PhD Student Operations Research (f/m/d)

Work environment

Volkswagen AG offers you an exciting research environment at the intersection of science and industrial practice. As a doctoral candidate, you will work in the field of software development for production planning and control at one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers. Your research is embedded in Volkswagen's strategic digitization initiatives. The main focus of the research is on optimizing operational customer order and production planning based on dynamic market and capacity constraints. The aim of the optimization is high production utilization, delivery reliability, and a stable supply chain. You will be part of an interdisciplinary team that develops innovative solutions for complex planning problems in global production networks. Direct involvement with data-driven, international, and agile teams enables rapid verification of new ideas. The Volkswagen Doctoral Program additionally supports you through training and a broad network. You will work both on your dissertation topic and on department-internal, research-related tasks.

Possible Tasks within this Role

• Developing mathematical models for global production program planning in the dynamic environment of the automotive industry
• Optimizing the allocation of orders to production weeks and locations within Volkswagen's worldwide production network, considering capacity constraints, delivery times, and other operational conditions
• Applying and advancing Operations Research methods, particularly mixed-integer optimization, heuristic approaches, and simulation
• Collaborating closely with Volkswagen's specialist departments and IT teams to validate and implement the developed models
• Presenting research results at international conferences and publishing in scientific journals
  
  

The final doctoral topic is defined together with the professor. The prerequisite for the cooperation is the confirmation of supervision as well as a confirmed delimitation of topics by the professor of a university or research institution entitled to confer a doctorate.

Qualification Requirements

• Good to very good university degree qualifying for doctoral studies in mathematics, industrial engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, or a related field
• Curiosity, research determination, and enthusiasm for solving complex problems creatively
• Solid knowledge of optimization methods, particularly linear/integer programming and combinatorial optimization
• Experience with modeling tools (e.g., Gurobi, CPLEX, AMPL) and programming languages such as Python, Go, or C++
• Analytical thinking, structured work approach, and high self-motivation
• German and/or English language level B2
• Good communication skills and enjoyment of teamwork
  
  

Keywords

Dissertation, Production optimization, Digital transformation, Industry 4.0, Agile manufacturing