Postdoc in sociology, management or ergonomics

A leading general engineering school within IMT (Institut Mines-Télécom), the number one group of engineering schools in France, IMT Atlantique aims to support transitions and train responsible engineers. We place scientific and technical excellence at the service of education, research, and innovation.

The position is hosted within the Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences (DI2S), which brings together faculty members and researchers in management sciences, sociology, economics, and law. On the Nantes campus, research focuses on the analysis of transformations in organizations and occupations within sociotechnical systems. Three areas of investigation are given particular emphasis: industry, healthcare, and the environment. The successful candidate will be affiliated with LEMNA (Laboratoire d’Économie et de Management Nantes Atlantique).

More specifically, the position will be attached to the RESOH Research Chair (Research on Safety, Organizations and People). Research at the interface of sociology and management studies focuses on the functioning of high-risk organizations. Starting from an analysis of work and work organization, the research aims to shed light on the socio-organizational, managerial, and institutional dimensions that contribute to, or hinder, the maintenance of a level of reliability compatible with safety and production requirements.

The Chair’s research is conducted in close collaboration with industrial and institutional partners. It aims not only to produce scientific knowledge, but also to foster discussion, appropriation, and use of this knowledge by the stakeholders concerned.

MISSIONS

Working in collaboration with all faculty members and researchers within the team, both permanent and affiliated, the postdoctoral researcher will:

1-    Contribute to empirical research and scientific production

2-    Contribute to the team’s collective research and intellectual activities

3-    Participate in coordination meetings and feedback sessions

4-    Disseminate and promote the knowledge and research findings produced by the team

ACTIVITIES:

1. Contribute to empirical research and scientific production

   • Conduct a literature review on topics related to the Chair’s research.

   • Contribute to the design of research protocols, in particular by proposing sites and activities to be studied, as well as interview and/or observation guides.

   • Conduct part of the documentary analysis of high-risk industrial sectors (nuclear, petrochemical).

   • Participate in data collection within partner organizations using qualitative research methods:

     • conduct semi-structured interviews with staff members (senior executives, managers, engineers, technicians, operators);

     • conduct direct, non-participant observations of work activities on selected sites;

     • keep observation field notes and prepare other documents to support the sharing of observations;

     • prepare and, where appropriate, participate in focus groups.

   • Contribute to the transcription and processing of interviews, including manual and/or software-assisted analysis, and to data analysis.

   • Contribute to the analysis of interim feedback sessions conducted by the research team with the relevant staff members.

2. Contribute to the team’s collective research activities

   • Actively contribute to the team’s research meetings and to the research seminars organized by the Chair, both within the RESOH team and with its partners.

3. Participate in team coordination meetings and feedback sessions with partner organizations

   • These activities may take place at the national level and, depending on the fieldwork sites, locally.

   • Prepare materials for feedback and reporting sessions.

   • Participate in team discussions.

   • Write reports/minutes of feedback sessions with research participants.

4. Disseminate and promote knowledge and research findings

   • Prepare papers and presentations for national and/or international conferences.

   • Contribute to the organization of, and participate in, scientific events organized by the team (e.g., workshops or study days).

   • Contribute to the writing of academic and public-facing research publications.

Minimum education and/or experience required:

• PhD obtained less than three years prior to the date of appointment, in sociology, management sciences, or ergonomics.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Good knowledge of one or more of the following areas: work, organization, management tools, Science and Technology Studies (STS), human resources.

• Strong command of qualitative research methods, with previous experience conducting one or more case studies (semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, focus groups).

• Excellent command of French, in order to conduct interviews during fieldwork with members of partner organizations.

• Relevant research experience related to the project, together with an openness to interdisciplinary academic collaboration.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of the literature on high-risk organizations, organizational reliability or resilience, and sociotechnical approaches.

• An interest in, and knowledge of, the industrial sector would be an advantage.

• Experience using qualitative data analysis tools (such as NVivo) and bibliographic reference-management software (such as Zotero).

Abilities and skills:

• Excellent writing skills.

• Strong organizational skills.

• Ability to work independently when conducting fieldwork.

• Ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary and multi-site research team.

• Strong interest in technical issues, as the project is firmly focused on industrial settings in which technology plays a central role. The successful candidate will work with researchers in sociology and management sciences, as well as interact closely with engineers and technicians.

• Sufficient proficiency in English to engage with the English-language scientific literature.

WHY JOIN IMT ATLANTIQUE?

👉 A premier research environment: Join IMT Atlantique, France’s leading engineering school, and contribute to the innovative work of the RESOH Chair on high-risk organizations, in collaboration with industrial and institutional partners.

👉 Stimulating intellectual challenges: Participate in empirical investigations, analyze qualitative data, and contribute to scientific production within an interdisciplinary framework combining sociology, management, and ergonomics.

👉 A concrete impact on society: Valorize research findings by making them accessible to socio-economic stakeholders, and influence organizational practices in key sectors such as industry, healthcare, and the environment.

BENEFITS :

🥗 On-site cafeteria

🏃‍♀️ Leisure and sports offers

🚌 Public transport subsidies

🚴‍♂️ Sustainable mobility package (for carpooling or cycling)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family allowance

💶 Wide range of social benefits

🖥️ Partial teleworking possible

🌴 Generous leave package

 REMUNERATION :

💰 Indicative salary: €35,800 gross per year, depending on profile and experience (reduced employee social security contributions in the public sector).

 CONTACT INFORMATION :

o    job content: Stéphanie TILLEMENT – Associate professor in sociology : stephanie.tillement@imt-atlantique.fr

o    administrative/HR aspects: Mélissandre MORVAN – Recruitment Assistant: melissandre.morvan@imt-atlantique.fr

Application Deadline:October 23, 2026

Contract Start Date: January 1, 2027

Interviews: Rolling basis

Legal Notices :

• Nature and Duration of the Contract: Fixed-term contract (CDD) of 18 months under public law or secondment for civil servants, renewable.

• Job Location: IMT Atlantique, Nantes campus – Nantes : 4 rue Alfred Kastler – La Chantrerie, 44307

• Internal Use Only:

  • Job Category: II P

• The positions offered are open to all applicants, with accommodations available upon request for candidates with disabilities.

• This position is open to civil servants and/or contract employees.

• Any application may be subject to an administrative investigation.