[DMANET] Postdoctoral Research Position: Optimizing Port Supply Chains

The University of Newcastle, Australia, invites expressions of
interest for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the area of theory
and algorithms for optimization of integrated supply chains,
starting early in 2013, or as soon as possible subject to applicant
availability.

Fellowships are available for 1 or 2 years, with possible 1-year extensions.
The salary will be in the range of AU$63,572-$79,915 per annum,
depending on the skills and experience of the applicant. There is also
provision for a relocation allowance, and for additional funds to
support travel to conferences both overseas and within Australia during
the period of the fellowship.

The successful applicant will hold a PhD in operations research,
engineering, mathematics, computer science, or related discipline.
Strong optimization and computer programming skills are essential. A
knowledge of constraint programming and/or artificial intelligence
techniques would be an asset.

Expressions of interest are preferred before December 1, 2012, however
later interest will be considered until the position is filled. To
express your interest in a fellowship please send your CV, together
with an academic transcript showing details of all courses you have
taken, the grades you were awarded, an interpretation of those grades,
and the names and contact details of at least two people who can
provide confidential references, to Daniel Urquhart at the address
shown below. If your transcript is not in English, please provide an
English translation. Please feel free to include a link to your PhD
thesis, and/or include other publications in your email. Include
details of your computer programming skills and experience, your
optimization training and background, and any experience you have with
modelling and solving industrial problems. Please also indicate your
possible start dates.

The project will be funded under an Australia Research Council (ARC)
Linkage Grant with industry support from the Hunter Valley Coal
Chain Coordinator (HVCCC - www.hvccc.com.au) and Triple Point
Technologies (TPT - www.tpt.com).

The export of coal is a critical economic activity in Australia.
However the logistics of getting the coal from mine to port is
highly complex, involving solution of numerous interrelated planning
and scheduling problems. For example, trains must be scheduled on
tightly capacitated rail lines, equipment for stacking and
reclaiming coal from stockpiles must be scheduled, and the layout of
the stockpiles themselves must be planned. This project will
investigate the optimization of key planning activities in the
export coal supply chain, and seek to develop effective algorithms
for their solution.

The postdoctoral fellows will join a research team of several
faculty, research fellows and PhD students working on this project,
under the supervision of Professors Natashia Boland and Martin
Savelsbergh.

The University of Newcastle is a major research university in
Australia, increasingly recognised internationally as a rapidly
emerging educational institution. The main campus is located in the
city of Newcastle: on the coast about two hours drive north from
Sydney. The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences provides a
stimulating and supportive environment for research and teaching,
with ample opportunities for collaborative research partnerships
both within the university and with industry. Although well known
for its beautiful beaches and pleasant climate, Newcastle is home to
Australia's (and the world's) largest coal exporting port. Newcastle
is also at the gateway of one of Australia's largest wine-growing
regions, the Hunter valley. Thus opportunities for research in
shipping, transportation, and mineral resources abound.

The School includes a strong group in Operations Research, with a
number of faculty, research fellows, and current PhD students
working in areas such as mixed integer programming, mixed integer
nonlinear programming, supply chain logistics, transportation
optimization, and health systems optimization. The group has strong
collaborations with colleagues in computer science working with
evolutionary algorithms. It also has close research links with
first-class international institutions and excellent support from
industry and government research funding.

For further information on the School and the University, go to
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/school/mathematical-physical-sciences/
or http://www.newcastle.edu.au/. For further information about
Newcastle, Australia, refer to sections below, or visit
http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/visitnewcastle.asp. Further
information can be obtained by contacting Daniel Urquhart below.

Main contact:
Daniel Urquhart
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
The University of Newcastle
T: +61 2 4921 5440
E: Daniel.A.Urquhart@newcastle.edu.au
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