Mechanical Engineer SOLEIL in Saint-Aubin

Located on the Paris-Saclay plateau, about 20 kilometers from the capital, the SOLEIL synchrotron is one of France’s leading research facilities.

Since it began operating in 2008, it has served the national and international scientific communities.

Research conducted at SOLEIL covers a wide range of scientific and industrial fields — including physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, environmental science, Earth sciences, and cultural and natural heritage — all connected to current societal challenges.

Experiments carried out on the beamlines rely on the use of synchrotron light emitted by electrons accelerated to nearly the speed of light within a storage ring.

SOLEIL is jointly supervised by the CNRS and the CEA and offers its staff a dynamic, innovative, multidisciplinary, and international working environment.

At the forefront of technology, SOLEIL IIis an ambitious project designed to provide new opportunities for scientific and industrial research.

SOLEIL II consists of a major upgrade of the existing infrastructure and aims to significantly improve the performance of electron accelerators and beamlines.

It is designed to address major current and future societalchallenges, particularly in areas such as advanced materials research, energy and sustainable development, health and well-being, and the environment.

Construction work on the SOLEIL II project began in 2024, marking the start of a phase of development and technological innovation.

In parallel, the existing facility will remain operational until May 2029.

SOLEIL II is scheduled to start operations in 2030, with a gradual ramp-up phase continuing until 2035.

I. Context and mission

Manage projects from definition and design through to manufacturing and commissioning of complex, specialized experimental devices for the SOLEIL synchrotron’s beamlines and accelerators.

II. Responsibilities and tasks

Project design development

• Lead and monitor the mechanical aspects of scientific instrumentation projects, from the study phase through to commissioning;
• Develop the project in line with the specifications defined by the requester;
• Define the resources required (human, technical, financial, scheduling) for the successful execution of the project and adjust resources as needed;
• Lead meetings with the project team to make decisions and allocate resources according to the various constraints;
• Advise the project team on mechanical technical aspects;
• Assess risks that may arise during project execution.

Project coordinating

• Supervise and coordinate the work of internal and/or external contributors (service providers, subcontractors) as part of the mechanical study;
• Provide functional and technical support throughout the project to the teams responsible for implementation;
• Monitor and control project progress, schedule execution and budget compliance through regular reviews with all partners: progress presentations, milestone validation, etc.
• Contribution to the development of commercial proposals and contract follow-up:
• Analyze the requester’s needs and expectations in order to propose suitable technical and financial solutions;
• Contribute to the project’s feasibility studies, by drafting specifications and maintenance contracts;
• Present and justify the technical choices made for the project to the requester.

Identifying new opportunities

• Carry out technical and financial analysis;
• Take part in conferences or trade shows related to the company’s field of activity.
• III. profile
• You hold an engineering degree in mechanics, with a specialization in design;
• You have at least 7 years of professional experience in similar fields, ideally in precision mechanics;
• You have a solid command of industrial drawing principles, manufacturing processes and materials;
• You are proficient in an advanced 3D CAD software package;
• You are able to perform structural and thermal sizing calculations using finite element analysis software;
• You have a good command of technical English/French;
• You are recognized for your autonomy and organizational skills;
• You enjoy teamwork and contribute to a good working atmosphere.

Salary range

The salary range is indicative. For less than 5 years of experience or more than 15 years of experience, the salary may be lower or higher.

IV. Working conditions

This is a long -term contract. The position is based in Saint-Aubin (Essonne), at the SOLEIL Synchrotron.

If you are looking for a position in a company built on the pillars of scientific excellence and technological innovation, SOLEIL offers you the opportunity to:

• Work within an innovative, multidisciplinary, and multicultural research laboratory.
• Be at the heart of the research and development dynamics of the Paris-Saclay cluster.
• Collaborate with national and international experts across diverse scientific and technical fields.
• Take advantage of Paris being only 25 km away, offering rich cultural experiences and a vibrant lifestyle.
• Undertake short trips within France or Europe.

Benefits

• 26 days of paid leave + up to 2 additional split days + 23 RTT days per full year of work, for a 40-hour working week.
• Mandatory complementary health insurance, basic plan, costing €20.35 per month for the employee, with the employer contribution amounting to €203.53, corresponding to 90% of the contribution, including coverage for household members, spouse and children.
• Optional supplementary health insurance is available for €28.43 for the household, spouse and children.
• Access to a provident insurance scheme, which complements the benefits of the mandatory French social security schemes.

It compensates for loss of income if the insured person is unable to work, helping to maintain their and their family’s standard of living in difficult circumstances: death, incapacity for work or disability resulting from illness or accident.

• Possibility of opening a CET, time savings account, after one year of seniority.

The CET allows employees to save acquired time-off rights, expressed in days, in order to compensate leave, buy back pension contribution quarters, contribute to a company savings plan, PEE, and/or a collective retirement savings plan, PERCO, and monetize acquired days.

Contributions to the PERCO are matched by SOLEIL.

• Company restaurant on the SOLEIL site, with subsidized meals according to the applicable salary scale, with an employee cost of approximately €3.30 to €6.75.
• Family benefits depending on different situations: family salary supplement, additional days granted in certain situations, marriage and birth bonuses, etc.
• Social and cultural activities offered by the SOLEIL CSE.
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