Job Title: Postdoctoral Position (M/F) in sociology of science and technology applied to milieu-oriented design

Job Description

Missions

Join the CH₂EESE project (https://www.cnrs-imn.fr/en/projects-collaborations/academic-projects/ch2eese-project/), an interdisciplinary initiative aiming to valorize dairy effluents into green hydrogen and high-value molecules through innovative photo(electro)catalytic processes. The successful candidate will contribute to the development and implementation of a milieu-oriented design approach applied to this technology (see for instance: https://hal.science/hal-04590726v1). Their role will involve analyzing the conditions for integrating this innovation into agricultural, industrial, territorial, and energy environments, to guide its conception and development.

The candidate will receive daily support from Clément Maheu (IMN, Nantes) and regular, sustained collaboration with Nicolas Brault (InTerACT, Beauvais). Scientific supervision will also be provided by Nicolas Simoncini (UTBM, Sevenans), a specialist in the sociology and history of hydrogen and energy. The position will be primarily based in Nantes and the Pays de la Loire region, with occasional travel to Beauvais to work alongside Nicolas Brault and colleagues.

Activity

The successful candidate will conduct ethnographic fieldwork to identify stakeholders in the dairy and energy sectors, including farmers, dairy and cheese industry representatives, industrial actors, local authorities, energy professionals, and associations. Through interviews, observations, and documentary analysis, they will study the practices, constraints, expectations, and values of these actors to understand how the innovation could align with the social, economic, and environmental realities of the regions involved.

They will also analyze the deployment conditions for the innovation by mapping the dairy processing ecosystem in Pays de la Loire and their effluent management practices. Additionally, they will assess the regional hydrogen ecosystem to identify opportunities, constraints, and potential synergies for integrating the CH₂EESE process. This analysis will provide insights to guide the scientific and technical choices of the consortium based on field realities.

She/he will develop the milieu-oriented approach. In close collaboration with teams from social sciences, materials science, chemistry, and process engineering, the candidate will contribute to developing a framework for interactions between technological innovation and its implementation environments. They will document the potential effects of the technology on stakeholders, organizations, and territories, as well as the transformations these environments could induce in the design of the technology itself. They will also contribute to formulating recommendations to integrate social, territorial, and environmental dimensions into the design process.

The candidate will actively participate in the scientific life of the project, fostering exchanges between disciplines. They may organize or support field visits, workshops, or shared observation sessions to help consortium members better understand the realities of the dairy and energy sectors.

Finally, the candidate will ensure data management and traceability, contribute to scientific reports, prepare presentations for project partners, and produce academic publications and conference presentations. Depending on their profile and interests, they may also engage in science communication activities to promote the project's results and the milieu-oriented design approach to diverse audiences.

Your Profil

Skills

Training: Ph.D. holder in sociology of science and technology, sociology of innovation, anthropology of science and technology, history or philosophy of science and technology, or a related field with qualitative research methods and a focus on technology and innovation.

Scientific skills: They should have proficiency in qualitative methods such as interviews, participant observation, ethnography, and documentary analysis. Experience with quantitative or mixed methods, as well as skills in territorial analysis, cartography, or GIS, would be an asset.

Transversal skills: a strong aptitude for interdisciplinarity and scientific curiosity about natural sciences and engineering, organizational skills to work autonomously, adaptability, and a collaborative spirit to interact with a multidisciplinary consortium. Excellent writing skills for reports and presentations, as well as proficiency in scientific English, are required. Communication skills to promote the consortium's work through physical or digital media are welcome. The successful candidate must be fluent in spoken and written French and hold a Class B driver's license in order to travel throughout the Pays de la Loire region and interact with its stakeholders without restrictions. Professional or personal familiarity with rural environments, farming, or agricultural networks would be a plus.

We strongly encourage applications from motivated individuals, even if their profile does not perfectly match all criteria. We believe that scientific knowledge can be quickly acquired when the right mindset and motivation are present.

Your Work Environment

Work Context: The candidate will be hosted at the Institut des Matériaux de Nantes Jean Rouxel (IMN, UMR 6502), a leading laboratory in materials science with over 220 researchers and support staff working on innovative materials for energy transition and environmental preservation. Although the position is in social sciences and humanities, the candidate will work in an environment primarily composed of natural sciences and engineering researchers, offering a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration.
The role includes regular interactions with the InTerACT research unit in Beauvais. A multi-week stay at the beginning of the contract will allow the candidate to train in milieu-oriented design alongside Nicolas Brault and his colleagues. Fieldwork will focus on dairy, agricultural, and hydrogen stakeholders in Pays de la Loire, using methods such as interviews, observations, site visits, and workshops.
The candidate will also complete an immersion period at the UniLaSalle experimental farm in Beauvais to gain firsthand experience with dairy farming, production flows, and byproduct management, enriching the reflection on hydrogen production from whey.

Project Context: The candidate will join the CH₂EESE consortium, which brings together social sciences, materials science, catalysis, and process engineering to design innovative energy solutions from dairy effluent valorization. Funded by the CNRS, Nantes Université, and the Pays de la Loire Region, the project aligns with current priorities in ecological transition, circular economy, and hydrogen development. The position offers high visibility in scientific, institutional, and territorial contexts.

Constraints and risks

No specific risks have been identified, aside from becoming passionate for interdisciplinary research. Frequent day trips for fieldwork and longer trips for training, meetings, and conferences are to be expected.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Between €3,071.50 and €4,258.87 gross/month, depending on experience

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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