Postdoctoral Researcher SAACD Project - Complex Autonomous and Self-Adaptive Defence Systems - CDD 15 month - IMT Mines Alès

Come join IMT Mines Alès, a prestigious “grande école” ranked among the top engineering schools both nationally and globally, located in Alès—a welcoming, livable city and the capital of the Cévennes region, where residents highly value the quality of life.

Founded in 1843, IMT Mines Alès currently has 1,400 students (including 250 international students) and 380 staff members. The school has three high-level scientific and technological research and teaching centers, working in the fields of materials and civil engineering (C2MA), the environment and risk (CREER), and artificial intelligence and industrial and digital engineering (CERIS). It has 12 technology platforms and 1,600 partner companies. For more information: https://www.imt-mines-ales.fr

You will be based at the Center for Education and Research in Computer Science and Systems (CERIS) at IMT Mines Alès and will be part of the SyCoIA research team.

You will be involved in the Trusted Autonomous and Self-Adaptive Systems for Defense (SAACD) project, which aims to overhaul the engineering and development of this type of complex system. This project will involve formalizing and integrating contributions from: model-based systems engineering (MBSE), pattern-based systems engineering (PBSE), and data-driven approaches; frugal, embedded, trustworthy AI (explainable and robust); and advanced modeling, simulation, and optimization techniques in a complex, uncertain environment for the design of a SAACD.

The work approach is structured into four successive and iterative phases, enabling the demonstration of the SAACD project’s feasibility.

You will therefore be involved in each phase:

Phase 1 – Definition and modeling of use cases: M1–M3

Phase 2 – AI-as-a-Service for engineering: M4–M8

Phase 3 – Trusted, resource-efficient embedded AI (AI-as-a-Component): M6–M11

Phase 4 – Integration, demonstration, and validation using digital twins: M10–M16

You can find more information in the job description below:

https://partage.imt.fr/index.php/s/Sonxoj5os7JCMSr

Required skills, knowledge, and experience:

You will receive support in developing your skills by leveraging your experience in at least one, and preferably several, of the following R&D areas:

• Modeling and simulation of the uncertain environment in which a component SAACD or SdS operates

• Explainable AI (knowledge of the latest advances in explainability methods: intrinsic, simplification, counterfactual, etc.)

• Robust AI (knowledge of methods for quantifying uncertainty in deep learning or formal verification methods applied to deep learning)

• Embedded and therefore resource-efficient AI

• Reinforcement learning, supervised and unsupervised learning

• Distributed/decentralized control: synchronization, coordination, adaptation, for example using multi-agent systems

• Decision support under uncertainty

Minimum required education and/or experience:

• Doctorate in CNU sections 61 or 27

• Ability to contribute to at least one of the research topics listed above and relevant to the project

• Experience in research and development (industrial and/or academic, other than that related to the dissertation itself)

Additional information:

15-month fixed-term contract under public law - Position open to civil servants and contract employees

Information for internal use by staff on the IMT Management Framework:

Reference job category for the position: II - P

This position is open to all. IMT Mines Alès is committed to providing the necessary accommodations for people with disabilities to ensure an inclusive and accessible work environment.

Salary: €35,400 gross annually.

Application deadline: July 5, 2026

Estimated date of the selection committee meeting: July 23, 2026

Desired start date: October 1, 2026

We strongly recommend contacting the individuals listed below regarding the “job description” section.

Contacts:

Regarding the job description:

Jacky MONTMAIN, Director of CERIS, jacky.montmain@mines-ales.fr

Vincent CHAPURLAT, SAACD Project Manager, vincent.chapurlat@mines-ales.fr

Regarding administrative matters:

Géraldine BRUNEL, Director of Human Resources, geraldine.brunel@mines-ales.fr

So join us and enjoy these many benefits:

• Generous vacation time

• On-site dining

• 75% of public transportation costs covered

• Sustainable mobility allowance for carpooling or biking

• Stimulating innovation ecosystem (startups, students, research, companies...)

• Ideal environment for pursuing your passions (sea/mountains nearby)