PostDoc: Integer programming in gas pipeline operations v Praha, Česko

Context of research

Mixed-integer programming is a rich area of research in optimization, largely driven by applications. Recently, there has been much interest in the operations of pipelines carrying natural gas. In contrast, the scheduling of multiproduct pipeline systems carrying oil and oil products introduces several complications: multi-commodity aspects, operational constraints of the refineries, non-trivial models of the cost of pumping (driven by electricity markets, but also the sale of ancillary services therein), and railway logistics as an alternative to pumping.

Your supervisor

has worked in  two start-ups, IBM Research Ireland , and at the University of California LA , the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Toronto . As the Head of the Optimization group in the AI Center, he designs and analyses algorithms for optimization and control problems across a range of application domains, including power systems, quantum computing, and robust statistics .

Optimization research in the AI Center

Research on the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering with a clear mission: find the optimal solution using advanced computational methods.

In our basic research , we focus on study extensions towards certain smooth, non-convex feasible sets and objective functions and time-varying feasible sets and objective functions .

The smooth non-convex problems, known as commutative and non-commutative polynomial optimization, have extensive applications in power systems, control theory, and machine learning , among others. 

Salary and benefits

The post-doctoral fellow will benefit from the mentorship by Jakub Marecek and Vyacheslav Kungurtsev at the Czech Technical University and the pipeline operator. The position is fu ll-time and limited to 3 years , but can be extended in case of mutual interest. The studentship comes with a salary EUR 40,000 p.a. before a notably low tax  which is almost double the average pay in Prague . 

As a PostDoc in AI Center, you are entitled to 6 weeks of paid vacation which you will find useful when exploring the beautiful parts of our country including a number of UNESCO landmarks.

Get excited for traveling to attractive conferences abroad , regular internal seminars, an unlimited supply of coffee (very appreciated) . 

Our labs are located on the university campus in the historical city center with a view of Prague Castle, so perfect transport accessibility is another obvious advantage. 

The Czech capital regularly ranks among the five best Eropean cities to live in .

W hat we appreciate the most about our research center is its inspirational and supportive environment . We love to cooperate across teams and benefit from our diverse research network.

Michal Pěchouček

Director

Since the beginning I have been following a principle – I want to help to educate people in a way that their market value keeps growing. So that they can keep their freedom and leave anytime they want in search of something better.

Requirements

• Ph.D. degree in Mathematics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Engineering or related disciplines.
  

• Some experience in integer programming .

  A preference is given to:

• candidates with experience in programming in Python ,
  

• candidates with experience with scheduling or multi-commodity flow models .

How to apply

• Send your structured CV and· motivation letter to our HR Manager [email protected] or via the form below.
  
• We will contact you in approx. two weeks whether you qualify for the position and if we think you would be a good fit for our team.
  
• You will then get an interview with our Optimization researchers. 
• If all goes well, we will invite you for a visit to give a talk at our internal seminar. You will meet our team, spend a day with us in meetings and lunch and we will show you around.
  
• Shortly after, you will get a final answer and we will decide on a suitable starting date.

It‘s interesting that there are professors known all over the world and yet they don‘t give you the feeling they are something more. They come to your presentation, take interest in your problem at the seminar and try to help you.

Contact us

• [email protected]
• +420 22435 7337