Postdoctoral Researcher or Senior Scientist in Production and Operations Management

The Chair of Production and Operations Management (POM), headed by Prof. Torbjørn Netland, at the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics (D-MTEC) at ETH Zurich has an open position as Postdoctoral Researcher (or Senior Scientist) in Smart Manufacturing and/or Operational Excellence.

The Chair of POM at ETH Zurich conducts empirical and innovative POM research with high relevance. We publish across engineering and management disciplines, targeting top conferences and journals. Emphasis is on top empirical research in collaboration with companies. 

To strengthen our team, we are looking for outstanding candidates who have proven capabilities to conduct and publish leading-edge research in production management in collaboration with companies or using company-level data. We are looking for candidates with expertise in either Smart Manufacturing and/or Operational Excellence:

• Smart Manufacturing covers the application of digitalization, machine learning, analytics, and other Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing.
• Operational Excellence covers traditional industrial engineering and management topics like lean production, world-class manufacturing, workforce augmentation, and continuous improvement.

The right candidate may also be invited to take on supervision or leadership roles in the newly established ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance, where two top universities collaborate with leading global firms like J&J, Nestle, Roche, Novartis, Schindler, Givaudaun and others. 

We offer a full-time position with a competitive salary in accordance with ETH standards. The position will help the candidate advance his/her academic career. The main activity of the job is research, with an emphasis on publishing in top Industrial Engineering and POM journals (for example, JOM, POM, M&SOM, Management Science, IJPR, IEEE TEM, CII, JMS,  etc.). Part of the research will include co-supervision of doctoral students with joint opportunities for publication. Secondary job roles may include research project acquisition and management. The candidate can expect limited teaching and service duties. There is flexibility concerning the starting date to accommodate the selected candidate’s availability. The contract is limited to 2-6 years. ETH Zurich rules apply.

We are looking for a candidate with a background in industrial engineering or operations management who would like to advance their career by contributing to the Chair of POM. The Chair of POM focuses solely on empirical research. Candidates with a mathematical modeling/Operations Research background are discouraged from applying unless their profile also includes a substantial empirical element.

The successful candidate will be close to completion or have a Ph.D. degree from a recognized university. First-rate oral and written English skills are required. For this job, fluency in the German language is an advantage due to potential collaboration with Swiss manufacturers, but not a strict selection criterion. The working language is English.

Very strong research and writing skills are expected. A successful research profile clearly prioritizes research quality over quantity. We look for candidates with innovative and realistic research ideas. Candidates with long publication lists where a majority of papers appear in lower-tier journals are explicitly discouraged from applying.

We are looking for someone with strong team player skills. Industrial experience is beneficial but not a prerequisite. The successful candidate will become part of an ambitious and fun research team, offering an excellent research environment. 

• Your career with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society.
• We are actively committed to a sustainable and climate-neutral university.
• You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits.