Postdoc Researcher Building Decision-Support Tools for Educational Logistics in Secondary Education (V25.0417)

Within the Department of Operations, a post-doc position is available on the topic of logistics for customization in secondary education with self-regulation. A paradigm shift is required in the organization of the logistics operations of educational processes to achieve a high quality situation where any learner at any time based on their own learning speed, level and ambition can acquire the right part of a specific course in a cost-efficient way.

This postdoc position is part of the research project "Educational logistics for secondary education". In the next phase of this project we are going to guide several schools in making the transition towards more customized education enabled by efficient and effective logistics processes. We will work with the schools in a design-based innovation trajectory.

Job Description
The post-doc will work on building decision-support tools to support strategic and real-time decision making in the organization of customization in secondary education. Specifically, the tasks are:

• Design, implement and validate a tool to collect and analyze learning demands of learners.
• Design, implement and validate a modular software architecture that can support schools in operational and tactical planning of learning activities.
• Design of user interfaces for both tools.
• Writing documentation for both tools.

Organization
Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen (UG) is internationally recognized as a dynamic and innovative research university offering high-quality teaching and research. Consistently ranked among Europe’s leading universities, we collaborate with renowned academic partners worldwide, making Groningen a truly global center of knowledge.
The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) offers an inspiring and supportive environment for students and staff. Accredited by both AACSB and EQUIS, the Faculty benchmarks its programs and research against the highest international standards, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

We are looking for a candidate with

• A PhD in Computer Science, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Strong programming experience, for example in C++ or Python.
• Affinity with education and logistics.
• A proactive, independent working style.
• Eagerness to work on achieving societal impact.
• A Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) will be required before appointment.

In accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, we offer

• A salary between € 4,537 and € 6,209 gross per month (scale 11), depending on qualifications and experience.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus.
• A full-time position for one year.

Start date: October 1, 2025, or as soon as possible

Please submit the following documents:

• A motivation letter and CV.
• Your PhD thesis and/or an academic paper.

You may apply for this position until 1 September 11:59pm / before 2 September 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Interviews are scheduled for September 11, 2025. Apply via the official application form by clicking “Apply” on the vacancy page.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

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