Postdoctoral researcher MOBI

1 - Company profile

For almost 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and connectedness. These values are strongly present on our campuses, in our students as well as our staff. At the VUB, you’ll find a diverse collection of personalities: pure innovators, but especially people who are 100% their authentic selves. With about 3,500 employees, we are the largest Flemish-speaking employer in Brussels, an international city with which we are all too happy to be affiliated and around which our four campuses are located.

Our education and research are grounded in the principles of free research with an eye on human progress. We disapprove of every purely authoritative argument and guarantee the free formation of judgement that is necessary for this basic principle to be incorporated in the community.

The VUB is autonomous and managed democratically. As such, we guarantee fundamental freedoms within our university, as well as the right of the university community to be involved in making and checking university policy.

The mission of the university includes:

• the development, the transfer and the application of high-standing academic education and scientific research, free from any prejudice;
• community integration of this in a spirit of social compassion;
• critical development of everyone in light of the responsibilities borne in the community.

2 - Job Description

Staff category	Scientific and Pedagogic Personnel
Specific designation	Postdoctoral scientific researcher
Scope of mandate	1 FTE
Faculty	Faculty Social Sciences & Solvay Business School
Department	Business Technology and Operations

Vacancy

Perform scientific research in the framework of the continuation and valorisation of the doctoral work. More concretely: 

Role

The MOBI Mobility, Logistics and Automotive Technology Research Centre at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is looking for a senior researcher who will manage the Inclusive Digital Mobility Solutions (INDIMO) EU-funded research and innovation project (starting on 1 January 2020) and contribute to interdisciplinary research in the domains of transport, sustainability and socio-economic assessment.

The INDIMO project aims to enable researchers, operators, developers and policy makers to include the user perspective and co-creation approaches into the entire development process of digital mobility solutions (e.g. route planners, car sharing applications, ride sharing, intelligent traffic lights, logistics services). Thus, products and services delivered are tailored to the actual needs of transport users. The project will identify the main characteristics of demands that digitally based mobility solutions place on users focusing on all types of transport users and in particular on vulnerable-to-exclusion citizens (elderly, children, disabled, poor, low educated). Guidelines for policy makers, developers, operators and users will be co-created to develop skills and strategies that can help to bridge the digital divide in terms of social and spatial aspects. The guidelines will be applied and tested on five pilot projects. VUB-MOBI is the consortium leader of this Horizon 2020 funded project. The project has 15 partners from several European countries and lasts for 3 years.

Tasks

• The candidate will carry out research in the domains of mobility and socio-economic assessment. 
• The candidate will carry out the day-to-day management of the INDIMO project in agreement with the project coordinator and specifically the following activities:
  • Monitoring the overall progress regarding milestones and deliverables.
  • Operationalisation and timing of all activities in the project.
  • Identification of any unanticipated risks.
  • Acting as the centre of communication between all internal and external stakeholders.
  • Assisting all Work Package and Task Leaders.
  • Preparation of the technical interim and final reports to the European Commission.
  • Liaise with the finance department at the VUB for the financial management of the project.
  • Organise and lead the monthly conference calls with work package leaders.
  • Organise and lead the 6-monthly consortium meetings.
  • Arrange data management of the data produced in the project.
  • Coordinate the quality control of deliverables.
• The candidate will lead research in collaboration with PhD researchers at MOBI to address the specific research tasks allocated to VUB in the INDIMO project, i.e. 
  • Understanding the process of the deployment of digital mobility services, needs and concerns of developers, policy makers and operators when introducing accessible and inclusive digital mobility and logistics services.
  • Develop the INDIMO Policy Evaluation Tool for policy makers and recommendations towards policy to evaluate digital transport solutions and services based on the principles of universal design.
  • Test the tool for policy makers in the pilot projects.
  • Develop an evaluation framework for the pilots and lead the work package for evaluation.
  • Carry out the process evaluation of the pilots.
• The candidate will write research reports and valorise research results in academic and popular publications.
• The candidate will present research results at workshops and conferences.
• The candidate will contribute to public dissemination activities.

3 - Job profile

A PhD degree in transportation, transport planning, urban planning, economics, geography, sustainable development, sociology or related discipline. Candidates with no PhD degree but significant relevant experience may also be considered.

 degree or diploma.

Required experience: 

• Interest and demonstrated experience in transport research.
• Strong oral and written communication in English.
• A track record of writing academic publications and research reports in English.
• Demonstrated experience in managing multi-partner projects.
• The ability to work collaboratively in an international research team, as evidenced by previous work experience.
• Good time management and planning skills, with the ability to meet tight deadlines and work effectively under pressure.
• Exceptional organisational skills and high attention to detail.
• Willingness to travel. 
• Good quantitative and/or qualitative research skills.
• Good knowledge of the Microsoft Office package.

Additionally valued:

• Experience in the management of Horizon 2020 projects.
• Experience with inclusive transport, digital mobility tools, universal design or accessible digital interfaces.
• Experience with online project collaboration tools (e.g. Sharepoint, Teamsites, EMDesk).
• Knowledge of additional software (i.e. SPSS, GIS, MATLAB, etc.) and solid statistics skills.

The following competences will be taken into account during the selection process (non-exhaustive list):

• Academic competences:
  • A solid scientific dossier;
  • Methodological skills;
  • Skills for the interpretation of data;
  • Language knowledge;
  • Possible other requirements.
• Management competences:
  • Ability to plan, organise and report;
  • Project management, budgeting and use of resources;
  • Communication skills;  
  • Pedagogic skills, where relevant;
  • Independence, perseverance;
  • Drive to achieve goals and results;
  • Problem-solving abilities.

4 - Offer

As an employee of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, you’ll work, every day, in a dynamic, diverse and multilingual environment. Our campuses are located in the middle of a green oasis at the edge of the capital city of Flanders, Belgium and Europe. That city centre, with all its opportunities and possibilities, is easily accessed by public transport in less than half an hour.

Depending on your experience and your academic merits, you’ll receive a salary in one of the grades that have been set by the government. Standard inclusions include hospitalisation insurance and the free use of public transport for your home–work commute. And if you prefer to bike to work? There’s compensation for that too. On both[VB1]  campuses, there are extensive sport facilities available to you and childcare facilities within walking distance.

For more information on what it’s like to work at the VUB, go to www.vub.ac.be/en/jobs.

5 - Additional information

Expected starting date	01/12/2019
Duration of contract	12 months (renewable)
Waiting period	Applications to be submitted no later than 20/10/2019
Contact person	Imre Keseru
Contact via telephone	+32 (0)2 6148323
Contact via e-mail	imre.keseru@vub.be

6 - Application

Applications can only be made ONLINE

Your application must include the following as a minimum:

• A concise CV;
• The academic dossier with all relevant elements;
• A brief statement of reasons for the candidature, including an explanation of the expansion of future research;
• Degrees and diplomas.