Immediate Postdoc Position – Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)

Tel Aviv University (Israel)

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University (TAU) is the largest, most comprehensive, and most dynamic research and teaching institution in Israel, offering the country’s most diversified range of study and research fields, with nine faculties and over 30,000 students, 1,200 researchers and 125 schools and departments across the sciences, humanities, and arts. Located at the heart of Israel’s economic, technological, and cultural center, TAU is proud of its liberal and pluralistic spirit. TAU ranks first in Israel (Times & Taiwan rankings); as a global top 100 innovation university (Reuters); and seventh in the world – and first outside the USA – for producing successful, VC-backed entrepreneurs (PitchBook). The University’s cutting-edge advancements are reinforced through ties with prominent research institutions ranging from NASA and Harvard to Tsinghua University and CERN.

Future Mobility Lab at Tel Aviv University

Future Mobility Lab is a new cutting-edge lab in the field of Smart Mobility. In the lab we investigate the potential and impacts of innovations and New Mobility forms on transportation systems and urban environment with an explicit focus on large-scale complex systems, transport-environmental policies, future/automated mobility solutions, and equity. For this purpose, we develop and use state-of-the-art methodologies in behavioral models, simulation, data collection, and analytical tools. For more information see: https://futuremobilitylab.sites.tau.ac.il/

Project Overview

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is a user-centric, digital, and intelligent mobility service provision model where passenger travel needs are met via a single, integrated platform. As with all the recent emerging mobility services, much is still unknown about MaaS. There is limited knowledge regarding how these new services will interact with existing modes and with each other. Representative field trials can feasibly only be conducted on small scales, and the variety of concepts makes predicting the impact on large transportation systems strenuous. Thus, the main objectives of the proposed study are to develop and design a full and comprehensive MaaS modeling framework representing the complex dynamics between demand and supply entities with regards to MaaS; to implement the MaaS system framework, along with its components in a novel agent-based simulation platform; and to perform a small-scale demonstration and assessments of MaaS solutions in a real city including an evaluation of MaaS market share, the impact on individual’s choices and transportation network along with its mobility service providers.

Responsibilities

The specific responsibilities will involve:

•Contribute to the development and implementation of behavioral and optimization models (e.g., demand generation, tour creation, fleet optimization).

•Solve abstract complex problems/ideas and convert them into useable algorithms/software modules.

•Work with other research scientists to turn transport models into working code, involving the design, implementation, and testing of the models and code.

•Data preparation and analysis

•Work with researchers on publishing research papers.

Requirements

•PhD degree in Transportation, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field

•General knowledge of Transportation Systems

Programming skills

•Data analysis and data preparation skills

•Quantitative methods used in exact science, such as Statistics and Modelling

•Independent and self-motivated, yet able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team

•Demonstrated ability to effectively manage concurrent technical tasks with competing priorities

•Proficient verbal and written communication skills in English

•Willingness to learn

Preferential advantages:

•Knowledge of Python and SQL

•Relevant experience in the transport engineering field

•Experience using transport simulation software

•Able to work with GIS programs, especially QGIS

Duration and financing

•The Postdoctoral training takes approximately 2 years. The candidate is expected to spend time at Tel Aviv University within the relevant research group - Future Mobility Lab. Detailed arrangements will be negotiated with the selected candidate.

•The candidate is expected to receive a full-time salary/scholarship from Tel Aviv University. After an initial contract, passing a mid-term evaluation will be a requirement for receiving funding for the second year.

•Tel-Aviv University offers international students housing, and Israel has a comprehensive health and social security system. Tel Aviv University’s proximity to the artistic and commercial capital of Israel allows students to absorb the best of Israeli culture and

society.

English is spoken everywhere. For more information about living in Tel-Aviv: https://en-environment.tau.ac.il/International/City

To Apply

Interested applicants should submit their full CV/resume, a 1-page cover letter, and a list of three referees, compiled in a single PDF document, to Dr. Bat-hen Nahmias-Biran (bathennb@tauex.tau.ac.il) by 1 May 2025. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.