Junior Researcher in Transportation planning

Eurac Research; Bolzano; On-site; EUR 41,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Institute for Regional Development seeks a Junior Researcher focused on transport planning and mobility research in South Tyrol. You will contribute to analysing rural transport accessibility and mobility patterns, and collaborate on an ongoing consultation project.

The role involves implementing the Passeiertal project, supporting other mobility projects, and writing a scientific paper under supervision. This is a full-time position in Bolzano with an international research team.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in transport-relevant disciplines (engineering or spatial planning) with focus on travel demand analysis, monitoring and estimation.
• Strong command of transport demand models, survey/statistical tools, and data collection techniques.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in international, multidisciplinary teams; interest in rural mobility.
• German or Italian language knowledge for professional writing/speaking/listening; English proficiency (C1 preferred, B2 acceptable).

Responsibilities

• Implement the Passeiertal project with the team; analyse data to estimate passing-through traffic contributions.
• Support other projects on rural mobility and EU-level research, contributing to ongoing research activities.
• Prepare a scientific paper reporting results under supervision; potential use for a master thesis.

Skills

Transport demand models

Survey/statistical tools

Travel demand surveys

Education

Master’s degree in transport disciplines

Job description

Institute for Regional Development

Short description of the position:

The Institute for Regional Development is seeking a Junior Researcher to join the Institute’s team, with a working focus on transport planning and mobility research. The position aims to enforce our research regarding the analysis of (rural) transport accessibility and understanding of rural mobility patterns. The successful candidate will mainly work on an already acquired consultation project and will write scientific outputs in close collaboration with the institute's team.

Tasks:

• Project "Passing-through traffic in Passeiertal" : Implement this consultation project with the institute’s team. The aim of the project is to estimate how much of the motorised traffic affecting the South Tyrolean valley of Passeiertal is generated by passing-through traffic flows (of locals and visitors). To this end, the project will analyse available secondary data, collect additional primary data, and derive estimates.
• Other projects : Support the institute's team in the implementation of other ongoing projects. Such projects typically regard (rural) passenger mobility and local or EU level. Relevant ongoing projects include RECCAM, CLOSING THE GAP, YOUTH4MOBILITY, iMONITRAF!.
• Scientific paper : Write a scientific paper reporting the main results of the Passeiertal project, under the supervision of more expert institute members. Moreover, the work done in the Passeiertal project (and paper) can be a useful basis for a master thesis if of interest for the candidate.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in transport-relevant disciplines (such as engineering or spatial planning), ideally with a focus on travel demand analysis, monitoring and estimation (relevant for the Passeiertal project).
• Hard skills: Good command of transport demand models, survey/statistical tools, and techniques to set up travel demand surveys and primary data collection campaigns (relevant for the Passeiertal project).
• Soft skills: Strong communication skills and ability to work in international, multidisciplinary teams with a positive and curious mindset. Interest in rural mobility challenges.
• Language (DE or IT): Professional knowledge of German or Italian for writing, speaking and listening. The Passeiertal project has a local scale, requiring the knowledge of at least one of the two local languages.
• Language (EN): Professional knowledge of English (preferably C1, possibly B2 level) for writing, speaking and listening, to allow a smooth production of project-related scientific outputs.

A plus if the candidate also has:

• Work experience (max. three years) in transportation research, with e.g. evidence of work in research projects, commissioning works, and peer-reviewed publications at academic or non-academic level.

We offer:

• A one-year contract for a full-time job position (40h/week), or 32h/week arrangement if preferred by the candidate.
• A supportive, international, and interdisciplinary research environment.
• Access to professional development and training opportunities.
• Flexible working hours.
• An attractive workplace in a highly cyclable city offering excellent access to outdoor and mountain activities.
• Gross annual salary ranging from 40.894,56 € to 43.012,23 €
• Workplace location: Institute for Regional Development, Eurac Research HQ, Viale Druso 1, Bolzano
• Benefits and work-life balance: Eurac Research offers a welfare package designed to support employees’ well-being and work-life balance, contributing to a positive and inclusive working experience in an international research environment. The full and regularly updated list of benefits is available here.

Employment conditions:

• Employment classification and applicable collective agreement: 2nd level of the Italian National Collective Labour Agreement for the Tertiary/Commerce Sector
• Gross Annual Salary range: the gross annual salary range is primarily linked to the advertised position, its requirements and expected level, and is defined according to Eurac Research’s internal remuneration framework. The range also reflects whether the position is full-time or part-time.