How do mobility systems respond when everyday travel is disrupted? How can we model who loses access, where, for how long, and under what conditions recovery is possible?
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in Complex Mobility Systems. The position is part of a Formas-funded project developing dynamic synthetic populations and mobility digital twins for resilient and equitable transport planning. The project combines agent-based modelling, large-scale mobility data, transport networks, generative modelling, resilience indicators, and equity analysis.
A central goal of this recruitment is to strengthen the project’s modelling and implementation capacity while deepening its conceptual grounding. We welcome candidates with strong technical expertise in agent-based modelling, activity-based travel modelling, geospatial data science, generative modelling, mobility data analysis, or transport simulation, especially when combined with knowledge of complex systems, network science, resilience theory, urban science, computational social science, or disruption modelling.
About us
The candidate will be based at the Division of Physical Resource Theory at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. With around 50 staff members, including faculty and Doctoral students from engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences, the division promotes challenge-driven, multidisciplinary research and offers courses linked to its research areas. Our group, STEAM – Sustainable Transport, Energy Analytics and Modelling, studies how people, vehicles, infrastructure, digital systems and energy systems interact, with applications in sustainable mobility, electrification, resilience, equity and policy analysis.
The successful candidate will be expected to contribute intellectually to the theoretical development of the project. We are particularly interested in candidates whose background can help us connect empirical mobility data and computational modelling with theories of complex systems, network dynamics, resilience, disruption response, adaptation, inequality, or urban systems.
About the research project
The position is connected to the DYnamic populatioNs for resilient And equitable MObility systems (DYNAMO) project. The project develops next-generation synthetic populations that are dynamic, scenario-conditioned and suitable for stress-testing mobility systems under disruptions. The work combines mobile phone data, census and urban data, activity-based and agent-based modelling, generative sequence models, transport networks, digital twins, resilience indicators and equity-sensitive analysis. The project explicitly seeks to move beyond static “average-day” demand modelling towards dynamic, behaviourally rich and policy-relevant simulations of how different groups adapt under changing conditions.
The project is carried out in collaboration withthe department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU, Denmark) and Universidad del Desarrollo / ISI Foundation (Chile/Italy), contributing expertise in human mobility modelling, resilience science, and empirical disruption analysis using large-scale mobile phone data from Chile.
Who we are looking for
The successful candidate will be expected to contribute intellectually to the theoretical development of the project. We are particularly interested in candidates whose background can help us connect empirical mobility data and computational modelling with theories of complex systems, network dynamics, resilience, disruption response, adaptation, inequality, or urban systems.
The following requirements are mandatory:
A doctoral degree in a relevant field, such as complex systems, network science, transport systems, urban science, computational social science, applied mathematics, physics, computer science, geography, urban planning, engineering, data science, resilience studies, or a closely related field.
The degree must normally have been awarded before the start of employment.
Meritorious educational qualifications:
- Doctoral training with a strong theoretical or methodological component.
- Interdisciplinary training that bridges theory, computation and empirical data.
- Training in one or more of the following areas: complex systems theory, network science, resilience theory, disruption modelling, mobility systems, urban analytics, computational social science, agent-based modelling, causal inference, or spatial data science.
Mandatory experiences and skills
- Documented ability to conduct high-quality independent research.
- Strong computational, mathematical, or modelling skills relevant to complex mobility systems, including the ability to implement and validate models using empirical or synthetic mobility data.
- Experience with quantitative modelling, simulation, data analysis or computational methods.
- Very good ability to write and communicate scientific results in English.
- Experience with at least one of the following: agent-based modelling, activity-based travel modelling, geospatial data analysis, mobility data analysis, generative modelling, transport simulation, network modelling, or data fusion.
- Ability to work both independently and in interdisciplinary research teams.
The following experience will strengthen your application:
- Experience with agent-based modelling, network modelling, dynamic systems, spatial interaction models, activity-based travel modelling, transport simulation, or digital twins.
- Experience with mobility data, mobile phone data, GPS data, smart-card data, census data, transport networks, public transport data, or other large-scale urban datasets.
- Experience with resilience, disruption, evacuation, crisis response, climate adaptation, infrastructure vulnerability, accessibility or equity analysis.
- Experience with open science, reproducible workflows, version control, containerised pipelines, data/model documentation, or FAIR data practices.
- Programming experience in Python, R, Julia, Java, MATSim, GIS tools, or related software.
- Experience working across disciplines or with stakeholders in transport, urban planning, public policy, emergency preparedness or infrastructure planning.
What you will do
The postdoctoral researcher will conduct independent and collaborative research within the project. Depending on the candidate’s profile, the work may include:
- Developing computational and conceptually grounded frameworks for resilient and equitable mobility systems.
- Advancing agent-based, network-based or complex systems models of mobility under disruption.
- Contributing to the design of dynamic synthetic populations and behaviourally plausible mobility agents.
- Modelling how individuals, groups and networks adapt to disruptions, including sudden events and forewarned hazards.
- Developing or testing indicators for robustness, recovery, vulnerability, accessibility loss and equity impacts.
- Working with large-scale mobility, transport network, census, land-use or other urban data.
- Contributing to open, reproducible research workflows, model documentation and scientific publications.
- Collaborating with researchers in mobility data science, urban analytics, human mobility, resilience, digital twins and policy analysis.
- Helping connect the project’s empirical, computational, and theoretical components, and mentoring junior researchers or students where appropriate.
- Implementing and validating models related to dynamic synthetic populations, activity-based mobility patterns, disruption response, and resilience or equity indicators.
Contract terms
The position is a temporary full-time employment for two years with the possibility of a one-year extension.
The position requires physical presence throughout the entire employment. A valid residence permit must be presented by the start date, otherwise the offer may be withdrawn.
What we offer
- As a postdoc at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.
- A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg.
- Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg.
Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities.
If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.
Application procedure
The application should be written in English be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.
CV
- A comprehensive CV, including a complete list of publications.
- Details of previous teaching and pedagogical experience.
Personal letter
- A summary of your previous research fields and key research outcomes.
- An outline of your future goals and research focus.
Other documents
- Attested copies of completed education, academic grades and courses taken, and other certificates if applicable
- Up to three selected publications or manuscripts relevant to the position
Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.
A background check may be conducted as part of the application process.
Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview.
We welcome your application no later than 2026-08-11 Shortlisting is planned for late August, with first interviews expected around 1 September.
For questions please contact:
- Sonia Yeh, Professor, Department of Environmental and Energy Sciences. Email: [email protected], 031-772-67 16
- Jorge Gil, Associate Professor, Urban Analytics and Informatics, Head of Division Urban Design and Planning, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE), Chalmers University of Technology. Email: [email protected]
- Yuan Liao, Department of Human Geography, Lund University, Lund, Sweden, [email protected]
- Frances Sprei, Professor, Unit head, Department of Environmental and Energy Sciences, [email protected], 031-772 2146
We look forward to your application!
*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***
Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society.
Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.
