RESEARCH ENGINEER IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING – DIGITAL TWINS AND SMART PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

We are seeking a research engineer specialising in industrial engineering to work on the Quatrium ‘Industry of the Future’ acceleration platform project within the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Roberval Laboratory.

Missions

• To develop and organise research activities centred on the Quatrium platform, particularly regarding the design and operation of a digital twin of a connected industrial workshop, with a view to exploring new approaches to smart control, optimisation and resilience in production systems.

• Contribute to the design, testing and validation of innovative methods (digital twins, simulation, artificial intelligence), whilst ensuring their transfer to industrial demonstrators.

Principal activities

• Design and develop a digital twin of the Quatrium platform, synchronised with the actual equipment (machines, cobots, AGVs, information systems)

• Define and implement multi-level models incorporating the geometry, physics and behaviour of production systems, as well as management rules and scheduling constraints

• Develop and test advanced control approaches (dynamic scheduling, discrete-event simulation, optimisation under constraints, reinforcement learning) for decision-making in uncertain environments

• Design experimental scenarios and demonstrators based on research findings

• Participate in the integration and development of the platform’s equipment (robotics, conveyor systems, AGVs, information systems)

• Evaluate the performance of the proposed approaches (robustness, responsiveness, overall efficiency)

• Implement and oversee demonstrations

• Liaise with industrial and academic partners

• Contribute to the dissemination of results (scientific publications, conferences, workshops, Quatrium events)

• Participate in technology watch and the development of the platform to meet the needs of industry

• Anticipate changes and their business impacts, and propose application developments (functional or technical)

ADDITIONAL information

Application dates

From 04/11/2026 to 03/12/2026

Contract type and anticipated starting date

Fixed-term contract – immediate start, ending on 30/06/2029

Gross monthly salary

Depending on experience and funding

Hours

37 hours and 30 minutes per week – 1,607 hours per year

Work environment and context

The successful candidate will be based in the Mechanical Engineering (IM) department and the Roberval Laboratory. They will form part of the ‘Integrated Systems: Product-Process’ team and contribute to the development of research topics centred on digital twins, smart control and Industry 5.0.

This recruitment is part of the Quatrium project, funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) , the Hauts-de-France region, UTC and the UTC Foundation. The Quatrium platform aims to support SMEs and mid-cap companies in their digital transformation towards more sustainable and resilient industrial systems. It also serves as an experimental platform for research into smart production systems.

The successful candidate will be required to liaise very regularly with the project’s partners and, more generally, with the various stakeholders involved in the project. They must be able to adapt effectively to different people and demonstrate professionalism in both written and oral communication. Occasional travel will be required as part of the project to attend meetings and events in the Hauts-de-France region.

Skills

• Modelling of production systems

• Knowledge of Industry 4.0 technologies

• Knowledge of optimisation, scheduling or artificial intelligence

• Ability to work as part of a team

• Ability to persuade

• Ability to anticipate and take the initiative

Qualifications, training and accreditation

Engineering degree; a PhD would be an advantage

Field: industrial engineering or mechanical engineering

Experience

Professional experience desirable