Postdoc in modular and autonomous transport systems

Reference number REF 2024-0590

We offer a great opportunity in an active and timely research area, with a competitive salary, a good work environment, and a beautiful Nordic city. The candidates will benefit from our many ongoing collaborations with academia and industry and the opportunities for further professional development. As the consortium plans to run a pilot study in practice, so the successful candidate will also have the chance to work on problems of great practical relevance.

Project description
The project ERGODIC, proposes and demonstrates a novel system for integrated passenger and goods transport, consisting of flexible public transport with modular autonomous vehicles and last-mile travel/delivery service with active micromobility. Modular vehicles could flexibly change capacity by adjusting the number of connected and segregated cabins that carry either passengers or goods. The proposed system is compatible with current infrastructure, technically ready, and has great potential to reduce the use of or even replace private vehicles with comparable services. We formulate the following tasks, that are associated with the Postdoc’s research:

1. Modular fleet system design and optimization
2. Vehicle routing for integrated passenger and goods transport
3. Last mile system design and optimization within the proposed system.

The candidate is expected to have experience with transport system modeling and optimization. Experience with vehicle routing problems is advantageous.

The project is jointly funded by the European Union, Vinnova, and Chalmers University of Technology. The EU consortium includes partners from academia and industry from Austria, the UK, and Italy. Within Chalmers, the Postdoc will work with the Urban Mobility Systems (ACE) and the Automatic Control Group (E2).

Major responsibilities
The major responsibilities of the postdoc are to develop new methods, be active in the EU project, publish and present them, and be part of other research activities.

Qualifications
The applicant should have a PhD degree in transportation science, operations research, applied mathematics, computer science, systems and control, or similar topic. Excellent presentation skills, and fluency in English are required. Skills in operational research and optimization are essential, experience with machine learning are advantageous.

Contract terms
The expected starting date is Spring 2025, with some flexibility. Early enrollment is encouraged. The position is a two-year full-time employment, with the possibility of extending it to three years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
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
The application should be marked with 20240591 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document as: CV, Surname, Ref. number) including:
• CV, include complete list of publications
• Previous teaching and pedagogical experiences
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous research fields and main research results
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Attested copies of completed education, grades and other certificates.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 2024-12-05

For questions, please contact:
Jiaming Wu
Jiaming.wu@chalmers.se 

Balázs Kulcsar
Kulcsar@chalmers.se

Minna Karstunen
Minna.karstunen@chalmers.se

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. *** 

Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society.
Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.