Assistant Professor, tenure track (qualification agreement) (ID 2956)

Unist; Wien; On-site; EUR 61,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training opportunities

Meal allowance

Public transport access

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

WU Vienna University of Economics and Business invites applications for a funded position in the Institute for Statistics and Mathematics. The role focuses on methodological research in optimization and learning for sequential decision making under uncertainty, with supervision duties and international collaboration opportunities.

The appointment begins October 01, 2027, for six years, with a qualification agreement and potential permanent progression after successful completion.

Qualifications

• Diploma or MSc and PhD in (applied) mathematics, operations research, or related area.

Responsibilities

• Independent research and supervision activities in mathematical foundations of optimization and learning for sequential decision making under uncertainty.
• Teach duties amount to 4 hours per week and can be in quantitative education programs at WU.

Education

MSc and PhD in (applied) mathematics, operationsResearch, or related area

Job description

WU Vienna University of Economics and Business

Organisation/Company WU Vienna University of Economics and Business Research Field Mathematics » Statistics Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 6 Jan 2027 - 23:59 (Europe/Vienna) Country Austria Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

You want to understand how things are connected and make a fundamental impact? We offer an environment where you can realize your full potential. At one of Europe’s largest and most modern business and economics universities. On a campus where quality of work is also quality of life. We are looking for support at the
Institute for Statistics and Mathematics
Fulltime,40 hours/week
Starting October 01, 2027, and limited for 6 yearsA qualification agreement will be concluded at the start of the employment (§ 27 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement). Pursuant to WU’s Personnel Development Plan, this position can only be fixed-term for up to six years. Once all objectives agreed upon in the qualification agreement have been fulfilled, the employment relationship can be made permanent. Employees who have successfully completed a qualification agreement are classified as associate professors. From an organizational regulation perspective they belong to the group of professors. Three years after successful completion of the qualification agreement, they are entitled to apply for promotion to full professor according to the By-Laws of WU § 43a.

What to expect

Foundations of optimization and learning for sequential decision making

The successful applicant will carry out independent research and supervision activities in the mathematical foundations of optimization and learning for sequential decision making under uncertainty.

Potential research focus areas include:

• Theory of reinforcement learning
• Stochastic optimization and Markov decision processes
• Online optimization and sequential decision making
• Multi-stage stochastic and robust optimization
• Theory and methodology of diffusion models and flow matching
• Predict-then-optimize and decision-focused learning
• Methodological approaches combining Operations Research and machine learning for decision making

We value research that combines mathematical depth, substantial computational content, and relevance to substantive applications in business, finance, economics, or the social and environmental sciences.

The position focuses on methodological research. Work focused primarily on abstract theory without a clear computational or methodological connection, or on the routine application of existing methods, falls outside the intended scope.

In line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teaching duties associated with the position initially comprise 4 hours per week; they can be in quantitative education programs at WU at all Levels (bachelor, master and PhD).

What you have to offer

You hold a diploma or an MSc as well as a PhD in (applied) mathematics, operations research, or a related area.

We expect scientific excellence, documented by publications in internationally recognized journals and international experience

Proven academic mobility either by (i) having completed their PhD or doctoral studies at a university other than WU, or (ii) having held at least two consecutive years of postdoctoral employment (tenure-track or non-tenure-track) with a minimum workload of 20 hours per week at another university or a reputable non-university research institution.

First managerial experience (e.g. acquisition and/or management of third-party projects) is an advantage. German language skills are not a prerequisite, but we expect the willingness to acquire proficiency in German over time.

Candidates should demonstrate how their research complements existing faculty expertise and contributes to broadening the Institute’s research profile through synergies and collaborations.

Required submission materials:

• CV (incl. list of publications and talks)
• A list of up to three publications or working papers that the candidate considers most relevant to this position, accompanied by a brief statement describing each paper’s main insight, methodological contribution, and relevance to the Institute’s research profile.
• Research statement (future agenda with connections to past research, max 1 page)
• Teaching statement (teaching experience and teaching philosophy, max 1 page)
• Two reference letters or the names of at least two references

Other documents supporting your application may be submitted as well.
Please do not submit full papers.

For details of the position, please contact Professor Ivana Ljubic,Professor Michael Muehlebach or Professor Birgit Rudloff.

What we offer you

• Training opportunities
• A wide range of benefits, from an in-house medical officer to athletic activities and a meal allowance to a variety of employee discounts
• Meaningful work in an open-minded, inclusive, and family-friendly environment
• A modern campus with spectacular architecture in the heart of Vienna
• Inspiring campus lifewith over 2,400 employees in research, teaching, and administration and approximately 21,500 students
• Excellent accessibility by public transportation
• A top business and economics university with renowned experts on the faculty and a diverse range of subjects, triple accredited
• Excellent infrastructure, both technologically and architecturally, and a wide range of WU service units

ln case you are invited to a job talk at WU, the Institute for Statistics and Mathematics will refund your travel costs on usual terms.

The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to €5,980.80 (14 times per year). In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive social benefits.

Do you want to join the WU team?

We are looking forward to hearing from you!
WU is committed to diversity and inclusion and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from women. Not sure if your profile fully matches our requirements? In case of equal qualification, female candidates will be given preference. Applicants with disabilities will be supported throughout each stage of the recruitment process. Candidates' qualifications will be assessed in the context of their academic age.

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institute for Statistics and Mathematics Country Europe Geofield