PhD in Operations Management on Sustainable Spare Parts Management Using Additive Manufacturing

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.

The Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) department combines disciplinary knowledge from the humanities social sciences and technical sciences to solve the complex problems of industries and society. We collaboratively focus on and create responsible and effective innovations for the research themes: Humans and Technology Supply Chain Management Sustainability and Circularity and Value of Data-Driven Intelligence.

Introduction

Are you driven by the challenge of making supply chains more sustainable Join us in using techniques from operations research to explore how additive manufacturing can transform spare parts management to a more sustainable operation.

Job Description

The availability of spare parts is essential for the maintenance repair and remanufacturing of equipment thus increasing their useful life. However current practices often rely on large inventories and long lead times leading to waste high costs and unsustainable use of materials. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a promising alternative by enabling on-demand local and potentially circular production of spare parts but effective decision-making frameworks are still lacking.

In this PhD project you will develop models and methods for sustainable spare parts management using additive manufacturing. You will explore how to:

• Design supply chains that include AM-based remanufacturing facilities.
• Optimize spare parts inventories and ordering decisions.
• Decide what to do with incoming failed parts (e.g. repair remanufacture recycle).
• Collaborate with partner organizations to analyze case studies and generate guidelines for practice.

Your work will combine mathematical modelling and case-based research while contributing to the broader goal of circular and data-driven supply chains. You will apply techniques from operations research potentially complemented by techniques from artificial intelligence. This project is part of the national Add-reAM program which brings together academic industrial and other partners to explore the role of AM in advancing the circular economy. You will be embedded in the Operations Planning Accounting and Control (OPAC) group within the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) collaborating closely with researchers working on spare parts logistics supply chain design and predictive maintenance.

Job Requirements

We are looking for a candidate who meets the following requirements:

• A Masters degree in Industrial Engineering Operations Research Applied Mathematics or a related field.
• A strong interest in circular supply chains spare parts logistics and additive manufacturing.
• Solid skills in mathematical modeling ideally also in simulation.
• Programming experience (e.g. Python MATLAB).
• An interest in sustainability and circularity.
• A research-oriented attitude and ability to work independently.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).

Conditions of Employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful green campus within walking distance of the central train addition we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme paid pregnancy and maternity leave partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities scale P (min. 3059 max. 3881).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure on-campus childrens day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more Please contactthe intended supervisors of the PhD position . Rob Basten () or . Geert-Jan van Houtum ().

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HR Services ().

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply now button. The application should include the following documents (preferably) as a single PDF file:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae (CV) including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.
• Copies of diplomas and academic transcripts with grades from prior university studies.
• Brief description (max 1000 words) of your MSc thesis and/or relevant research projects.
• Research Proposal (max 1500 words) in which you present your approach to the research topic including initial ideas and potential methodologies.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.