Research-focused Lecturer / Researcher in Maritime and Port Issues (fixed-term position)

UNIVERSITE LE HAVRE NORMANDIE; France; Sur place; EUR 35 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading research institution in France is seeking a research-oriented lecturer/researcher to contribute to maritime and port issues. The role involves designing a research plan, submitting proposals, and producing research outputs. Candidates should have a relevant PhD and strong teamwork skills. The position offers a full-time contract in an innovative academic environment with strong support for research activities.

Prestations

Access to a broad academic network

Support for innovative research practices

Opportunities for international professional development

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field such as port economics or coastal engineering.
• Strong motivation to work in a team and develop projects.
• Demonstrated ability to structure and write competitive proposals.

Responsabilités

• Design and implement a 12-month research plan.
• Develop and submit competitive research project proposals.
• Produce research outputs such as articles and datasets.

Connaissances

Teamwork

Proposal writing

Research dissemination

Collaboration with stakeholders

Formation

PhD in relevant field

Outils

Scientific publication tools

Analytical tools

Description du poste

Organisation/Company UNIVERSITE LE HAVRE NORMANDIE Research Field All Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Other Positions Country France Application Deadline 1 Dec 2025 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Feb 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

As part of the strategic project “Polytechnic Campus for Maritime and Port Territories”, the University of Le Havre Normandy (ULHN) is recruiting a fixed-term, research-oriented lecturer/researcher to contribute to the initiative “Maritime and Port Issues”.

The successful candidate will join a transdisciplinary Joint Research Team (Équipe Commune de Recherche, ECR) of 4–6 researchers and an existing ULHN laboratory (to be determined according to the candidate’s profile). Their overarching mission is to design and implement a 12-month research plan on maritime and port challenges, closely connected to the port, coastline, and territory, and to develop competitive project proposals with local, national, and international partners.

Within 12 months, the candidate is expected to prepare and submit at least one competitive funding proposal, produce visible research outputs (such as articles, preprints, prototypes, demonstrators, or documented datasets), and help animate a growing community around maritime and port issues.

You will notably:

• Build a 12-month research plan (topics, partners, milestones, and target call(s) for proposals such as ANR, Horizon Europe, or regional schemes).
• Develop and submit research and innovation projects, including:
  • coordinating the scientific writing and structuring of proposals,
  • bringing together partners (city, port, companies, associations/NGOs),
  • preparing, collecting, or using relevant data.
• Produce and share research outputs such as:
  • articles, preprints, prototypes or demonstrators,
  • documented datasets and, where possible, open data,
  • a scientific day or seminar to bring together the community.
• Work within a ULHN research laboratory (to be defined), benefiting from its scientific environment, facilities, and internal rules.
• Contribute to the scientific, educational, and territorial objectives of the “Polytechnic Campus for Maritime and Port Territories”, including interaction with socio-economic stakeholders in the maritime and port territory.

First-year expected outcomes

During the first year, the main tangible outcomes are:

• At least one submission to a competitive call for proposals.
• One scientific event (a themed day or a series of seminars that gathers the community).
• Visible deliverables (e.g. preprints, articles, prototypes/demonstrators, documented datasets), with simple quarterly progress tracking.

Profile of the candidate / Requirements

This position is open to candidates from all disciplines interested in maritime and port issues. Applications should demonstrate a genuine ability to work across disciplines and to integrate a socio-economic dimension into research (and, where relevant, teaching).

Required:

• PhD in a field relevant to maritime and port issues, for example (non-exhaustive list):
  • port economics and logistics,
  • port–city urban planning,
  • coastal engineering,
  • marine environment,
  • energy and decarbonisation,
  • data / AI and digital twins,
  • law and governance,
  • analytical chemistry or materials in marine environments, etc.
• Strong motivation to work in a team and to develop research projects.
• Demonstrated ability to structure and write competitive research proposals.
• Interest in dissemination through publications, seminars, and well-managed research data.
• Capacity to collaborate with territorial partners (city, port authority, companies, associations/NGOs).

Nice-to-have:

• International experience or international collaborations.
• Knowledge of port–city contexts and maritime territories.
• Proficiency with relevant scientific, analytical, or digital tools (depending on the discipline).

Why this role is attractive / Benefits

You will join an ambitious, Excellence-labelled PIA4 project (“ExcellenceS”) within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team. The position offers:

• a stimulating academic environment with modern infrastructure,
• strong institutional support to develop innovative research practices,
• access to a broad academic and socio-economic network, enabling real territorial impact,
• significant prospects for international professional development (through networks such as GU8, EUNICoast, and local initiatives like “Le Havre Smart Port City”),
• practical support for proposal development and knowledge transfer/valorisation,
• and potentially seed funding to initiate promising research directions.

Application procedure

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file titled:
LASTNAME_Firstname_maritime_ULHN.pdf

The application file must include:

• A detailed CV (including publications, projects, supervision if any). Please clearly indicate any competitive funding you have already obtained (name of the call, reference/number, title, date, amount) and explain your role in writing or assembling the proposal.
• what you would like to do at ULHN in relation to maritime and port issues,
• your main strengths and assets for this position,
• your needs in terms of support, data, infrastructure, or partnerships.
• your main idea and why it matters for the “Maritime and Port Issues” theme,
• a simple 12-month plan (3–5 steps with milestones),
• one or two target calls for proposals with a brief (two-line) rationale for each,
• the ULHN laboratory you wish to join (and why),
• the partners you plan to involve (city, port, companies, associations/NGOs), even at the intention stage.

Your project should:

• clearly address a current environmental, industrial, or societal challenge in the maritime and port territory,
• articulate how it connects with the work and research axes of one or more ULHN laboratories,
• show potential openings to external partnerships and to European/international dynamics (e.g. GU8, EUNICoast, Le Havre Smart Port City).

Additional comments (for “Additional information” or “Selection process” fields)

• The recruitment procedure is specific to, and internal to, the University of Le Havre Normandy.
• Shortlisted candidates may be invited to present their research project and to discuss their proposed 12-month plan with members of the project team and the host laboratory.
• The position is part of the strategic “Polytechnic Campus for Maritime and Port Territories” project and will involve regular interactions with local, regional, and international stakeholders in maritime and port issues.

Organisation / Company description (ULHN & Polytechnic Campus)

The University of Le Havre Normandy (ULHN) is a public multidisciplinary university located in the major port city of Le Havre, on the Normandy coast in France. ULHN has a strong and historic focus on maritime and port topics, combining engineering, environmental sciences, social sciences, law, and economics.

The “Polytechnic Campus for Maritime and Port Territories” is a strategic project that brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to address contemporary challenges faced by ports, coastal areas, and maritime cities. It aims to develop high-impact research, support innovation with socio-economic partners, and strengthen international collaborations around maritime and port issues.