Ph.D. Position in Operations Management

Ph.D. position in Operations Management

Lille Economics and Management (LEM UMR CNRS 9221) and IÉSEG School of Management invite applications for a fully funded Ph.D. position in Operations Management at its Lille Campus.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The recent health crisis has once again highlighted the fundamental role of public hospitals in our society, as well as the significant challenges they face: chronic staff shortages, increasing demand for healthcare driven by an aging population and the growing prevalence of chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, and the rising cost of care.

Various reforms implemented in recent years across European countries have contributed to the modernization of public hospitals. These reforms have altered the structure and composition of healthcare services, pushing hospitals to evolve toward greater specialization. In this context, services have increasingly been consolidated into larger hospital units, in line with efficiency-driven policies.

As a result, hospitals find themselves at the intersection of two seemingly conflicting dynamics:

• Specialization, which fosters economies of scale and scope by consolidating resources and enhancing efficiency; and
• Flexibility, which enables the agile reallocation of resources across departments to adapt to shifting demands at minimal cost.

Determining the appropriate degree of operational flexibility is therefore essential for ensuring the continuity and quality of healthcare services—particularly for the treatment of chronic illnesses and cancer, which present higher-than-average mortality rates in regions such as Hauts-de-France.

This research project will explore two key challenges impacting hospital operations:

• The need for flexibility in the allocation of healthcare resources to manage unexpected surges in demand for specific medical services, such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• The push for specialization, aimed at achieving efficiency gains through hospital consolidation and streamlined service delivery.

The selected candidate will be working under the supervision of Dr. Christine Di Martinelly. The selected Ph.D. candidate will be part of the IÉSEG Operations Management department (click here for more information). As the topic sits at the intersection of operations management and production economics, collaborations will take place with economist from the LEM.

ABOUT IÉSEG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

• IÉSEG is ACCCSB, EQUIS and AMBA accredited and is a member of the “Conférence des Grandes Écoles”.
• IÉSEG is member of a CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) research lab: LEM (Lille Economics and Management).
• IÉSEG’s faculty is very diverse with 45 different nationalities represented.

ABOUT LILLE ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT (LEM)

• LEM is a research unit, that comprises the CNRS, associating the University of Lille and IÉSEG School of Management
• LEM comprises about 200 researchers and 100 doctoral students in economics and management.
• LEM is a young, internationally oriented and dynamic laboratory with a strong scientific ambition.

QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for high-potential PhD students who are passionate about the research topic and meet the following criteria’s:

• Have an MSc. (or be close to completion) in Applied Mathematics, operations research, econometrics, industrial engineering or related disciplines.
• Strong analytical skills and commitment to research excellence.
• Programming skills in Python, C++ and/or MATLAB.
• Prior knowledge of mathematical modelling and/or production economics is a plus.
• Excellent command of written English.
• Applicants should be committed to research excellence and delivering high-quality research.
• Ability to work effectively in a team.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The selected applicant is expected to begin his/her assignment in September 2025 or January 2026. Gross salary will be competitive with other European research and academic institutions (2200€/month). The Ph.D. student will be based in Lille (on the site of IÉSEG School of Management). The selected candidate will have to enroll in a Ph.D. program at the University of Lillle. The Ph.D. student will get all the means and support to engage in innovative, business-relevant research projects with high potential to get published in international peer reviewed journals.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested applicants must submit their application through the recruitment platform here, For any further question, please contact us by email to phd.recruitment@ieseg.fr.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

We will begin considering candidates immediately. The deadline to apply is May 8th, 2025. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application file as soon as possible.