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EURAXESS

PhD Position in Operations Management

The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers
7 Mar 2024

Job Information

Organisation/Company
KU Leuven
Research Field
Computer science » Other
Engineering » Other
Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country
Belgium
Application Deadline
Type of Contract
Temporary
Job Status
Full-time
Hours Per Week
38 hours/week
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by an EU programme
Reference Number
BAP-2024-143
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No

Offer Description

Sustainability is the one metric where both consumers and firms are "Supply-Chain-aware"; that is, buying decisions do not depend exclusively on product or financial considerations but also on the sustainability performance of the *entire* supply chain. (For example, fashion consumers are becoming more and more sensitive about the conditions of workers all along the supply chain and alter their behaviour accordingly.)

However, empirical research in supply chain management is, at the moment, behind these developments. The main reason is that supply chain sustainability is hard to measure in an objective way: (1) Data availability is very poor -- often relying on self-reporting; (2) if data is available, it's typically at the firm-level (not SC); (3) furthermore, if data is available it is often not transparent -- it usually consists of opaque proprietary data that do not allow for the study of different aspects of sustainability.

This project intends to address these issues. We’ll first combine several sources of objective, firm-level, sustainability data with existing supply-chain data to construct a large supply-chain-level sustainability dataset. We will then use this dataset to perform descriptive and prescriptive empirical studies – our main objectives are to show (1) how sustainability in supply chains has evolved during the last decade, and (2) how “sustainable” supply chains differ from “non-sustainable” ones.

Requirements

Research Field
Engineering
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field
Mathematics
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Languages
ENGLISH
Level
Excellent

Additional Information

Benefits

You will find a dynamic and pleasant working environment, in a group that is actively involved in scientific research at the highest international level. The contract is offered initially for 1 year with an extension up to 4 years after a positive evaluation. The tentative starting date is September 15, 2024, depending on the availability of the candidate.

Applications should be submitted through KU Leuven’s online platform with detailed CV, short motivation letter and degree transcripts attached.

Eligibility criteria
  • You have a master’s degree in Engineering, Business, Econometrics, Informatics, or Mathematics with a background in any of the following domains: industrial or business engineering, computer science, information technology, artificial intelligence, data science (or a similar degree with an equivalent academic level).
  • You have a solid, mathematically-oriented, academic background in the topics related to this PhD position.
  • You have an interest in supply chain management and the potential applications of data-driven methodologies and algorithms.
  • You can do independent research (demonstrated, e.g., by an excellent MSc thesis).
  • You have excellent command of spoken and written English.
  • You are expected to participate in seminars and conferences, be internationally mobile and to enroll in the PhD program of the Faculty of Economics and Business, which entails 21-ECTS of relevant coursework during the first year of the PhD. The candidates also give guidance to students, are involved in teaching activities and in the supervision of exams.
Selection process

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Maxi Udenio Castro, tel.: +32 16 19 44 75, mail: maxi.udenio@kuleuven.be
You can apply for this job no later than 15/04/2024 via the online application tool

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available
1
Company/Institute
KU Leuven
Country
Belgium
State/Province
Vlaams Brabant
City
Leuven
Postal Code
3000
Street
Leuven
Geofield

Contact

State/Province
Leuven
City
Vlaams Brabant
Street
Leuven
Postal Code
3000