Research Engineer / Post-Doctoral Fellow within the Searenity Project

Context:

ENSTA is a higher education and research institution under the authority of the Ministry of Armed Forces. The school's mission is to train civil and military engineering students, including armament engineers and armament studies and techniques engineers, as well as highly qualified managers and doctors for the public and private sectors, particularly in the fields of defense and security, transport, energy, maritime activities, digital technology, and advanced technologies.

Through its research, innovation, and training offerings, ENSTA supports the transformation of major national strategic sectors, thus responding to national sovereignty challenges. It has 6 training and research units (UFRs) that conduct applied research in close collaboration with industry.

ENSTA is a founding member of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris). As part of IP Paris, the school participates in the activities of interdisciplinary centers, notably the Interdisciplinary Center for Defense and Security Studies (CIEDS, supported by the Ministry of Armed Forces and the Defense Innovation Agency (AID)). It initiated the creation of the Interdisciplinary Center for Seas & Oceans, inaugurated in January 2025. Researchers from the school also collaborate on studies carried out by the Hi-Paris centers, winner of the 2024 IA Cluster, E4C, or E4H, among others.

ENSTA results from the merger on January 1, 2025, of ENSTA Paris and ENSTA Bretagne. Its headquarters are located in Palaiseau (91), on the Paris-Saclay campus, and it has another campus in Brest. It is implementing a new unified engineering program across both campuses (Paris-Saclay and Brest) starting in the academic year 2026/2027.

Joining the school means integrating an institution committed to gender parity and professional equality, diversity, and support for its agents with disabilities, from recruitment and throughout their careers. To ensure well-being at work, the school pursues an active policy regarding working conditions, based notably on a fair balance between personal and professional life.

The incumbent of the position will be assigned to the Mechanics Training and Research Unit (UFR). The Mechanics UFR's mission is to provide mechanics training for ENSTA engineering students, Institut Polytechnique de Paris master's students, and to conduct research training for French and international students at the master's and doctoral levels. The Unit also develops research activities in the fields of materials and structures mechanics, fluid mechanics, vibrations, and acoustics. These activities are carried out using a significant high-level experimental facility in solid and fluid mechanics for both teaching and research. On the Brest campus, the Mechanics UFR comprises about fifty teacher-researchers, fifty PhD/post-doctoral students, and ten technical staff (engineers, technicians). The research activities of the members

of the Mechanics UFR at the Brest site are conducted within the Dupuy de Lôme Research Institute (IRDL, CNRS UMR 6027, www.irdl.fr).

SEARENITY: To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maritime transport by 40% by 2030, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) relies on improving the energy efficiency of ships. A major obstacle to this efficiency is biofouling. This uncontrolled proliferation of living organisms on ship hulls significantly increases their hydrodynamic resistance as soon as it appears. The phenomenon leads to increased fuel consumption and a rise in GHG emissions of 20 to 40% on average. Keeping a hull clean is therefore essential to reduce the carbon footprint of maritime transport.

In this context, the SEARENITY project aims to develop an innovative solution for proactive biofouling control. The solution is based on an autonomous underwater drone capable of continuously cleaning ship hulls while in navigation, without an umbilical cord and without any human intervention.

The missions of the recruited person will be integrated into the Searenity project to provide solutions to several technical challenges encountered, particularly those related to the robot's adherence to ship hulls, using magnetic attraction systems.

Main Missions / Activities:

Within the thematic research pole "Multi-material Assemblies" (PTR2), the incumbent will be responsible for:

• Proposing innovative magnetic attraction systems to link a robot to a ferromagnetic surface.

• Participating in the design/manufacturing and assembly of complete magnetic systems, magnetic sub-systems, and associated test benches.

• Numerically simulating the magnetic performance of the designed devices: attraction capabilities and resistance to motion.

• Participating in optimization loops and in-situ testing.

• Developing multiphysics attraction models that take into account magnetic coupling / contact deformation.

• Proposing associated publications in specialized journals.

• Actively participating, within the research pole, in the sharing and acquisition of new skills.

Ancillary Mission / Activity:

• The recruited person may, upon request, in addition to their mission, undertake 64 hours of teaching per year.

Degree Level and Training:

Doctorate, Research Engineer

Employment:

Desired assignment duration: 36 months

Planned start date: October 1, 2026, or February 1, 2027

Compensation:

Contract staff: based on professional experience in equivalent-level positions

Work Location:

ENSTA Brest campus, 2 rue François Verny 29200 Brest

"The site is accessible by car (parking for staff) or public transport. As the School is committed to CSR (Sustainable Development and Responsible Employer, Cycling-friendly employer) initiatives, it encourages sustainable mobility through financial aid schemes (FMD) and infrastructure suitable for cyclists."

Full-time position (25 annual leave days, 18 RTT days annually)

Benefits:

• Transportation (employer's flat-rate contribution of 75%)

• Sustainable mobility package (up to €300/year)

• Remote work possibility (after manager's approval and submission of a request)

• Employer subsidy for the administrative restaurant and/or the establishment's cafeteria

• Social action committee, offering events and activities for staff, gym on membership,

• Mutual insurance (establishment's contribution of 50%)

Workplace Accommodation and Inclusive Recruitment:

All our positions are open to candidates with disabilities.

ENSTA is committed to recruitment that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. All applications without distinction (age, disability, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation...) have their place in our recruitment process.

Application Procedure:

The complete application (curriculum vitae, cover letter) must be sent to:

ENSTA: Yannick Argouarc’h ----- for any further information, please contact the same person.

Yannick Argouarc’h:

02 98 34 88 38

Knowledge:

• Multiphysics modeling, particularly magneto-mechanical

• Modeling and simulation of structural behavior

• Design of mechanical and magnetic systems

• Writing test protocols

Software:

• CATIA

• NX Simcenter / Abaqus

• Python

Skills:

• Ability to plan and organize one's time

• Ability to research information

• Multi-stakeholder project management

• Technical report writing skills

• Ability to understand unknown systems

Personal Attributes:

• Strong sense of teamwork and sharing

• Autonomy

• Initiative

• Creative

• Flexibility and adaptability

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