About the Role
Company: INRAE Occitanie-Toulouse
Presentation of INRAE
The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a public research establishment bringing together around 12,000 staff across 272 research, service, and experimental units located in 18 centers throughout France. INRAE is among the world’s leading institutions in agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences. Its research aims to develop solutions for multi-performing agriculture, high-quality food, and the sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.
Work Environment, Missions, and Activities
You will be hosted at the UMR AMAP laboratory in Montpellier, as part of the European FLLORA project focused on the restoration and adaptation of forest and freshwater ecosystems. Your work will focus on French Alpine catchments to better understand sediment origins and their transfer pathways to watercourses.
Your mission will be to develop and apply a method integrating environmental DNA (eDNA), spatial analyses, and hydrological data to identify sediment source zones and map preferential erosion transfer pathways.
Key Responsibilities Include:
Field Campaigns in the Alps:
- Selecting sampling sites, collecting soil and sediment samples, conducting environmental surveys, and ensuring proper sample preservation and traceability.
Molecular Analyses:
- Performing eDNA extraction, PCR amplification, library preparation, and coordinating/performing high-throughput sequencing.
Bioinformatics Pipeline Implementation and Adaptation:
- Conducting quality control, sequence processing, taxonomic assignment, and plant community analysis.
eDNA Signature Comparison:
- Comparing eDNA signatures from sediments and potential source zones, while evaluating methodological uncertainties and limitations.
Data Integration and Spatial Mapping:
- Integrating eDNA results with GIS, topographic, hydrological, and sediment connectivity data to produce maps of sediment sources and transfer pathways.
Documentation and Dissemination:
- Documenting methods and data, presenting results to project partners, and contributing to scientific deliverables and publications.
Note: Fieldwork involves multi-day trips to the French Alps, sometimes under variable weather conditions. Laboratory work (molecular biology) and computer-based analysis will also be part of the routine.
Education and Skills Required
PhD or Engineering School Degree
Recommended background: PhD or advanced degree in molecular ecology, molecular biology, environmental sciences, or a related field, complemented by skills in geomatics and/or hydrology.
Preferred knowledge: eDNA and metabarcoding, PCR and high-throughput sequencing; bioinformatics and statistical analyses; GIS, erosion processes, hydrology, and sediment connectivity.
Desirable experience: Leading field campaigns, eDNA analyses, developing or using bioinformatics pipelines (R/Python), and mapping (QGIS/ArcGIS). Experience working in mountain environments is a plus.
Key competencies: Autonomy, rigor, and organizational skills.
Quality of Life at INRAE
By joining INRAE, you will benefit (depending on contract type and duration) from:
Up to 30 days of annual leave + 15 compensatory time-off days (for full-time employment)
Professional development programs: training, career guidance
50% coverage of your contribution to the collective health insurance plan
Parental support: childcare vouchers (CESU), leisure activities support
Social assistance: counseling, advice, and social aid/loans
Leisure and vacation benefits: vacation vouchers, preferential-rate accommodations
Sports and cultural activities
On-site cafeteria services
Application Process
Submit your CV and motivation letter.
Public Service Status
As a public research establishment, INRAE is subject to the French Civil Service Code, including obligations of neutrality and respect for secularism (laïcité). As such, all staff—whether or not in public-facing roles—must refrain from manifesting personal religious, philosophical, or political beliefs through behavior or attire while performing their duties.
Learn more: fonction publique.gouv.fr (https://www.fonction-publique.gouv.fr)