Head of Coordination/Planning and Instrumental Project Management

Located at the heart of the Paris-Saclay cluster, approximately twenty kilometers from Paris, SOLEIL is the French synchrotron radiation source. In this extensive research infrastructure, experiments rely on the use of light radiation produced by an accelerator. Since 2008, SOLEIL has been serving various fields that engage both science and industry, including physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, environment, Earth sciences, and cultural heritage. SOLEIL operates under the dual supervision of CNRS and CEA, providing its staff with a multidisciplinary and international work environment.

The SOLEIL II project represents an ambitious modernization of the entire facility, enabling experiments up to ten thousand times faster, a thousand times more sensitive, with nanoscale resolution. This initiative decisively contributes to numerous societal challenges in advanced materials research, energy and sustainable development, health and well-being, and environmental studies. The current facility will continue its operation in parallel until the autumn of 2028. The launch of SOLEIL II is scheduled for 2030, with a power-up phase extending until 2035.

SOLEIL concurrently operates 29 beamlines, and the SOLEIL II program involves the reconstruction of at least 7 of them, along with the modernization of others. This highly ambitious program presents significant complexity in terms of planning and logistics.

The position of Coordination/Planning and Management of Instrumental Projects Manager, under an indefinite contract, is within the Experiments division under the responsibility of the two scientific directors. It involves coordinating Transverse Operations for the operation of SOLEIL's experimental program and the transition from SOLEIL to SOLEIL II, as well as overseeing the Coordination group, currently composed of 8 individuals. The Coordination/Planning and Management of Instrumental Projects Manager reports to the scientific directors.

This role, at the core of beamline operations, is particularly strategic during the transition from SOLEIL to SOLEIL II. It is tailored for an experienced professional with a solid background in experimental research, interdisciplinary project management, and prior experience in team leadership roles.

Managerial and organizational qualities are essential for animating and supervising a team, working closely with teams in a cross-functional manner, and contributing to the deployment of the instrument program while adhering to budgetary and scheduling constraints. While knowledge of synchrotron center operations is desirable, it is not a prerequisite.