Graduate Assistant in Operations Research / Optimization

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.

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 Operations Research / Optimization.

Job information

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

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

Activity rate: 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 optimization projects in collaboration with one or several industrial or academic partners, in particular in the field of transportation and logistics, with a special emphasis on sustainability. These projects will focus on problems related to combinatorial optimization and/or mathematical programming, and hence will share a common scientific theme. Their output will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals. The specific research projects will be defined together with the PhD student 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 (e.g., Statistics, Sustainable Logistics), she/he will supervise student projects, and she/he will help with administrative and technical tasks.

Your qualifications

MSc, or equivalent university degree, in one of the following areas: Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Systems, Physics, or related domain. Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience in the field of Operations Research.

Excellent English proficiency is required, as well as a basic level (B1) in French at the time of hiring.

Good programming skills in at least one programming language (C++, Python, Java).

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.

Contact for further information

Professor Olivier Gallay : 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: October 27th, 2025

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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