Research Scientist In Physics Of Measurement By Satellite Remote-Sensing At The Air-SEA·ice Interface M - F H/F - Ifremer

Join Ifremer, an ally of planetary well-being, to gain a better understanding of and better protection for the ocean.

From the abyss to the surface, from the coast to the open SEA, Ifremer is the French research institute that is wholly dedicated to the Ocean. Its teams carry out research, innovate and produce expert reports to protect the ocean, exploit its resources in a responsible manner and shares marine data.

Ifremer contributes its scientific expertise to throw light on public policies and develops solutions drawn from the ocean to meet the challenges of the ecological transition. Ifremer is the operator of France's oceanographic fleet with its shipbuilding subsidiary Genavir, and imagines, designs and deploys leading edge technological means to solve the ocean's mysteries.

Join our teams, made up of 1500 scientists and research support staff, present all along the coastal areas of France and French overseas territories.

www.ifremer.frDeadline for applications : 18/01/2026

Who are we?

The Laboratory for Ocean Physics and Satellite Remote Sensing (LOPS) is a Joint Research Unit under the supervision of Ifremer (Oceanography and Ecosystem Dynamics department), CNRS, IRD, and the University of Western Brittany (UBO), and is part of European Institute for Marine studies (IUEM). LOPS conducts and contributes to research programs on ocean dynamics across multiple scales, and on interactions between the ocean and the Earth system (atmosphere, climate, ice, ecosystems).

Within LOPS, the SIAM (Satellites and Air-Sea Interface) team studies the physical processes at the air-sea-ice interface and their interactions (energy fluxes, winds, waves, currents, surface structure, etc.), and aims to understand and process satellite measurement data from ocean observations (e.g. development of algorithms and data analysis methods). The team produces advanced and specific datasets that enable it to address high-stakes scientific questions such as the mechanisms of coupling at the air-sea interface, the study of climate change using long series, and a better understanding of extreme events such as cyclones. The team is also working on new methods for measuring and/or processing satellite data, thereby contributing to the design of new measurement concepts and preparing future innovative missions by space agencies.

High-resolution observation of ocean dynamics (~1 to 500 m) is and will remain a major challenge over the next decade. The SIAM team, with its unique experience, wishes to strengthen its commitment in this field. A critical area of expertise for analysing future space missions is the physics of measurements using active (radar interferometry) or passive (radiometers and optics) sensors. This activity relies on a precise description of the air-sea interface, mastery of the specific characteristics of the instruments, and joint analysis of multimodal observations. It gives the team international visibility, while fostering related scientific questions and the development of deep learning methods and of the building blocks needed to implement digital twins of the ocean. These ambitions are in line with current and future projects with space agencies (in particular ESA and CNES).

Maintaining and developing this expertise is critical in the current context of rapidly expanding satellite observation capabilities (ongoing and upcoming missions: SWOT, S1NG, ROSE-L, S3NG, HARMONY, TRISHNA, CIMR, ODYSEA, WIVERN...). Many of these missions rely on breakthrough instrumental concepts and will provide unprecedented high-resolution observations of physical characteristics of the air-sea-ice interface. Our approach aims to understand these diverse measurements to better document the ocean-ice-atmosphere system through innovative algorithms and instrumental concepts. Observational data analysis and numerical simulation informed by sensor physics, possibly combined with advanced statistical approaches (machine learning, big data, artificial intelligence), are central to the methodologies we seek to further develop.

In this context, and in collaboration with space agencies, Ifremer (through LOPS-SIAM) is seeking to strengthen its expertise in remote measurement of geophysical parameters at the ocean surface

What will your mission BE?

The research scientist will be an expert in high-resolution measurement physics (e.g., radar interferometry, optical or radiometric measurement, preferably applied to ocean studies but not exclusively). The main missions will include:

1) Designing and developing specialized algorithms for interpreting and exploiting high-resolution satellite measurements (e.g., SAR, next-generation altimetry).

2) Using and valorising high-resolution products to study ocean dynamics and the air-sea interface at high resolution (~100 m scale) in collaboration with LOPS researchers.

3) Contributing to the definition of new sensors and future satellite missions.

What will your activities BE?

Design, develop, and validate innovative algorithms for processing, interpreting, and exploiting high-resolution satellite measurements (radar interferometry, SAR, next-generation altimetry...).

- Analyse and exploit satellite data to study fine-scale ocean dynamics and air-sea processes, in close interaction with SIAM researchers and engineers.
- Contribute to understanding physical processes associated with small-scale phenomena (waves, currents, turbulence, ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions).
- Participate in the preparation, calibration, and validation of future satellite missions and sensors in collaboration with space agencies and scientific partners.
- Develop and document advanced datasets (high-resolution products, long time series, physical indicators) and contribute to their dissemination to the scientific community.
- Supervise and provide scientific support to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and other research staff (fixed-term researchers, engineers...).
- Contribute to collaborative research projects (national, European, international) related to measurement physics and air-sea interactions.
- Monitor scientific and technological developments in new instrumental and methodological approaches (signal processing, machine learning, big data).
- Publish research results in international peer-reviewed journals and present them at scientific conferences.

How are your activities organised ?

- Full-time employment, shore-based position.
- The position is located at the Ifremer Centre in Plouzané, Brest, France.
- Partial remote work possible (up to 8 days per month).

Who are you?

- PhD in physics, geophysics, oceanography, remote sensing, or a related field.
- Postdoctoral experience in satellite measurement physics or satellite-data processing desirable.
- Good knowledge of Earth-observation missions (ESA, CNES, NASA...).
- Strong interest in collaborative research and participation in national or international projects.
- Proficiency in Python and experience working with large scientific datasets.

You have the following skills, knowledge and experience:

- Strong background in measurement physics and satellite remote sensing (radar, interferometry, altimetry...).
- Good understanding of ocean and atmospheric physics, especially at the air-sea interface.
- Experience in signal and image processing, and proficiency with scientific data-analysis tools (Python, xarray, numpy, etc.).
- Experience with satellite data (SWOT, Sentinel, etc.) and calibration/validation methods is desirable.
- Skills in machine learning or advanced data-analysis techniques (big data).
- Ability to develop, document, and valorise scientific algorithms and datasets.
- Demonstrated experience in publishing in international peer-reviewed journals and presenting at conferences.

You have the following qualities:

- Scientific rigor, critical thinking, and autonomy.
- Curiosity, creativity, and motivation for innovation and fundamental research.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional environment.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in French and English.
- Interest in data valorisation and open science.