The postdoc position is part of the multi-disciplinary research project ‘Context, Coordination and Competencies during Infrastructure Challenges’, funded by NWO (Dutch Science Foundation) and NGInfra (Next generation Infrastructure, a consortium of companies managing large infrastructures in the Netherlands). This research includes researchers from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (Ming Cao, Alexander Hübl, Gerald Jonker, Tim Kousemaker) and the Faculty of Economics and Business (Thom de Vries, Dirk Pieter van Donk, Gerben van der Vegt).

The aim of the overall research is to investigate how different infrastructure companies can effectively deal with joint challenges, such as the transition to sustainable transport or energy systems. Such large-scale, joint projects are vulnerable to managerial problems, particularly coordination problems. Such coordination problems, in turn, can lead to delays and cost overruns. In the current research, we focus on how companies can avoid such coordination problems by using a so-called “system-of-system” approach in which multiple teams from multiple companies jointly organize responses to collective challenges. The project aims for close cooperation with a number of infrastructure companies to ultimately develop a training tool for (project) managers. Moreover, we aim for a multi-disciplinary research approach that leverages insights from engineering and management research fields. The research includes multiple postdoc positions, of which two post-docs already have started on systematic case studies.

This postdoc in the research will be tasked with further refining and examining the findings from the case studies (conducted by other postdocs at the Faculty of Economics and Business) primarily using mathematical/computational modelling techniques such as agent-based simulation (ABS), with possible connections to discrete event simulation (DES), and/or system dynamics (SD). The postdoc will use one or multiple of these modelling techniques to explore how our initial case-based findings can be generalized across a wide variety of systems-of-systems that differ in (a) multi-infra challenge complexities, and (b) the coordination configurations they use. The modelling results will enable us to preliminary test our predictions regarding the appropriateness of coordination configurations within systems-of-systems facing multi-infra challenges that differ in level of complexity. As such, it is important that postdoc closely collaborates with other researchers at the Faculty of Economics and Business in an interdisciplinary manner.

The position is assigned for a period of 24 months (0.5 FTE) and is scheduled to start between March 1 and September 1, 2023. The exact start date will be set in consultation with the postdoc. Moreover, there are possibilities for a fulltime working arrangement (e.g., a 1.0 FTE position for 12 months). The postdoc will be located in the Faculty Science and Engineering, but will also work together with members from the other research groups involved in the broader research project.

• PhD in industrial engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, operations research or other relevant computational and data sciences (completed or near competition)
• high affinity for mathematical/computational modelling methods, in particular agent-based simulation, heuristic optimization
• interests and ability to learn modelling of organizational behaviour in system of systems.

Fixed-term contract: 24 months.

We offer you, following the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a starting salary depending on qualifications and work experience up to a maximum of € 4,670 (salary scale 10) gross per month based on a fulltime position
- excluding an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end of year bonus
- a temporary appointment as indicated in the job description.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

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