Senior Operations Research Engineer - HAV000623

Belgium (Hybrid)
Full-time Contract | Freelance / Consulting Assignment
Start Date: June 2026 (application closes 22 May)
Contract Duration: Until December 2026

We are looking for a highly skilled Senior Operations Research Engineer to strengthen a Data & Intelligence team focused on complex nautical and logistics operations. In this role, you will contribute to the development of a holistic planning system supporting large-scale operational environments across multiple locations.

You will focus on designing and prototyping advanced optimization solutions that improve planning efficiency, operational throughput, and decision-making within a leading European port and logistics ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and prototype holistic planning optimization solutions across complex nautical supply chain environments
• Identify optimization opportunities and translate them into scalable operational models
• Develop advanced operations research models using:
  • Metaheuristics
  • MILP solvers
  • Constraint programming
• Build scalable optimization workflows for industrial-scale planning challenges
• Collaborate closely with intelligence teams and business stakeholders
• Evaluate feasibility and performance of new planning optimization strategies
• Translate complex technical concepts into understandable business insights
• Contribute to AI-driven planning innovation initiatives
• Support continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives

Required Skills & Experience

Must-Have

• 5+ years of experience as an Innovation Consultant or similar senior optimization role
• Proven experience developing holistic planning optimization prototypes integrating multiple domains and data streams
• Strong experience with multi-objective operations research modeling
• Experience with:
  • Metaheuristics
  • MILP solvers
  • Constraint programming
• Experience building scalable optimization workflows within supply chain environments
• Master's or Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Native or near-native Dutch proficiency (CEFR C2)
• Ability to provide at least 3 successful references involving planning or optimization implementations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as Product Owner or Functional Owner of planning/optimization solutions
• Background in:
  • Process Engineering
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Continuous Improvement
• Experience in business process management and project management
• Experience leading multidisciplinary consulting or development teams
• Strong knowledge of optimization solvers such as:
  • CPLEX
  • IPOPT
• Experience with software development practices and CI/CD:
  • Git
  • Azure DevOps

Ideal Candidate

You are analytical, innovative, and highly results-oriented. You stay up to date with emerging AI optimization technologies and understand how they can be applied to real-world operational planning challenges. You can bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders and communicate complex optimization concepts clearly to business teams.

Additional Information

• Hybrid work arrangement available
• Estimated workload: 1120 hours
• Candidate selection weighting: 50% quality / 50% price
• Freelance / consultancy engagement under a public sector framework agreement

Apply

If you are passionate about operations research, AI-driven optimization, and large-scale industrial planning systems, we would love to hear from you.