Post-doctoral researcher in Industrial Engineering and Management, with a specialization in energy flexibility in industrial operations Full-time

Post-doctoral Researcher In Industrial Engineering And Management, With A Specialization In Energy Flexibility In Industrial Operations

Uppsala University, Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering

As the energy system becomes more renewable and more variable, industry will need to use electricity more flexibly, to reduce costs and support the power grid. Do you want to help figure out how? As a post-doctoral researcher, you will work in a research project within RESILIENT, a national competence centre for resilient energy systems co-financed by the Swedish Energy Agency, which brings together universities, research institutes, companies and public organizations. The project is carried out in close collaboration with Scania.

The project addresses industrial energy flexibility, that is, how manufacturing companies can adapt when and how electricity is used in production in response to the needs of the energy system, such as balancing supply and demand or easing local grid constraints, while maintaining productivity. This includes operational questions, such as how production planning, scheduling and control can become energy-aware, as well as more strategic questions, such as how energy flexibility can be integrated into operations strategy, decision-making processes and business models. Depending on the needs of the industrial case and the competence of the person recruited, the research may draw on a range of approaches, for example data analytics, simulation and digital twins, optimization and AI-based decision support, as well as case study and mixed-methods research. You will be part of a research team at the Division of Industrial Engineering and Management working closely with industry.

The industrial case and the specific research questions will be developed jointly with Scania during the initial phase of the project, and may evolve towards both operational and more strategic aspects of energy flexibility. The position therefore offers a good opportunity to help shape the direction of the research, and we are looking for someone who enjoys working in an evolving, problem-driven research setting at the interface between academia and industry.

The Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering consists of three divisions: Industrial Engineering and Management, Civil Engineering and Built Environment, and Quality Science. The department has approximately 100 employees and conducts its research and education both at the Ångström Laboratory in Uppsala and at Campus Gotland. For more information, see the Department´s website. This position will be located at the Division of Industrial Engineering and Management in Uppsala.

At the Division of Industrial Engineering and Management we conduct research and provide education on value creation: how technology-intensive products, services and combinations thereof are developed, produced, sold, maintained, refurbished and recycled, all with a view to creating economic, social and environmental value. For more information, see the Division´s website.

Duties

The work mainly involves research and up to 20 percent teaching. This means that you actively contribute to the implementation of the research project, as well as develop your own research ideas within the framework of the project's focus. Depending on your profile, the work includes, among other things:

• initiate, plan and carry out sub-studies within the framework of the project, including formulation of research questions, choice of suitable research methods, data collection and analysis, and writing of scientific articles,
• identify and assess the energy flexibility potential of manufacturing systems, based on production and energy data and operational practices,
• develop models, methods and decision support for energy-flexible operations, for example based on simulation, optimization or AI, and/or study how flexibility can be integrated into planning, decision-making and business models, including its costs and benefits,
• collaborate closely with Scania and with partners in the RESILIENT competence centre, including workshops, case studies and dissemination of results to industry,
• contribute to the administration that the above entails.

Requirements

• PhD in one of the following subjects: industrial engineering and management, operations management, production engineering, energy systems engineering, computer science, or another related engineering science or interdisciplinary discipline, or a foreign degree that is deemed equivalent to this.
• Very good knowledge and experience in one or more areas relevant to the project, such as operations management, production planning and control, modeling and simulation of production systems, optimization, or data analysis applied to industrial or energy data.
• Good analytical skills and documented experience of empirical research, preferably including quantitative analysis, such as statistical or time-series analysis.
• Good collaboration skills and the ability to communicate research to both academic and industrial audiences.
• Very good knowledge of English, both oral and written.

The degree must be completed no later than the time the employment decision is made. Those who have completed their degree no more than three years ago should be considered. When calculating the three-year time frame, the starting point is the last date of application. If there are special reasons, such a degree may have been completed earlier. Special reasons refer to leave due to illness, parental leave, positions of trust within trade unions, etc.

Additional Qualifications

Meritorious are:

• Previously published studies relevant to the project in highly ranked journals.
• Proven ability to work independently and experience with planning research and grant writing.
• Documented experience in industrial collaboration and practical implementation of research.
• Experience of case study research or other empirical research in industrial settings.
• Knowledge of industrial energy flexibility, demand response, energy management systems, or electricity and flexibility markets.
• Experience of techno-economic assessment, business models or strategic analysis related to energy or sustainability in industry.
• Experience of simulation-, optimization- or AI-based decision support, such as discrete-event simulation, digital twins or (deep) reinforcement learning, including programming skills (e.g., Python).
• Knowledge of Swedish.

In the assessment, emphasis will be placed on the candidate's overall research profile and potential to contribute to the development of the project, as well as on personal qualities such as independence, curiosity and the ability to collaborate.

About The Employment

The employment is a temporary position of two years according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date as soon as possible or by agreement. Placement: Uppsala.