Institute of Management and Organization (IMO)
Two Post-Doctoral Researchers in
Management at the Institute of Management
& Organization (IMO), Faculty of Economics,
at USI Università della Svizzera italiana
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) is a young and lively university, a hub of opportunity open to
the world where students are offered a quality interdisciplinary education in which they can be fully
engaged and take center stage, and where our researchers can count on having the space to freely
pursue their initiative.
Established in 1996, USI is in constant evolution, always taking on new challenges while remaining
true to its three guiding principles: quality, openness, and responsibility.
The director of the Humanitarian Operations Group, Prof. Paulo Goncalves, invites applications for
two post-doctoral researcher positions to work on a 4-year EU-HORIZON project seeking to develop
an European Pandemic Preparedness System.
The Post-Doctoral Researcher Position
The post-doctoral researcher will work under the scientific supervision of Prof. Paulo Goncalves
(http://usi.to/iam). The successful candidates will be offered the possibility to work in a dynamic
research team and in a multidisciplinary and international scientific environment.
The post-doctoral researchers will work on an EU-HORIZON project seeking to develop an
European Pandemic Preparedness System. The project is supported in Switzerland by the State
Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI). The post-doctoral researchers will be
developing a system dynamics model to assess health emergency threat and different countries’
immediate response capability, identifying risks, ensuring planning, and prioritizing health
emergency preparedness activities. They will also:
Collect and clean quantitative relevant European data for the dynamic model.
Plan and conduct stakeholder engagement activities, such as participatory systems modelling
workshops, semi-structured interviews, and surveys.
Contribute to model development in collaboration with research partners.
Develop SD model structure, calibrate the model to data, and design and test health response
policies.
Design and implement a management flight simulator for the dynamic threat assessment of
health emergencies.
Publish in high-quality peer-reviewed international journals and to present research findings at
national and international meetings and scientific conferences.
Undertake any necessary training and/or development.
Undertake all appropriate administrative tasks.
Candidates’ profile
The ideal candidates must meet the following requirements:
Hold a PhD in system dynamics, simulation modeling, or a related field, and equivalent
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research experience.
Experience with system dynamics models for public health
Experience with model-based and data-driven policy analysis.
Experience with quantitative data collection, analysis, and management in a multi-disciplinary
environment (e.g., econometrics, optimization, simulation)
Experience with social engagement processes (e.g., participatory systems modelling, semi-
structured interviews, workshops, focus groups).
Excellent oral and written English, the official language for the research; understanding of or
interest in learning Italian is welcome.
Experience with publication in international peer-reviewed journals.
Ability to work independently and autonomously, to plan, direct, and make progress on own
research.
High personal interest in public health and health assessment models
Willingness to travel both within Switzerland and abroad to conduct research and attend
conferences.
Contract terms
The post-doctoral research positions are highly competitive. Hiring decisions are based on the
candidate’s background, interests, attitude, and potential for academic achievement. The position
requires full-time commitment and is not compatible with further professional activity.
The successful candidates will work under the supervision of Professor Gonçalves on an EU-
HORIZON project to develop an European Pandemic Preparedness System funded by 4-years. The
post-doctoral researchers will have the possibility to collaborate and interact with a team of other
doctoral and post-doctoral researchers working on other research projects, as well as an international
network of collaborators.
Workplace is USI Università della Svizzera italiana, located in Lugano, Switzerland. Availability to
travel to other parts of Switzerland and abroad (for purposes of collaboration and research) is
required.
Starting date is as soon as possible.
The Application
Applications should contain:
(1) A personal statement in which the applicant describes their research interests and the motivation
to apply,
(2) A complete CV, including (i) date of birth, (ii) nationality, (iii) names of two references (see p.3),
and (iv) other information relevant for the position (e.g., system dynamics modeling).
(3) Names and contact information (e.g., email and telephone) of two professional references
supporting your application.
(4) An electronic version of research work (scientific published articles in peer-reviewed
international journals), accompanied by a short research summary in English (1 page
maximum).
The application deadline is March 30, 2024. Please send your application in electronic form in a
single PDF file directly to paulo.goncalves@usi.ch (also requests for further information).
Due to the large number of applications received, only those applicants whose profiles are likely to fit
the positions will be notified for further details and eventual interviews. We will start interviewing
qualified applicants shortly after the submission deadline.
As an institution that values diversity, USI particularly encourages applications from women and from
all individuals from underrepresented groups.
Lugano, March 4th, 2024
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