PhD position in Modelling food supply chains for Shelf life Control, Optimized Pricing, and Excess Redistribution Wageningen • Wageningen University & Research

Are you passionate about reducing food waste through innovative methods? This PhD position offers the chance to join the SCOPE project, focusing on shelf-life control, optimized pricing, and redistribution in food supply chains. Collaborate with leading universities and industry partners to develop optimization models and algorithms. Enjoy excellent employment terms, including partially paid parental leave, a year-end bonus, and access to campus sports facilities. Join a dynamic, international community on the greenest campus in the Netherlands. Uncover the reasons why this position could elevate your career.

Your job

Are you committed to reducing food waste? Are you interested in how coordination, dynamic pricing and redistribution may affect food waste? Do you have a passion for applying optimization and simulation techniques to reduce food waste and make food supply chains more sustainable? If your answer is “Yes!” to these questions, then this PhD position might be the perfect opportunity for you!

We are inviting applications for a 4-year full-time PhD position as part of the SCOPE project—Shelf-life Control, Optimized Pricing, and Excess Redistribution—a collaboration between the Operations Research and Logistics group at Wageningen University, the Zero Hunger Lab at Tilburg University, and four industry partners.

In this project, you will develop and advance optimization models and algorithms to support decision-making in food supply chains, with the overarching goal of reducing food waste.
Key research questions include:

1. Coordination: How can the flow of goods in food supply chains be better coordinated —e.g., through shelf-life agreements or optimized production and (re)distribution planning—to proactively reduce waste?
2. Dynamic Pricing: How can dynamic pricing be used to prevent excess inventory of perishable products from turning into waste?
3. Redistribution: How can surplus food be effectively donated to food banks to avoid waste?

Your contribution and responsibilities include:

• To develop mathematical optimization models and algorithms to address the above questions. Given the uncertainties involved in food supply chains, we prefer candidates who have a background in (stochastic) optimization methods (e.g., machine learning, stochastic dynamic programming, simulation). Affinity with (food) supply chain management is preferred.
• To collaborate with and to co-supervise MSc thesis students and internship students employed at the partner companies involved, and support teaching as needed (in consultation with supervisors).
• To write four scientific papers and get them published in ISI ranked Q1 journals.  

You will work here
The research project is a collaboration between the Operations Research and Logistics Group (ORL) at Wageningen University (WU) and the Zero Hunger Lab (ZHL) at Tilburg University (TiU). You will be appointed at WU-ORL, which is led by Prof. Dr. ir. Sander de Leeuw. You will be supervised by Dr. Rene Haijema from WU and Dr. Yasemin Merzifonluoglu from TiU.
Your qualities

You are eager to tackle real-world challenges in food supply chains and are driven by a strong ambition to bridge theory and practice. You are motivated to contribute to sustainability by addressing methodological questions in (stochastic) optimization and decision-making under uncertainty.

You also bring the following qualifications:

• A completed MSc degree in a relevant field, such as Operations Research, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or Machine Learning.
• Solid experience with quantitative optimization methods, including (but not limited to) mathematical programming and stochastic dynamic programming, as well as proficiency with relevant software tools and programming languages.
• An interest in working together with people from the food industry and food banks.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level.Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.
We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
Do you want more information?

For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Rene Haijema, Associate professor, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina..

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jouke van Oostenbrugge, Corporate Recruiter, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina..

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until Monday, 15th of September 2025. The first interviews are scheduled as soon as possible.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.