Postdoctoral Position in Sustainable Operations

Postdoctoral Position in Sustainable Operations

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in sustainable operations management at Smith Business School of Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. Smith is one of Canada's premier business schools, with an outstanding reputation for innovation and quality.  The PhD and MSc programs attract highly qualified research-oriented students. 

Commencing in September 2024, this is a one-year, renewable position. The successful candidate will work on a research project that involves the application of operations research and data science techniques in the context of sustainable operations and circular economy. This federally funded interdisciplinary research project aims at developing data-driven decision-making tools for valorizing municipal organic waste to energy and value-added chemicals. As such, the position offers an exciting opportunity to utilize big data in addressing persistent environmental and sustainability challenges, supporting regional and government decision-making to implement best practices to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The project is led by Dr. Vedat Verter, Professor and Stephen J.R. Smith Chair and Dr. Elaheh Fata, Assistant Professor. Applicants are encouraged to reach out the co-supervisors with any questions they may have regarding the position.

Smith School of Business

Smith School of Business is one of the world's premier business schools, with an outstanding reputation for innovation and quality.  Our MSc and PhD programs in Management attract highly qualified research-oriented students in many fields of study.  Our undergraduate Commerce program has among the highest entrance standards in Canada and is widely viewed as the country's best undergraduate business program.  Queen’s has gained international recognition for its MBA and executive education programs and is fully accredited by AACSB and EQUIS.  The learning environment at Queen’s is supported by outstanding library and computing facilities.

Smith School of Business has a number of established research centres and institutes that support a wide range of research interests, including the Institute for Sustainable Finance, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact and the Scotiabank Centre for Customer Analytics, and is part of a world-class ecosystem in Analytics and AI that was awarded the 2020 Informs UPS George D.  Smith Prize for Innovation in Higher Education.  We also have substantial ties to industry, government, non-profits and other higher education institutions, including a large network of industry experts on the Smith Advisory Board, to advance the impact of research, teaching, and service.

Smith School of Business is committed to cultivating a vibrant, diverse and inclusive academic and work environment rooted in a culture of mutual respect and equity such that all members of our community feel safe, possess a strong sense of belonging, and are empowered to thrive.  For more information about Smith School of Business, please click here.

The City

The University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, in historic Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. Queen’s is an integral part of the Kingston community, with the campus nestled in the core of the city, only a 10-minute walk to downtown. Kingston’s residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life with a wide range of cultural and creative opportunities, with access to many natural areas and proximity to vibrant First Nations Communities including Tyendinaga and Akwesasne. Kingston is a unique Canadian city of 125,000 with a distinct blend of history, recreation, industry, and learning. Kingston offers waterfront living with many recreational opportunities. It is within a two-and-a-half hour drive (two-hour train ride) to the commercial, industrial and political hubs of Toronto, Montreal, and the nation’s capital, Ottawa, and a thirty minute drive from the international bridge linking Ontario and upstate New York. The city is also the origin of the historic Rideau Canal system – a UNESCO International Heritage site, and is close to Frontenac Provincial Park, the Thousand Islands National Park, and the Frontenac Arch UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The Queen’s University Biological Station, north of the city, encompasses 34 km2 of diverse lands, affording premier learning and research opportunities. Visit Inclusive Queen’s for information on equity, diversity and inclusion resources and initiatives.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D. in operations research, data science, industrial engineering, or other engineering specializations with data science and/or optimization background. They should have a record that demonstrates their research potential.  Queen’s University requires that eligible applicants must have completed their PhD in the past five years.

The candidate should have excellent modeling and analytical skills with expertise in one or more of the following methodologies: large-scale optimization, stochastic programming, robust optimization, and machine learning.  Experience in managing and analyzing large data sets is required. Previous experience in sustainable operations will be an asset.