Research engineer F/M Stochastic modelling, mathematical analysis and numerical simulation of oceanic flow, small-scale dynamics, wave-current interaction

Research engineer F/M Stochastic modelling, mathematical analysis and numerical simulation of oceanic flow, small-scale dynamics, wave-current interaction Download job offer in PDF format Contract type : Fixed-term contract Level of qualifications required : PhD or equivalent Fonction : Temporary scientific engineer Level of experience : Recently graduated About the research centre or Inria department The Inria Centre at Rennes University is one of Inria's nine centres and has more than thirty research teams. The Inria Centre is a major and recognized player in the field of digital sciences. It is at the heart of a rich R&D and innovation ecosystem: highly innovative PMEs, large industrial groups, competitiveness clusters, research and higher education players, laboratories of excellence, technological research institute, etc. Context The Odyssey team is offering a 12 month position on ocean modelling within the ERC Stuod (Stochastic transport in ocean dynamics). Odyssey (for Ocean DYnamicS obSErvation analYsis) is a recently created team involving researchers from Inria (Rennes, France), Ifremer (Brest) and IMT Atlantique (Brest). Inria is one of the leading research institute in Computer Sciences in France, and Odyssey is also affiliated to the mathematics research institute of the Rennes University (IRMAR). The team expertise encompasses mathematical (stochastic) and numerical modelling of ocean flows, observational and physical oceanography, data assimilation and machine learning. Gathering this large panel of skills, the team aims at improving our understanding, reconstruction and forecasting of ocean dynamics, and more specifically to bridge model-driven and observation-driven paradigms to develop and learn novel representations of the coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics ocean models. Assignment For accurate climatic predictions, it is essential to have plausible forecasts of the future ocean state. Ideally, high-resolution ocean simulations would be used for this purpose. However, due to their associated computational costs, this approach is currently infeasible, and we must rely only on large-scale ocean representations. To address this challenge and the urgent need to generate various likely scenarios, there has been a growing interest in geophysical sciences and climate studies in developing flow models that incorporate noise to account for modelling uncertainties or errors. The introduction of noise into ocean dynamics models must be done on a theoretically rigorous ground. Ad-hoc choices for model noise can fundamentally disrupt the corresponding fluid dynamics models, leading to unrealistic properties. Rigorously justified methodologies for deriving stochastic dynamics models have been recently introduced in the Odyssey team within the ERC STUOD and a longstanding collaboration with Imperial College and Ifremer. The theoretical framework on which we rely, referred to as "modelling under location uncertainty", decomposes the flow in terms of a resolved smooth component and a rapidly oscillating random component.The stochastic dynamics is then defined from a stochastic representation of the Reynolds transport theorem.From this modelling principle, stochastic equivalents of the classical geophysical flow models can be defined. A set of models ranging from multi-layers quasi-geostrophic models to primitive equations have been in this way defined and numerically implemented. Ensemble data assimilation are currently under development as well as simplified ocean atmosphere coupled models. The present post-doc position aims to explore the mathematical analysis of a variational formalism [3], recently proposed by A. Debussche and E. Mémin for the incompressible Euler equation, to infer a dynamics for the noise term, and more specifically, the correlation tensor involved in the definition of the small-scale component. The objective will be to extend this methodology to ocean dynamics and to study theoretically the corresponding system of equations. The second objective will be to explore more specifically such a system for wave-current interaction description. This post-doc will complement the theoretical efforts of the team on oceanic dynamics recently performed in [1,2] 1 A Debussche, É Mémin, A Moneyron, Interpretation of stochastic primitive equations with relaxed hydrostatic assumption as a higher order approximation of 3D stochastic Navier-Stokes arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.04422 2 A Debussche, É Mémin, Antoine Moneyron, Stochastic interpretations of the oceanic primitive equations with relaxed hydrostatic assumptions. Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Natur, 2026 3 A Debussche, E Mémin, Variational principles for fully coupled stochastic fluid dynamics across scales Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena 481, 134777, 2025 Main activities This position will take place in the Odyssey group in Rennes, and will collaborate with Arnaud Debussche and Etienne Mémin. Skills The candidate should have a solid background in applied mathematics and in fluid dynamics dynamics. He/She should have knowledge on stochastic parameterization. She/he must have a good knowledge of Fortran, Python, Pytorch. Benefits package • Subsidized meals • Partial reimbursement of public transport costs • Possibility of teleworking (90 days per year) and flexible organization of working hours • Partial payment of insurance costs Remuneration Starting from €2,695 gross per month, based on your experience Apply for this position Share • Facebook • Linkedin • Twitter • Email General Information • Theme/Domain : Earth, Environmental and Energy Sciences Biologie et santé, Sciences de la vie et de la terre (BAP A) • Town/city : Rennes • Inria Center : Centre Inria de l'Université de Rennes • Starting date : 2026-09-01 • Duration of contract : 12 months • Deadline to apply : 2026-09-21 Warning : you must enter your e-mail address in order to save your application to Inria. Applications must be submitted online on the Inria website. Processing of applications sent from other channels is not guaranteed. Instruction to apply Please submit online : your resume, cover letter and letters of recommendation eventually Defence Security : This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST).Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment. Recruitment Policy : As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities. Contacts • Inria Team : ODYSSEY • Recruiter : Memin Etienne / etienne.memin@inria.fr The keys to success The candidate will work within an international collaboration. This will include in particular regular meetings and the writing of short regular reports on the advance oh his/her his work. She/he must be fluent in english. About Inria Inria, the French national institute for research in digital science and technology, supports the French government in national research and innovation strategies in the digital field, acting as Digital Programs Agency. Inria leads over 300 research and innovation projects with its 3,500 scientists, engineers, and support staff, in partnership with universities and the digital ecosystem (businesses, entrepreneurs, and public stakeholders). Together, we explore strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, cloud technologies, digital transformation in healthcare, digital twins, and digital technologies for defence. We develop practical solutions such as software, tech startups, partnerships with national companies, and cutting-edge training programmes. Our goal is to drive scientific, technological, and industrial excellence to ensure France’s digital sovereignty.