Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate

Job Description: Prof. Karmel S. Shehadeh, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering is seeing to hire a Postdoctoral Scholar to work on fundamental or applied research in Prof. Shehadeh’s research group, with the possibility of conducting multidisciplinary research with faculty colleagues within and outside USC. The group’s mission is to push the boundaries of the theory and applications of stochastic and (distributionally) robust optimization (SRO) and foster interdisciplinary research collaborations to address emerging real-world problems in various application domains, including healthcare, facility location, and transportation.

Primary Responsibilities: The Postdoctoral Researcher is expected to specifically contribute one or both of the following research areas: (i) develop the next generation data-driven stochastic and distributionally robust optimization methodologies or (ii) develop advanced fairness promoting stochastic optimization frameworks. In coordination with Prof. Shehadeh, the Researcher will lead the research team in writing manuscripts, disseminating findings at scientific meetings, preparing grant applications, and supporting the supervision of doctoral students.

Additional Information:
This is a hybrid position. The Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate will be expected to work onsite at least 2 days per week. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.

The annual base salary range for this position is $69,850. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope of responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Fixed-Term Employment: Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate is a 1-year fixed-term position, scheduled to end 12 months from hire date. Employees hired under a fixed-term agreement acknowledge that the university may change the expected end date at any time by providing a one (1) month written notification. Your employment may also end for other reasons consistent with university policy. According to university policy, no severance benefits are paid to employees hired under a fixed term agreement. When you leave, your final paycheck will include pay for days worked, and for accrued and unused vacation. The university does not pay for accrued and unused sick days upon termination.

Preferred Qualifications
• Qualified candidates should have or be close to completing a doctorate degree in industrial engineering, operations research, statistics, or machine learning and have a strong research record.
• Qualified candidates should have prior research and publications in optimization under uncertainty methodologies and their applications. Preferences will be given to candidates with experience in one of the following areas: (1) stochastic and distributionally robust optimization and their applications, or (2) fairness in optimization and/or ML.
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills are required

Required Applicant Documents
A cover letter, curriculum vitae, research statement (at most 3 pages), and list of at least 3 references. Please feel free to upload your application materials in a single document.

USC and the Viterbi School
The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is. Founded in 1905, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is named for Andrew Viterbi who developed an algorithm to connect the world’s citizens. Similarly, the school, located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international business in the heart of the Pacific Rim, is a hub for entrepreneurship that connects students from 64 countries. USC Viterbi is a pioneer in restoring sight to the blind; restoring memory to sufferers of Alzheimer’s; and socially assistive robots to aid seniors with stroke or children with autism. It is the home of the first operational quantum computing center in academia. Our alumni include Neil Armstrong, first human on the moon; A.C. Mike Markkula, co-founder of Apple; and Wanda Austin, former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation. The USC Viterbi School is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs (U.S. News and World Report). Under the leadership of Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, the school helped re-imagine the 21st century engineer, pioneering the Grand Challenge Scholars Program in schools across the globe. Our mission is to serve California, the nation and the world. At USC Viterbi, we call this the enabling power of Engineering+.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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