Graduate Assistant in Open Ecosystems and Supply Chain Management

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

To complete the team, the Departement of Operations at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne (HEC Lausanne) invites applications for the position of Graduate Assistant in Open Ecosystems and Supply Chain Management.

Background of the position

Over the past decades, digitalisation and platformisation have transformed not only consumer markets but also cross‑border supply chains, trade facilitation, and regulatory enforcement. While prior research (Cennamo et al., 2020; Rietveld & Schilling, 2020) has examined “surface‑level” ecosystem orchestration on platforms connecting users, suppliers and complementors, far less is known about the vertical, infrastructural layer where shared digital resources (open‑source components, data standards, digital product passports, risk‑information‑sharing systems and AI models) are created and governed as commons to support shared value creation, and even less about the public–private cooperation around safety‑critical commons (e.g. joint risk management engines, shared watchlists, container and parcel tracking standards, etc.).

The research project, conducted in collaboration with academics from Delft University of Technology (TUD), will pursue three main streams:

1. Analyse cross‑border operations of international postal hubs in monitoring illicit drug trafficking, challenging current performance metrics of detection rates and risk‑management dynamic guidelines.


2. Investigate the strategic commons ecosystem games through which public and private actors co‑develop, govern, and adopt AI‑based commons to enhance dynamic intelligence and collective investigation capacity. The aim is to identify governance mechanisms that shape participation, trust, and alignment under conditions of high resource interdependence and data sensitivity.


3. Examine how commons ecosystem games unfold over time in the e-commerce domain, and how the rollout of digital product passports by 2027 reshapes how firms, authorities, and platforms co-govern and strategically use this common information layer.

Job information

Expected starting date: May 1st, 2026 or mutually agreed date

Contract length: 1 year, renewable 2 x 2 years. The total maximum duration is 5 years     

Activity rate: 80%-100%

Salary: Gross salary starting at 67’568 CHF per year (following 2025 official salary grid)

Workplace: University of Lausanne, Chamberonne Campus

The open position is fully funded by the University of Lausanne. The successful candidate will get the opportunity to attend international conferences to present her/his work, and to travel and learn from leading experts through our wide network of academic and industry collaborations.

The successful candidate will have to apply to the doctoral program in Business Analytics :

https://www.unil.ch/hec/en/home/menuinst/recherche/ecole-doctorale/phd-business-analytics.html

Your responsibilities

• A minimum of 50% of the regular working hours will be dedicated to the completion of the PhD thesis.


• A maximum of 50% of the regular working hours will be dedicated to teaching, administrative and technical tasks, as well as supporting the research activities of Professor Olivier Gallay.

The successful candidate will work on the completion of a PhD thesis, the content of which will be related to different open ecosystem projects in collaboration with other academic institutions and companies, in particular in the field of information systems and supply chains. The output of the research will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals. The specific research projects will be defined together with the PhD student with the other academic partners of the project based on her/his interests and skills and on the fit within the research scope of the department.

The PhD student will also have teaching responsibilities, both at BSc and MSc level. In particular, she/he will be responsible for the exercise sessions of some of our courses.

Your qualifications

MSc, or equivalent university degree, in one of the following areas: information systems, strategy, operations and supply chain management. Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience in the field of operations and supply chain management. In addition, special attention is given to candidates with experience in qualitative data analysis, along with capability to do quantitative analysis.

In terms of research skills, the candidate will be expected to develop outstanding capabilities on:

• Systematic literature reviews


• Qualitative analysis including for instance grounded theorization, narrative accounting, visual mapping, and temporal bracketing. Ability to use qualitative data analysis tools and data visualisation tools will be essential


• Some quantitative data analysis using public repository might allow to develop mix- method approaches.


• Excellent command of English, outstanding writing skills and interest for technology fields - with sometime challenging terminologies - will be essential. As well as a basic level (B1) in French at the time of hiring.

What the position offers you

We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover.

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Contact for further information

Professor Ari-Pekka Hameri : E-Mail schreiben

More information about the Department of Operations can be found under https://www.unil.ch/hec/en/home/menuinst/faculte/departements/do.html

Your application

Deadline for application: March 31st, 2026

Please send the following documents in PDF format:

• Motivation letter, including a statement of personal areas of interest in research


• Curriculum vitae


• Copy of diplomas and course grades


• Electronic version of a research work (e.g., master thesis, term paper, conference paper)


• Two letters of recommendation or the contact details of two reference persons

Only applications through this website will be taken into account. We thank you for your understanding.

The University of Lausanne is committed to promoting gender equality and strongly encourages applications from female candidates.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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