Postdoctoral Researcher in Particle Physics (M/F)

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research; France; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff restaurant

Transportation reimbursement

Works council

Teleworking 1-2 days per week

Training

Job summary

The PICSEL team at IPHC, Strasbourg, CNRS, invites applications for a postdoctoral position focused on developing a novel vertex detector concept for FCC-ee. The candidate will test curved MAPS sensors, prepare test-beam campaigns, and contribute to detector simulation and physics analyses.

They will implement detector geometries in the Key4hep framework, perform tracking and flavor-tagging studies, and collaborate with IPHC/CNRS teams to publish results and advance FCC-ee detector R&D.

Qualifications

• PhD in particle physics or equivalent.
• Knowledge of silicon detectors or strong interest to develop expertise.
• Experience in detector characterization or testing with particle beams is a plus.
• Strong programming skills in C++, Python and ROOT; familiarity with collaborative software development.
• Good command of English (B2) and teamwork in international projects.

Responsibilities

• Perform lab tests of curved silicon sensors and, if possible, use a radiation source.
• Prepare test beam campaigns, participate in data taking and related analysis.
• Write publications on curved sensor measurements.
• Implement changes of FCC-SEED geometries into the existing full simulation.
• Carry out single-particle and physics simulations to estimate tracking and flavor-tagging performance.

Skills

C++

Python

ROOT

Data analysis

Git

Track reconstruction

Vertex reconstruction

Particle physics

Education

PhD in particle physics

Tools

Key4hep

Job description

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Research Field Physics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 30 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The PICSEL team at IPHC (Strasbourg, France) invites applications for a postdoctoral position focused on the development of a novel vertex detector concept for FCC-ee. The successful candidate will contribute to detector prototype testing, detector simulation and optimization, and the evaluation of detector performance in the context of physics analyses.
FCC-ee has emerged as the preferred option for the next collider at CERN. Designed as a high-luminosity, high-precision electron–positron collider, FCC-ee will provide unprecedented experimental sensitivity and push the boundaries of our knowledge across a broad range of topics in particle physics, from precision studies of the Higgs and electroweak sectors to flavor and top-quark physics, as well as searches for phenomena beyond the Standard Model.
Fully exploiting the unprecedented capabilities of FCC-ee will require a new generation of particle detectors combining high precision with high efficiency. In particular, the innermost tracking system—the vertex detector—will rely on advanced silicon sensor technologies to reconstruct charged-particle trajectories with the highest possible spatial resolution and particle detection efficiency. Achieving these ambitious performance goals requires the development of innovative silicon sensors and detector concepts that minimize the amount of material traversed by particles. These technological developments are essential to achieve the outstanding tracking and vertexing performance required by the FCC-ee physics program.
The FCC-SEED vertex detector concept is based on curved silicon sensors, with the aim of positioning the first measurement layers of charged-particle trajectories as close as possible to the interaction point. The detector geometry is therefore designed to closely follow the shape of the beam pipe, minimizing the distance to the primary vertex and then improving the trajectory resolutions.
The candidate will initially be strongly involved in the characterization and testing of curved Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS), in particular curved MIMOSIS sensors. Thanks to her/his experience, she/he will take a central role in the preparation of test-beam campaigns, participate in data taking, and contribute to the subsequent data analysis and interpretation of the results.
The successful candidate will also play a leading role in detector simulation and performance studies. She/he will contribute to the implementation of FCC-SEED detector geometries in the Key4hep full-simulation framework and to the characterization of the detector performance through tracking, flavor-tagging, and physics-analysis studies. She/he will carry out detector optimization studies, investigating different geometrical and technological configurations to achieve the best possible physics performance. To qualify the physics performance, it is foreseen to perform physics analyses related to CKM matrix elements measurements, flavor physics or top quark physics.
The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with experienced physicists, engineers, and technicians at IPHC, while taking a leading role in the activities described above. They will also contribute to the broader FCC-ee detector R&D community, participate in international conferences, workshops, and collaboration meetings, and contribute to the preparation of scientific publications presenting the results of their work.

• Perform lab tests of curved silicon sensors, possible with a source,
• Prepare test beam campaign, participate to the data taking and related analysis
• Write publications on curved sensor measurements,
• Implement changes of FCC-SEED geometries into the existing full simulation,
• Perform single particle simulations as well as physics simulation to estimate the performance of tracking, flavor tagging,
• Perform physics analysis on CKM matrix elements measurements, flavor physics or top quark physics. Participate in the writing of the corresponding publications.

The IPHC, a joint research unit under the co-supervision of CNRS and Strasbourg University (UMR7178), is a multidisciplinary laboratory where research groups from various scientific fields (ecology, physiology and ethology, chemistry and subatomic physics) develop high level research program with a strong instrumentation basement. IPHC is composed of 4 departments and counts a total number of 393 agents including 257 permanent positions (119 researchers, assistant-professors and professors and 138 engineers and technicians), 46 fixed term contracts and 90 PhD students.

The PICSEL team has long-standing expertise in the design and application of Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) for high-energy physics experiments. With strong support from the C4PI technology platform at IPHC, the team benefits from a broad range of expertise covering the full detector development chain, from sensor and chip design to characterization, testing, and integration into mechanical structures. The team also benefits from the expertise of IPHC's mechanical design office and workshop, which have extensive experience in the design and construction of detector components, notably through their major contributions to the CMS Tracker upgrade.
The successful candidate will join the FCC-SEED research programme, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), and will work in close collaboration with the CPPM laboratory, the other partner of the FCC-SEED project.

The candidate (M/F) will have access to a staff restaurant, partial reimbursement of transportation costs, a works council, the possibility of teleworking one to two days per week for some activities, subject to the agreement of the team manager, and training to adapt to the job.

• Hold a PhD in particle physics or equivalent.
• Have a good knowledge of silicon detectors, or a strong interest in developing expertise in silicon detector technologies.
• Be comfortable with experimental and instrumentation work. Previous experience in detector characterization or testing with particle beams would be a strong asset.
• Have good programming skills, with experience in languages and scientific computing tools such as C++, Python, and ROOT. Familiarity with collaborative software development and version-control tools, such as Git, would be appreciated.
• Experience with particle physics object reconstruction algorithms (specifically track and vertex reconstruction), particle physics data analysis, or Monte Carlo simulation of detectors are additional assets.
• Have a good command of English, at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
• Have good communication and teamwork skills, and be motivated to contribute to a constructive, collaborative, and positive working environment.
• Demonstrate a good level of autonomy and a willingness to take initiative and develop leadership skills.