute to the further development of simulation models. You could also help rewrite sections of NTA 8800 and NEN standards related to healthcare buildings and homes for vulnerable groups, ensuring regulations align with practice and simulations reflect reality.

In short: a versatile and dynamic role where you are intellectually challenged every day, your curiosity is sparked, you actively contribute to team discussions, and you build a valuable network. This is how you drive societal innovation!

You are a proactive, eager-to-learn, and enthusiastic professional with a broad orientation and a generalist mindset. You enjoy shaping new research and partnerships based on content and can translate societal challenges into research and vice versa. You are comfortable performing calculations, analyses, and validating concepts against client requirements.

You have strong communication skills in both Dutch and English. You are demonstrably a true networker and connector (inside and outside TNO) and easily engage with teams, clients, and stakeholders. You can operate diplomatically and validate solutions not only technically but also against the needs and requirements of clients and other stakeholders. You can work independently as well as in a multidisciplinary team and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• A university degree in Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or Applied Physics.
• Affinity with healthcare or willingness to learn about it, and a strong desire to help solve challenges in this sector. You are passionate about the energy transition and making healthcare buildings energy-neutral and climate-resilient.
• You are curious, analytical, and want to contribute to societal innovation.
• Affinity with data, modeling, and sustainability? Perfect! Experience with Python or C++ is a plus.
• Practical experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods is a plus.

Challenging and varied work with a real impact. And plenty of opportunities as, at TNO, you are in charge of shaping your career. We offer a gross monthly salary between € 3,420 and € 5,000 (based on your knowledge and experience), 8% holiday pay, a 13th month bonus of 8.33% and a flex budget (5.58% + € 180). In addition, you will be given every opportunity to develop yourself.

TNO offers optional employee benefits, enabling you to tailor your benefits package to match your personal situation. You may also expect:

• An extremely professional, innovative working environment where colleagues are leading experts in their field.
• The opportunity to attend courses, workshops and conferences, and to receive training and coaching based on your needs.
• 33 days annual leave on a full-time basis.
• An employer that values and encourages diverse talent, with initiatives like the Female Leadership Program, our Rainbow Community and round tables on inclusion topics.
• We offer a comprehensive and flexible mobility plan that also includes full compensation for public transportation for commuting and business travel.
• Great social events with your team and other TNO colleagues. That’s how you will get to know a lot of people really quickly.
• Flexible working hours, the possibility to work parttime (32 of 36 hours) and the possibility of working from home.
• Access to our Talent Development Programme.
• Networking opportunities and great activities organized by Jong TNO.
• Extensive relocation package for international candidates.
• A good pension scheme.

Read more about tailoring your benefits package.

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. Since 1932, we have been making knowledge and technology available for the common good. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world. Read more about TNO as an employer.

At TNO we encourage an inclusive work environment, where you can be yourself. Whatever your story and whatever unique qualities you bring to the table. It is by combining our unique strengths and perspectives that we are able to develop innovations that make a real difference in society. Want to know more? Read what steps we are taking in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Please apply before the 18th of January, 2026. The selection process comprises two interview rounds. In a final meeting we will discuss the terms of employment and your tailored benefits package. We aim to finalize the entire process within four weeks.

The selection process may include an online assessment and a reference check.

A certificate of Conduct (VOG) is required before starting a new job at TNO.