Postdoctoral Researcher: "3D Numerical Simulation of Natural Fiber Composite Infusion" - 12-month fixed-term contract

ENGLISH VERSION

Joining Mines Saint-Étienne means committing to an institution where science and innovation build a more sustainable future. An institution of excellence where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to addressing the challenges of tomorrow.

Ranked among the best engineering schools in France and recognized worldwide, our school, a member of Institut Mines-Télécom, trains the talents of tomorrow while actively contributing to addressing major industrial, digital, and environmental challenges. With us, you will join a community of 500 employees, 2500 students, and participate in an ambitious project: combining academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and positive societal impact.

Institut Mines-Télécom unites French engineering schools around major industrial, digital, energy, and ecological challenges. With its 8 public Grandes Écoles and 2 subsidiary schools, it is the leading public institute dedicated to engineers and managers. Together, we imagine and build a sustainable future, training the actors who will shape the transitions of tomorrow.

Welcome to the world of future materials!

At the Materials and Structures Science (SMS) center, attached to the Georges Friedel Laboratory (a joint CNRS research unit), we dissect matter to better control it. Metal alloys, ceramics, composites... here, we explore the link between processes, microstructures, and material properties.

Using advanced characterization tools and multi-scale models, our teachers-researchers invent the concept of “Material by design”: designing materials from the research workshop for tailor-made performance.

🧠 Do you enjoy fundamental science that changes reality? This is where it happens.

🎯 Job Description - What We Expect From You

This postdoctoral position is part of the ANR PRME LINEN project (Experimental and Numerical Characterization of Flax Composite Manufacturing by Liquid Infusion: From Local Phenomena to Induced Properties), in which several researchers from Mines Saint-Étienne School are participating, with the objective of studying the elaboration of structural parts made of flax fiber composite materials.

This postdoctoral position, for a duration of 12 months, is offered to develop the numerical modeling of resin infusion in flax fiber composite preforms. The objective is to study, at the mesoscopic scale, the influence of the anisotropic and heterogeneous organization of fiber bundles on resin flow. The project will rely on 3D finite element simulations, based on a Stokes-Darcy coupling and considering an orthotropic permeability tensor. Particular attention will be paid to the influence of local variations in fiber volume fraction on permeability, preferential flow paths, and capillary effects. Simulations will be carried out with the finite element code Cœur (https://gitlab.emse.fr/bruchon/Coeur), using the PETSc library and preconditioned iterative solvers adapted to large-scale problems. Initially, idealized architectures such as unidirectional, quasi-unidirectional, and woven types will be studied using a Level-Set representation. Subsequently, when possible, realistic mesostructures will be reconstructed from µ-CT images.

The postdoctoral researcher will also contribute to the development and validation of the numerical strategy and will work in close interaction with the experimental and numerical work of the other tasks of the project.

🔍 What We Are Looking For

A background in numerical mechanics, fluid mechanics, finite elements, or scientific computing is sought.

Skills in C++/Python, high-performance computing, PETSc, Level-Set methods, or 3D image processing will be appreciated.

You recognize yourself in the following skills and aptitudes:

· Ability to work in a team

· Ability to communicate with academic and industrial stakeholders

📩 Apply Now!

Application deadline: 20/11/2026

🔗 Application files (CV, cover letter, letter of recommendation) should be submitted on the RECRUITEE platform:

https://institutminestelecom.recruitee.com/o/post-doctorante-simulation-numerique-3d-de-linfusion-de-composites-a-fibres-naturelles-cdd-12-mois

Start date envisioned: February 1, 2027

Candidates selected after reviewing their application will be interviewed via videoconference and, if necessary, invited for an in-person interview at Mines Saint-Étienne.

As part of its Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policy, Mines Saint-Étienne School is an employer committed to fair treatment of all applications.

 ℹ️ Additional Information

• 12-month fixed-term public contract

• Salary will be determined based on the candidate's profile, according to the rules defined by the management framework of Institut Mines Télécom

• Full-time - Executive profile

• Position based in Saint-Étienne at the Mines School. Travel within the urban area of Saint-Étienne will be required to work on the platforms.

The position is open to all, with accommodations available upon request for candidates with disabilities.

Position open to public service employees and/or contract workers. All applications may be subject to an administrative investigation.

 📞 Contacts

· Regarding the job content:

Julien BRUCHON or Nicolas MOULIN, Professors
Email: Tel: +33 (0)6 43 24 63 90

· Regarding administrative/HR aspects:
Amélie HUCHET – HR Manager
Email:
Tel: +33 (0)4 77 42 93 05

🌍 Why Join Mines Saint-Étienne?

We support each of our employees on the path to excellence, with the conviction that together, we can have a lasting and significant impact on our world.

Joining Mines Saint-Étienne offers the opportunity to find:

· A stimulating environment: cutting-edge experimental resources, a strong international network (T.I.M.E., EULIST), and human-scale campuses within an urban setting.

· Real impact: contractual research projects amounting to €11 million/year, mainly with industrial partners, a scientific culture center, La Rotonde, which has been engaged in science outreach for 25 years with over 50,000 visitors/year.

· Incomparable quality of life: between 46 and 49 days of leave and RTT, partial remote work, 75% coverage of public transport costs, financial support for carpooling and cycling, and a social barometer where 83% of employees praise the quality of work-life balance.

Let's build a more sustainable future through science, engineering, and meaningful projects.

Useful links:

School:

https://www.mines-stetienne.fr/

IMT:

https://www.imt.fr/

Your data protection:

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