Postdoctoral Fellow Operations Research Optimization

Job Description

A postdoctoral researcher position is currently open in the College of Business and Economics, UAE University, Al Ain, UAE. Context: UAE University is the first university established in the UAE and has a long history of graduating Emirati students across various disciplines. With the main campus in Al Ain, UAEU has been operating since 1977. The College of Business and Economics offers an English-medium education encompassing five undergraduate programs, three post-graduate programs and 82 faculty from 34 different countries. In 2000, UAEU was the first University in the region to achieve AACSB accreditation. Research Topic: Vehicle platooning is a transportation concept that involves a group of connected automated vehicles driving closely in a coordinated way, with trailing vehicles following closely a heading vehicle. In addition to its main benefit of reducing fuel consumption, it also leads to increasing road capac¬ity and reducing congestion if applied to freight transportation. For bus transportation, the use of platooning aims at offering dynamic vehicle capacity that can be adjusted in real-time according to passenger demand by forming or breaking off vehicle platoons. However, maximizing the economic and environmental gains from platooning in real-world applications requires careful planning. Therefore, we aim at developing decision-aid tools based on mathematical optimization to help decision-makers optimize operational decisions related to platoon formation and trip planning for autonomous electric vehicles. The models and tools that we propose to develop could be of great help to decision-makers in the field of transportation in the UAE, as the country is emerging as a global pioneer in smart vehicles and autonomous transportation. The postdoctoral researcher will work within the scope of a research project dealing with the planning of platooning operations for autonomous electric vehicles. He/she will seek to propose various extensions of the current state of the art in order to improve the practical relevancy of the models and propose innovative solution methods. He/she will have to carry out numerical experiments using state-of-the-art optimization software as well as to develop new exact and/or heuristic solution approaches. Practical information: Environment: The work will take place at the College of Business and Economics, UAE University, Al Ain, UAE. It will be jointly supervised by Dr. Mouna Kchaou Boujelben, Associate Professor at UAE University and Dr. Adriana Gabor, Associate Professor at Khalifa University. Time and duration: The start of the postdoctoral position should be as soon as possible. The initial contract duration is 1 year, extendable by 2 to 6 months by agreement between the two parties. Salary and other advantages: The postdoc will be offered an attractive salary, health insurance and 1 month paid vacation. If he/she is not based in the UAE, round-trip ticket to the country of origin and visa fees will be covered. Profile of Candidates: Candidates must have a PhD in Operations Research, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, or a related field. They must have a solid background in optimization and programming. Prior experience and/or publications related to transportation is highly appreciated. Contact: For any questions or additional information, please send an email to Dr. Mouna Kchaou-Boujelben (mouna.boujelben@uaeu.ac.ae).

Minimum Qualification

PhD

Preferred Qualification

Candidates must have a PhD in Operations Research, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, or a related field. They must have a solid background in optimization and programming. Prior experience and/or publications related to transportation is highly appreciated.

Close Date Kindly apply before the closing date.

28/02/2026

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