Postdoc in mathematics with a focus on process optimization

Job description

You will work in the project ”Simulator-Embedded Nonlinear Programming for Optimized Process Design and Decision support”, which is a collaboration between KTH and LKAB. LKAB is an international mining and minerals group that supplies sustainable iron ore, minerals and specialty products.  The company is leading the green transformation of the iron and steel industry by developing carbon-free processes and products like sponge iron.

In the project you will be developing optimization methods for solving optimization problems with multiple objective functions and where some variables are determined by running a simulator. The goal is for the methods to be applied to LKAB's processes. You will primarily work from KTH, but you will also have the opportunity to occasionally visit and work from LKAB in Kiruna.

At KTH you will be working together with Jan Kronqvist and Anders Forsgren and from LKAB you will collaborate with David EK och Daniel Marjavaara.

What we offer

• A position at a leading technical university that generates knowledge and skills for a sustainable future in collaboration with industry
• Contribute to the development of a sustainable steel industry and be a part of LKAB’s strive towards a sustainable future
• Opportunity to enhance your research profile
• Engaged and ambitious colleagues along with a creative, international and dynamic working environment
• Work in Stockholm, in close proximity to nature
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH

Read more about what it is like to work at KTH

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree within a relevant field  (e.g., Optimization, Operations Research, or Process Systems Engineering). This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Strong knowledge of optimization algorithms. Experience of modeling optimization problems.
• Proficiency in programming in Python, C, C++, or Julia.
• Good communication skills in English, both written and verbally, as this is needed in the daily work.
• Evidence of research expertise in Optimization/Operations Research/Process Systems Engineering, such as published articles in Q1/Q2 ranked journals and peer-reviewed conferences.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline.
• Experience/knowledge in one or more of the following subjects: algorithm development, black-box optimization, multi-objective optimization, process optimization, process simulation, derivative free optimization, and simulation-based optimization
• Pedagogical skills (you will be given opportunities to teach to a limited extent)
• You can work independently and have good collaborative skills. Furthermore, you are aware of diversity and equal treatment issues with a particular focus on gender equality

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Trade union representatives

You will find contact information to trade union representatives at KTH's webbpage.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system in order to apply for this position. You are the main responsible to ensure that your application is complete according to the ad.

Instructions

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience/knowledge and a list of relevant publications.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
• An application letter: Briefly describe why you want to conduct this research, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies, future goals and how this relates to the project. Max two pages long.
• At least two references that we can contact.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

The position may include security-sensitive activities. To become authorized, you therefore need to pass a possible security check.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

About KTH

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history and philosophy. Read more here

1. Jan Kronqvist, jankr@kth.se