Junior research scientist in multicriteria assessment of agroecological livestock systems

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

The joint research unit Soils, Agricultural and hydrological systems, Spatialization (SAS), located in Rennes, conducts research on interactions between agriculture and the environment, from the scale of field to the region, in different agricultural contexts mainly involving livestock farming. Within this unit which brings together staffs from INRAE and Institut Agro, you will join the scientific axis “Integrated Assessment”, which brings together 19 scientists. You will also collaborate with the MEANS platform, which is hosted by the unit and develops multicriteria tools to assess the sustainability of agricultural systems.
Your role will consist in assessing the multi-performance of livestock farming systems, as well as developing tools, methods and knowledge to support the agroecological transition of these systems involving this multi-performance. Therefore, you will integrate theoretical frameworks focusing on multicriteria assessment methods, as well as an applied part focusing specifically on case studies at livestock farming system or regional scale. Initially, you will use mathematical concepts to propose new methods for aggregating, weighing and compensating indicators within existing frameworks, with the objective to assess the impacts and services provided by livestock farming systems. You will apply these methods to ruminant and monogastric farming systems, aquaculture systems, as well as specialized or non-specialized (mixed cropping/mixed livestock) systems. In a second phase, you will propose new evaluation frameworks to increase genericity of the concepts and tools. You will then collect data in various contexts to test these frameworks. You will contribute to the development of decision-making tools for various stakeholders in different activity sectors and regions. You will benefit from the expertise of the unit and research networks in multicriteria assessment at national and international levels.

Training and skills

PhD degree or equivalent. In-depth knowledge of systemic agronomy is required. Skills in livestock farming systems and an interest in interdisciplinarity, particularly at the interface between agronomists, zootechnicians and modelers, are required. Fluency in English is highly desirable, as is a long-term international experience: successful candidates who have not already had such experience will be required to undertake a period of study abroad at the end of the placement year.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Guide for applicants 2026 pdf - 1.41 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR26-PHASE-3
3. I apply GO