18-month Postdoctoral Position at KEDGE BS (Bordeaux, FRANCE)
Improving last-mile logistics efficiency through public space allocation
Context:
KEDGE Business School is a vibrant business school with 4 campuses in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Toulon), 3 abroad with 2 in China (Shanghai and Suzhou), 1 in Africa (Dakar) and 3 associated campuses in France (Avignon, Bastia, Bayonne). The KEDGE Business School community includes 14,800 students (23% foreign students), 175 full-time faculty members (45% of whom are international), 274 international academic partners and 70,000 alumni across the world. Ranked 31st amongst European Business Schools, KEDGE Business School is AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accredited, and a member of the French Conférence des Grandes Écoles.
The Center of Excellence in Supply Chain Innovation and Transportation (CESIT) at Kedge aims at meeting the economic, environmental and societal challenges raised in the Supply Chain, by co-developing, with companies, collectivities, institutional and academic partners, the concepts, methods and innovative tools necessary for the organization and transformation of the supply chain. Our actions do impact academic research, the corporate world, society and education. CESIT experts are at the heart of news and research into supply chains on a national and international level. They are also regularly involved in the media to provide insight into the news through their expertise. They work, organize and participate in many seminars, and international conferences.
Mission:
The postdoctoral position is founded through a research project involving partner universities in The Netherlands and in China. The overall project aims at improving urban last-mile logistics design and operations by developing proof-of-concept tools to guide urban planners and companies in their decision-making. The project intends to develop innovative strategies leveraging advanced analytics to cope with the inherent dynamics of urban logistics systems, including stochastic models designed to support decision makers for best use of existing networks of facilities and transportation modes, and to cope with limited urban space, while meeting increasing customer expectations.
Among other challenges, urban last-mile logistics necessitates adequate space to manage operations efficiently. This space is crucial for parcel sorting, delivery preparation, vehicle parking throughout the courier's route, transitioning between different transportation modes within a multimodal framework, and innovating new delivery methods like self-pickup stations. Nevertheless, urban settings face scarcity in available space, and logistics seldom receive priority in city planning.
Within this postdoctoral project, our aim is to investigate how a local authority might allocate public space to enhance the effectiveness of urban last-mile logistics, all while considering both public welfare and the well-being of carriers. The project will center on location-allocation problems involving a local authority responsible for assigning public space to logistics operations and multiple logistics service providers utilizing this space to optimize their activities. Our goal is to develop conscious decision-making regarding space utilization for urban logistics, understanding its implications on welfare and the well-being of couriers. We expect to develop high quality research together with business and policy implications. To fulfil these goals, KEDGE seeks a skilled and motivated postdoctoral-level researcher for an 18-month term.
Profile and skills required:
- PhD or equivalent in Operations Management, Operational Research, Industrial Engineering or related fields;
- Strong modelling skills and some acquaintance with last-mile logistics;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
- An ability to write reports and scientific articles, as well as to communicate;
- Experience in Collaborative research projects is appreciated.
Application procedure:
Interested candidates should apply electronically on
https://groupekedgebusinessschool.teamtailor.com/jobs, and provide the following elements:
- a cover letter containing your motivation for the position;
- an up-to-date curriculum vitae;
- letters of recommendation (if applicable)
Contacts:
Yann Bouchery
Associate Professor of Operations Management
Walid Klibi
Full Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management