Research engineer on hydrometry

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INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will be working in the River Hydraulics team of the RiverLy Research Unit, AQUA Department, INRAE Lyon-Villeurbanne site, France. You will be supervised by Jérôme Le Coz (researcher, HDR) and Benjamin Renard (INRAE, RECOVER Research Unit, Aix-en-Provence).

The mission is part of the annual partnership with the DGPR (Ministry of Ecology) on flood forecasting, hydrometry section, direct contact: Vigicrues central service, and partnerships with the governmental hydrometric services, EDF and CNR.

The aim is to carry out actions HYDROM A1 ‘Dynamic rating curves’ and HYDROM A2 ‘Analysis of morphodynamic rating shifts’ of action 2 Flood forecasting, of the DGPR SRN - INRAE 2025 agreement. The aim of these recurring actions is to model the evolution of the stage-discharge rating curves used to establish most of the flow records for rivers, and to develop appropriate operational tools to manage them and estimate their uncertainties.

You will be in charge of the following tasks:

• HYDROM A1: Continuous stage correction curves (CORTH) for stations affected by seasonal aquatic vegetation: data sets will be collected from various hydrometric services in order to develop and test a statistical approach via a regional curve that would make it possible to pool the gaugings of various hydrometric stations in an area where vegetation develops in a similar way.
• HYDROM A2: Continue to develop an operational tool for detecting, displaying and estimating sudden rating shifts (RatingShiftHappens R package).

Training and skills

• Recommended training: Master (Research), engineer or doctor in hydrology, river hydraulics or applied mathematics/statistics
• Knowledge required: Programming languages (R), English, uncertainty analysis, Bayesian inference
• Appreciated experience: hydrology, hydrometry, river hydrodynamics
• Skills sought: Scientific rigour, autonomy, oral/written communication, taste for teamwork and operational applications.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):

- up to 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.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter