Position funded under the PEPR Batteries program, HEAL B&B project​

Disciplines

COMUE-UGA: Communauté Université Grenoble Alpes 

CNRS: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/French National Centre for Scientific Research (Employer). 

Application deadline: December 31, 2025, 6:00 PM (CET) Duration: The postdoctoral Researcher position is for 12 months, with the possibility of 1-year extension. Start date: As soon as possible .

The postdoctoral researcher will work in the field of ionic and electronic conductors, electrolytes, and hybrid soft-matter separators for lithium-metal batteries. The candidate will contribute to a national project under the PEPR Batteries program (HEAL B&B project), focused on the development and investigation of innovative functional materials. The work will aim to understand their electrochemical, structural, and spectroscopic properties, with the goal of integrating them into next-generation lithium-metal batteries ​.

The postdoctoral researcher will work in the field of ionic and electronic conductors, electrolytes, and hybrid soft-matter separators for lithium-metal batteries. The main scientific questions involve the relationships between the local scale (nanostructure), the mesoscale (tortuosity), and intermediate scales (carrier residence times) with transport mechanisms, aiming to improve the performance of functional materials for lithium-metal battery applications. The candidate will contribute to a national project under the PEPR Batteries program (HEAL B&B project), focused on the development and investigation of innovative functional materials. The work will aim to understand their electrochemical, structural, and spectroscopic properties, for integration into next-generation lithium-metal batteries.

The candidate must hold a PhD in (electro-)chemistry, materials science, physics, or another relevant discipline related to functional soft matter. Previous experience in structural studies using synchrotron or neutron radiation and in the electrochemistry of functional materials is highly valued. As the project is primarily experimental, the candidate should be familiar with the use of various techniques, such as electrochemical and spectroscopic methods, and diffraction and scattering techniques, such as SAXS/WAXS, nanoXRD, or ptychography. A demonstrated ability to work independently, to operate beyond the traditional boundaries of chemistry and functional soft-matter physics, as well as excellent communication and scientific writing skills (in English), are as important as academic qualifications. The selected candidate should have a genuine interest in laboratory work and the use of large-scale facilities (EBS-ESRF), be motivated, autonomous, able to tackle new challenges, and demonstrate personal maturity.​

The UMR 5819 – SYMMES laboratory, a joint research unit (UMR) supported by CNRS, Grenoble-INP, CEA, and UGA (Université Grenoble Alpes), brings internationally recognized interdisciplinary expertise in (electro)chemistry, physics, and multiscale structure/property correlations through ex situ, in situ, and operando characterizations. These skills support both fundamental research and the development of key technologies on societally relevant topics, particularly zero-carbon energy (generation, conversion, and storage, in line with UN SDG 7: fuel cells, batteries, and (micro)supercapacitors). The SyMMES environment is collaborative and welcoming, offering a wide range of theoretical and experimental expertise and gathering numerous engaged early-career researchers​.

The complete application should be submitted on the dedicated CNRS website
For any questions, please contact:​ ​​Dr. Manuel Maréchal