Postdoctoral Researcher on the SAMBA Beamline

SOLEIL is the French synchrotron radiation center, located on the Saclay plateau near Paris. It is a multidisciplinary instrument and research laboratory, with the mission to conduct research programs using synchrotron radiation, develop cutting-edge instrumentation on the beamlines, and make these available to the scientific community. The SOLEIL synchrotron, a unique tool for both academic research and industrial applications, opened in 2008. It is used annually by thousands of French and international researchers, across a wide range of disciplines such as physics, biology, chemistry, astrophysics, environmental science, earth sciences, and more. SOLEIL relies on an exceptional radiation source in terms of brightness and stability. This Very Large Research Infrastructure (TGIR), in partnership with the University of Paris-Saclay, is established as a company jointly founded by CNRS and CEA.

Context

By providing information on the local structure of matter at the atomic scale and their respective distances with a resolution on the order of picometers (pm), the SAMBA beamline allows for answering many questions related to chemistry, catalysis, electrochemistry, materials physics, and environmental sciences via X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).

The configuration of the beamline enables the measurement of XAFS spectra between 4.5 and 43 keV, covering a large part of the periodic table, from titanium to cerium.

A wide variety of sample types can be studied under different conditions, thanks to the range of detectors and available environments: solutions, thin films, powders that can be studied in reactors (RT-1000°C), electrochemical cells, cryostats (3.7-400K). An overview of the possibilities is illustrated on the beamline’s web page (https://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/en/beamlines/samba). Several laboratories and characterization instruments are also accessible on the SOLEIL site (via support laboratories).

Mission

The postdoctoral researcher will work within the SAMBA group under the supervision of the group leader. They will need to carry out the following tasks:

• Develop their own scientific activity or collaborative work, with a strong focus on electrochemistry, leveraging the capabilities of the SAMBA beamline.
• Participate in the user support activities for the beamline by autonomously handling some of the accepted users.
• Participate in the daily life of the SAMBA beamline through various scientific and technical meetings, as well as the development of the instrument and sample environments, if necessary.
• Participate in the scientific life of the laboratory by attending the activities of a scientific section and seminars offered by SOLEIL.

Profile Sought 

The candidate must hold a PhD or commit to obtaining one before the start of the contract, in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Chemistry, or a related discipline, with experience in XAFS. Experience in electrochemistry and operando XAFS measurements will be considered a major asset.

Essential basic knowledge 

• PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Chemistry, or a related field.
• Experience in XAFS spectroscopy: theory, experimentation, and data analysis.
• Experience in electrochemistry.
• Experience in operando XAFS measurements.
• Optics.
• Scientific programming.
• Proficiency in English.

Required qualities

• Ability to conceptualize and design projects.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Service-oriented attitude toward other users of the beamline.
• Calculation software: Feff, FDMNES, GNXAS.
• Potentiostats.
• Python programming language.

Working Conditions

This offer is for a fixed-term contract of 12 months.

The position requires participation in the operation and continuous functioning of the facility, and assisting users requires being on call during certain periods. Additionally, the job may require site interventions beyond regular working hours (evenings or weekends).

If you are looking for a position in a company with a focus on scientific excellence and technological innovation, SOLEIL offers you the opportunity to:

• Work within an innovative, multidisciplinary, and multicultural research laboratory.
• Be at the heart of the research and development dynamic of Paris-Saclay.
• Collaborate with national and international experts across various scientific and technical fields.
• Present your work at national and international conferences, just like other members of the SAMBA group.
• Enjoy the proximity to Paris (only 25 km away) to explore its rich cultural life and dynamic living environment.

Benefits

• 26 paid vacation days + up to 2 days for splitting vacation + 23 RTT days per full year of work, for a 40-hour work week.
• Mandatory health insurance covered at about 90% by the employer, with coverage for all family members (spouse and children). For further details, candidates can contact the HR service at: rh@synchrotron-soleil.fr.
• Benefiting from a supplementary pension plan that compensates for insufficient coverage by mandatory social security schemes, ensuring income protection for the employee and their family in case of difficult situations such as death, incapacity to work, or disability due to illness or accidents.
• The possibility to open a Time Savings Account (CET) after one year of seniority: The CET allows the development of savings through accrued days off, which can be used for vacation, buying back pension insurance periods, contributing to a company savings plan (PEE) and/or a collective retirement savings plan (PERCO), or monetizing accrued days. Contributions to the PERCO are matched by SOLEIL.
• On-site company restaurant at SOLEIL with subsidized meals, based on the salary scale.
• Family benefits depending on the situation: family surcharges, days off for certain events, marriage and birth bonuses, etc.
• Social and cultural activities offered by SOLEIL’s CSE.