Contract Research Professor Coastal Engineering

Institution

The École nationale des ponts et chaussées is a higher education and research institution. Its areas of excellence include mechanics, civil engineering, materials science, applied mathematics, computer science and data science, climate and the environment, urban planning, transportation and mobility, economics, and sociology.

Under the supervision of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and operating as an EPSCP (public institution of a scientific, cultural, and professional nature), its missions include initial and continuing education, research, the dissemination of knowledge, technology transfer to economic sectors, and support for business creation. Its activities are conducted at both the national and international levels.

With a staff of 450, it is primarily organized around an Education and Research division (12 laboratories, 2,000 students, and 2,000 faculty members) and another division that brings together the resources and services necessary to fulfill its primary mission of education and research.

Since its founding in 1747, the oldest engineering school has consistently remained at the forefront of innovation in the organization and content of its programs, in constant alignment with research of recognized excellence that it aims to leverage for added value.

Since September 2023, it has been working with all its stakeholders to develop its new strategic plan, Les Ponts Ambition 2030, with the goal of becoming a world-class research and training center on issues related to the ecological transition, building on and expanding its long history of contributing to the transitions that have shaped societies on a global scale.

Background and

Job Description

In January 2025, ENPC, in partnership with ENSTA, launched an international master’s program called “OFFWIND.” This master’s program focuses on careers in offshore wind energy and leads to a degree in the Energy track from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. The master’s program also includes a doctoral track, primarily funded by industrial partners. The first year of the master’s program brings students together on the Parisian campuses of ENSTA in Palaiseau and ENPC in Champ-sur-Marne. The second year takes place on ENSTA’s Brest campus.

In this context, ENPC is recruiting a Lecturer-Researcher (EC) in oceanography or coastal engineering, specializing in coastal risks (erosion and/or flooding). The Faculty Member will conduct research at the Saint-Venant Hydraulics Laboratory (LHSV), teach and supervise students at École nationale des ponts et chaussées or Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IPP).

Teaching Responsibilities

In collaboration with the director of the Offwind Master’s program and the Civil Engineering and Construction Department at ENPC, the successful candidate will have academic responsibility for the Offwind Master’s program at ENPC. They will oversee the implementation of the M1 courses in the Offwind track offered at ENPC (1 course in the first semester and 7 courses in the second semester), participate in the track’s governing bodies (curriculum development committees, admissions panels), monitor student progress, and may participate in teaching certain courses.

Research mission

The candidate will propose a research project that aligns with the LHSV’s strategy. Research topics may include open-surface hydrodynamics, stratified flows, coastal and shoreline morphodynamics, and fluid-structure interactions in the marine environment.

The candidate will have a solid understanding of coastal physics, including wave hydrodynamics, sediment transport, morphological evolution, and mathematical modeling of flows. Experience in numerical simulation and/or experimentation (laboratory testing) will be particularly valued.

The candidate will demonstrate proficiency in the analysis of in situ and/or remote sensing data, the development of numerical models, and technological innovation to improve the resilience of coastal and/or littoral zones to natural hazards. In addition, the research project will draw on recognized expertise in one of these fields to complement ongoing research activities at the LHSV and in other laboratories at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (including ENPC) in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Centers (CIMO
- —Interdisciplinary Center for Seas and Oceans—, E4C —Energy4Climate—, and Hi Paris for artificial intelligence and data analysis).

The candidate will demonstrate a commitment to advancing knowledge of coastal processes and their impact on coastal risks (erosion, flooding). In particular, wave-structure interactions are a key component of processes in coastal and/or littoral zones, with significant economic, societal, and environmental implications. Research conducted to better predict coastal processes—from local to regional and multi-year spatio-temporal scales—will contribute to the Minist