General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
2026-39000
Division description
Within the Fundamental Research Directorate, the Institute for Research on the Fundamental Laws of the Universe
conducts research to study the fundamental interactions of physics and develops the associated instruments and experimental devices.
Nearly Nearly
1,000 physicists, engineers, and technicians are involved on a daily basis in international research projects
in particle physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics
on platforms as varied as particle accelerators, scientific satellites,
and ground-based telescopes.
Description de l'unité
Ganil, administratively attached to the CEA Paris-Saclay center, is a department of Irfu (Institute for Research on the Fundamental Laws of the Universe).
The “Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds” (Large National Heavy Ion Accelerator) is a national research infrastructure based on the use of ion beams. Its fields of research include fundamental research in nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics, materials under irradiation and nanostructuring, molecular collisions and the interstellar medium, radiobiology, and innovative techniques for dosimetry and the treatment of certain cancers.
GANIL (approximately 300 people) is located in Caen, Normandy. GANIL is located on the future EPOPEA science and innovation park site in the Caen la Mer urban community. It is jointly managed, within an Economic Interest Group (EIG), by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA/DRF) and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS/IN2P3) . As a research infrastructure, GANIL serves a national, European, and international scientific community of around a thousand users.
Position description
Category
Corpuscular physics and outer space
Contract
Fixed-term contract
Job title
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER ON ACTINIDE TARGETS FOR PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS H/F
Socio-professional category
Executive
Contract duration (months)
36 mois
Job description
GANIL is looking for a full-time POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER ON ACTINIDE TARGETS FOR PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS.
You will join the team responsible for R&D and manufacturing targets for experiments at GANIL. More specifically, you will be responsible for the preliminary design of the new radioactive sample preparation laboratory at GANIL, whose ultimate goal is to provide high-quality actinide samples used as targets for experiments to be carried out on NFS (Neutrons For Science) or S3 (Super Separator Spectrometer).
You will conduct research and development activities on techniques for the preparation, production, and characterization of actinide targets, in accordance with the specifications required for NFS or S3.
You will establish optimized and reproducible protocols for the purification, preparation, and characterization of the targets produced.
You will present the results of technical developments and methods, analysis, and target performance at workshops, conferences, and various meetings related to targets or research programs.
You have expertise in the development of methods, synthesis techniques, and characterization of actinide targets.
You must have:
- Practical experience working in a radiochemistry laboratory and with open radioactive materials; experience with alpha-emitting radionuclides is an asset
- Solid knowledge of electrochemistry and analytical radiochemistry (including alpha and gamma spectrometry)
- Solid knowledge of nuclear material management
- Good knowledge of analytical techniques for material characterization (SEM, XRD, RBS, Raman, ICP/AES)
The successful candidate will work within a team dedicated to the target laboratory. They will be part of the DELPH (Detection and Lasers for Physics) group, which is made up of around 20 people (engineers, technicians, post-doctoral fellows, doctoral students).. They will work closely with members of the PHASE (Physics of Heavy and Super-Heavy Elements) group, which is made up of researchers, doctoral students, and post-doctoral fellows .These groups are part of the Physics Division.
Several months of travel in France and Europe are planned in order to receive training from experts in the manufacture and characterization of actinide targets from European laboratories: JRC-Geel Belgium, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
Applicant Profile
With a PhD in inorganic or analytical chemistry, nuclear physics, materials science, or any related field, you are able to:
- Participate in experiments involving the preparation and characterization of thin films by vapor deposition, rolling, electrodeposition, and thermal reduction would be an asset.
- Prepare research results for publication.
- Present research results at scientific meetings.
- Apply regulatory and quality assurance procedures.
- Apply safety rules.
You are fluent in spoken and written English: levels B1 and B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
You are rigorous and curious. You have the ability to work in a team, are organized, and have good communication skills.
“In accordance with the CEA's commitment to the integration of people with disabilities, this position is open to all. The CEA offers accommodations and/or organizational options to facilitate the inclusion of workers with disabilities.”
Position location
Site
Other
Job location
France, Normandie, Calvados (14)
Location
CAEN
Candidate criteria
Recommended training
PHD
Requester
Position start date
01/04/2026
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