PhD Position in Predictive Planning & Hybrid AI for High-Mix, Low-Volume Manufacturing (Industrial Doctorate with Thales)

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to advance predictive, data-driven production and materials planning incorporating the high variability in high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing environments. This position is part of an Industrial Doctorate, meaning the candidate will spend part of the PhD physically at Thales, working directly with planners, engineers, and data teams on real production challenges.

The PhD will be hosted by the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences (IEMS) section in the High-tech Business & Entrepreneurship (HBE) department of the University of Twente.

This PhD position, designed with Thales NL, as an industrial doctorate position is part of the Predictive Plan programme, aimed as a flagship project for changing planning and scheduling in high mix low volume (HMLV) production by leveraging hybrid AI, data-driven workload estimation, intelligent release planning, and explainable decision support.

The PhD will operate across two worlds:

• The University of Twente — advancing scientific models, algorithms, and hybrid AI methodologies;
• Thales (the industrial partner) — applying these methods to real planning processes, data systems, and production settings.

The successful candidate will be co-supervised by Dr. Engin Topan.

In high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, traditional planning often fails to capture workload variability, uncertainty, and the complex interaction between product features, labor availability, and machine capacity.

Your PhD will address these challenges by:

• Developing predictive workload, lead-time estimation, material planning models to capture the high variability in HMLV environments using hybrid AI (combining machine learning, feature-based modelling, and classical OR);
• Designing intelligent release, workload control and material planning methods that stabilize flow, improve on-time delivery, and reduce firefighting;
• Integrating uncertainty modelling and dynamic material planning and production and scheduling into an actionable decision-support toolkit;
• Embedding explainable AI to ensure planners and engineers understand, trust, and use the models;
• Developed hybrid AI solutions need to be developed and implemented locally as cloud-based solutions are not an option for Thales NL;
• Working on-site at Thales to:
• analyse real data,
• observe current planning practices,
• validate models in industrial settings,
• co-create practical tools with planners and engineers.

This close industrial involvement is a unique feature of this position.

Industrial Doctorate structure

As part of the Industrial Doctorate:

• You will spend 2 days per week at Thales (Hengelo).
• You will work closely with:
• production planning teams,
• operations engineering,
• data & analytics departments.
• You will help translate academic insights into real tools, workflows, and prototypes.
• You will maintain strong academic ties through weekly interactions at the University of Twente with your supervisors and research group.

This dual setting ensures that the PhD outcomes have both high scientific value and direct industrial impact.

We are looking for an ambitious, highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with:

• A Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Data Science, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Strong skills or interest, and proven experience in:
• quantitative modelling;
• machine learning;
• optimization;
• production planning and scheduling.
• Motivation and ability to work both academically and in a high-tech industrial environment;
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with engineers, planners, and industrial stakeholders;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

A background in manufacturing systems, HMLV environments, or hybrid AI is considered a plus.

Furthermore,

• Security screening executed by the Dutch government is part of the selection procedure. This is particularly important since you will be working with the Thales NL, which is operating in defense;
• As you will be working with Thales NL, you must have nationality of a NATO member country.

We encourage high responsibility and independence, while collaborating with colleagues, researchers, other university staff and partners. We follow the terms of employment by the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Universities (CAO). Our offer includes: a full-time, 4-year PhD position with a qualifying evaluation in the first year; excellent mentorship in a stimulating research environment with excellent facilities; and a personal development program within the Twente Graduate School. It also includes:

• Gross monthly salary of €3,059 in the first year, increasing each year up to €3,881 in the fourth year;
• Excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;
• 29 holidays per year in case of full-time employment;
• A training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision;
• A green campus with free access to sports facilities and an international scientific community;
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
• A full employee status at the University of Twente (UT), including pension, healthcare benefits, and favourable secondary conditions as outlined in the CAO-NU collective labour agreement for Dutch universities;
• A unique opportunity to work as an embedded researcher at Thales NL while developing academic expertise in hybrid AI planning.

The HBE department is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. Our aim is that all job applicants are given equal opportunities. When we select candidates for employment, it will be on the basis of their competence and ability. To support workforce diversity, we are open to offering flexible working conditions on an individual basis to support work-life balance, which may include contract of employment, working hours and location, or child care arrangements. The HBE department fosters an inclusive, collaborative research culture and supports flexible working arrangements. It specializes in bridging data-driven decision-making, operations management, and human-centered design to solve real-world challenges in production and logistics.

Are you interested in joining our team? Please submit your application before 25 January, 2026 and include:

• A cover /motivation letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, and motivations to apply for this position;
• A Curriculum Vitae (CV), if applicable, a list of publications and references, also in your CV please explicitly mention your nationality;
• A course list with grades (both BSc and MSc);
• An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, TOEFL Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE);
• Once again Nationality information, as some industrial environments enforce access/security requirements.

Additional information can be acquired from

• Dr. Engin Topan – e.topan@utwente.nl