Contents
Job openings
Post-doctoral Researchers
Group Opening
- Functional Optoelectronic Nanomaterials Group: Post-doctoral position in development of low-cost CMOS compatible intersubband optoelectronics (photodetectors and light emitters) in the MWIR and LWIR leveraging colloidal quantum dot technology
- CO2 Mitigation Accelerated by Photons Group: Post-doctoral positions in advanced water electrolysis and scale-up
- Quantum Nano-Optoelectronics Group: Post-doctoral position in science and technology of moire quantum matter
- Quantum NanoElectronics and NanoMechanics Group: Post-doctoral positions in analogue electron quantum simulator
- Optoelectronics Group: Post-doctoral position in integrated photonics design, simulation, fabrication, characterization and packaging
- Atomic Quantum Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in applications of magnetometry in nuclear magnetic resonance
- CO2 Mitigation Accelerated by Photons Group: Post-doctoral position in accelerating the development of sustainable energy materials
- Atomic Quantum Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in Quantum optics of single atoms interacting with single photons
- Optoelectronics Group: Post-doctoral Researcher or Research Engineer in Free-Space Quantum Key Distribution and Next-Generation QKD Transmitter Development
- Atomic Quantum Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in dark matter search with ultracold atoms
- Quantum Photonics with Solids and Atoms Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum repeaters with solid-state quantum nodes
- Quantum Photonics with Solids and Atoms Group: Post-doctoral position in Quantum technologies for quantum repeaters
- Optoelectronics Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum communication
- Organic Nanostructured Photovoltaics Group: Post-doctoral position to study and characterize solar cells
- Ultracold Quantum Gases Group: Post-doctoral position on quantum-gas microscopy of SU(N) Fermi-Hubbard models
- Quantum Photonics with Solids and Atoms Group: Post-doctoral position in Development of quantum network nodes with Rydberg superatoms
- Nanophotonics Theory Group: Post-doctoral position in design of integrated photonic waveguides with optimum in/out-coupling to light
- Molecular Nanophotonics Group: Post-Doctoral position in ultrafast spatio-temporal micro-spectroscopy
- Quantum Information Theory Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum information theory
- Quantum Information Theory Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum cryptography.
- Quantum Information Theory Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum key distribution in complex networks
- Neurophotonics and Mechanical Systems Biology Group: Post-doctoral position in advanced optical trapping within cells and biomolecular condensates
- Atomic Quantum Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in atomic vapor quantum sensors
- Medical Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in applications of near-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy in critical care
- Medical Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) for non-invasive blood flow measurement
Staff Researchers
Project Engineers
Group Opening
- Optoelectronics Group: Research Engineer in quantum communication technologies
- Quantum Nano-Optoelectronics Group: Project Research Engineer position in Cryogenic Optical Quantum Tunneling Microscope Development
- Optoelectronics Group: Project Research Engineer position in in quantum communication systems and deployment
- Optoelectronics Group: Project Research Engineer position in in quantum communication systems and qualification
- Quantum Photonics with Solids and Atoms Group: Research Engineer position in building a Rydberg atoms quantum node
- PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative: Engineer or Research Scientist in optical interposer development
- PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative: Engineer or Research Scientist in PIC Packaging and Testing
- Optoelectronics Group: Project Engineer position in integrated photonics design, simulation, fabrication, characterization and packaging
- Optoelectronics Group: Project Engineer position in FPGA programming for quantum communication experiments
PhD-fellows
General Call
A rolling call of the ICFO PhD Program, with periodic deadlines, is always open for candidates applying to do a PhD at ICFO.
All candidates will be considered for all available fellowships for which they are eligible. Some specific fellowships are announced through targeted calls. Candidates applying to these calls are also considered for all other fellowships for which they are eligible.
Students may also join ICFO with their own funding or through external fellowships. Interested candidates should apply directly to such programs, and may wish to contact ICFO research groups they might be interested to join.
For further general information on fellowships and specific calls, please contact us at jobs@icfo.eu
Currently we have the following call(s) open
Group Opening
Undergraduate and Master Students
General Call
ICFO offers a variety of internship opportunities for talented and motivated Bachelor’s and Master’s students interested in undertaking a Final Degree Project, Master’s Thesis, or a Research Stay within one of our Research groups.
Students may join ICFO through our specialized Fellowship Programs when these are available. Alternatively, students can be hosted through funding programs such as Erasmus+, in which case they should apply through their home institution. If no ICFO fellowship programs are open at the time of application, students are encouraged to contact the group leaders directly. Some financial support may be provided by the host group. Please send the following documents when contacting the group leader(s) of your interest:
- A cover letter explaining your research interests, why you want to join that particular ICFO group, your career goals and any specific requests in terms of period and duration of the internship.
- Your CV including education, relevant experience, skills, and publications (if any).
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at jobs@icfo.eu.
Currently we have the following call(s) open:
Group Opening
Internships for Undergraduate & Masters Students - Fall 2025: all applicants will be notified the decision in their case by the end of December 2025, at the latest.
Admin & Technical Engineers
Neurophotonics and Mechanical Systems Biology Group: Post-doctoral position in advanced optical trapping within cells and biomolecular condensates
ICFO is offering postdoctoral positions to a well-qualified, highly motivated and dynamic young scientists who wish to enhance their scientific career in a friendly and stimulating environment.
The successful candidate will be joining the Neurophotonics and Mechanical Systems Biology group led by Prof. Dr. Michael Krieg who is searching for highly motivated researcher to join his team and investigate how intracellular pH changes regulate the mechanical properties and phase transitions of biomolecular condensates. The position is part of the funded project pHACE.transitions, an interdisciplinary initiative combining biophysics, molecular biology, optical trapping, NMR spectroscopy, microfluidics, and neurophysiology to uncover a fundamentally new mechanism of sensory adaptation in neurons.
Biomolecular condensates are dynamic, membraneless organelles formed through phase separation. Their material properties—fluidity, elasticity, and internal architecture—can shift dramatically in response to subtle biochemical cues. Our recent findings show that MEC-2 stomatin, a protein involved force transmission during the sense of touch, undergoes a viscoelastic phase transition upon binding to UNC-89, a neuronal titn homolog. These changes affect intermolecular interactions and ultimately reshape condensate mechanics to facilitate neuronal mechanotransduction.
The goal of this position is to unravel how pH-dependent molecular interactions translate into macroscopic mechanical behaviors of condensates, both in vitro and in living cells.
The successful candidate will lead optical tweezer microrheology experiments to quantify the viscoelastic properties and phase transitions of MEC-2 and related protein condensates. Working closely with team members and collaborators in NMR spectroscopy, and C. elegans neurobiology, the candidate will:
- Perform optical tweezer–based force microrheology to measure condensate mechanics (elasticity, viscosity, relaxation dynamics) using existing technology of the lab.
- Quantify pH-dependent changes in condensate material properties and relate them to specific molecular interactions.
- Design and execute in vitro reconstitution experiments with purified proteins and targeted mutants.
- Collaborate with cell biologists and electrophysiologists to extend in vitro findings to heterologous cells and C. elegans neurons.
- An optional asset is the integrate the optical measurements with microfluidics-based buffer handling and automation of the optical rheology assays.
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The succesful candidate has a strong background in biophysics, physics, physical chemistry, bioengineering, or a related field.
The candidate should have a proven track record in one or more of the following:
- Experience with optical trapping of biomolecules or cells, biochemistry and, microfluidic buffer handling techniques (preferred but not strictly required).
- Strong quantitative skills (signal processing, rheology models, Python/Matlab analysis) and an interest in phase transitions, protein biophysics, or intracellular mechanics.
The candidate is expected to communicate their results in group meetings, conferences, and publications, and provided regular feedback to the PI and the collaborators. Proven track record in team work is a must.
The offered position is embedded in an international, highly collaborative environment spanning optical physics, structural biology, neurophysiology, and microfluidics. The successful candidate gains access to state-of-the-art optical tweezer platforms, microfluidic fabrication facilities, advanced imaging systems, and will collaborate with structural biologists, neuroscientists and biosystem engineers to obtain a systems understanding of pH-regulated force transmission in living systems.
Suitable candidates are requested to submit:
- Presentation letter with a declaration of interest,
- Curriculum Vitae, including contact details,
- The contact e-mail of two potential referees.
Candidates will be assessed as they apply and the call will remain open until the suitable candidate is identified.
Candidates may contact jobs@icfo.eu for formal enquiries regarding the application, as well as address scientific enquiries to michael.krieg@icfo.eu.
For update information about the hosting group, please visit https://www.icfo.eu/research-group/29/nmsb/home/437.
For updated information about ICFO, please visit https://www.icfo.eu/.
16th of December, 2025
Identify your interests
As your career goals and research interests are an integral part of the selection procedure itself, apart from the ICFOjobs site, we encourage you to browse ICFO’s corporate website to learn more about ICFO’s research activities and to identify the projects and/or areas that best match your background. We also recommend that you visit Careers @ ICFO. A clear indication of your interests and goals in your presentation letter will help us in reviewing your candidacy.
Did you identify an opening meeting your interest and career goals? Then, we are looking forward to your application!
Should there be no opening matching your interest or background, please contact us at jobs@icfo.eu or directly contact with the relevant ICFO Group Leaders or Unit Heads to explore potential future possibilities in their fields.
The application process
If you have identified an opening matching your interests, please read carefully the information about requirements, conditions and necessary application material and start the application process. Candidatures should be submitted online via ICFOjobs, our online application interface, in a 2-step procedure:
- Registration:
The button ‘Apply to this opening’ takes you to the online application form, gathering your personal data for identification purposes. Once submitted, you will receive a link by e-mail, which you must follow in order to continue the application process. - Application:
In this second step of the process you will be asked to provide further details and the necessary application material, as well as, in some of the openings, to indicate potential referees. All enclosed documentation must be in PDF format or plain text.
Once the application form is complete and the relevant material has been uploaded, submit your candidature by clicking on the ‘apply’ button. Candidates will receive an automatic reply acknowledging submission including a reference number for further enquiries or updates (within deadline).
By submitting an application, you grant ICFO permission to use the provided data for the recruiting process. (See Data Protection Policy.)
The review process
Applications will first be reviewed to assure that they meet the requirements and conditions as indicated in the job opening. Candidatures will then be evaluated by the corresponding Selection Committee according to the selection criteria of each opening. ICFO is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are selected exclusively on merit and potential on the basis of submitted application material. No restrictions related to disabilities, citizenship or gender apply to ICFO positions. ICFO abides by the principles of openness, efficiency, transparency, supportiveness, and international comparability as stated in the European Charter for Researchers and the European Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
ICFO will notify candidates who are selected to pass to the next stage in the review process. Candidates who do not pass the first step of the review process will be notified of the outcome of their application at this time.
When requested, reference letters play an important role in supporting the candidate in the review process. Unless the call applied for indicate specific requirements in that sense, referees will be automatically contacted by ICFO requesting them to complete a standardized evaluation form and submit a letter of support for the candidates. Candidates should by no means submit a reference letter in support of their own candidature on behalf of their referees. The members of the selection committee will have access to reference letters.
On-site or online interviews (aiming at discussing the candidate’s suitability, project contents, hiring conditions and legal matters, etc.) with the Selection committee may be scheduled.
Notification of results
All candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application. Possible results are:
- Rejection:
The Selection Committee reaches the conclusion that the background of other candidate(s) appears to be more suitable for the position. - Waiting list:
Candidate(s) may be placed on a waiting list based on the shortlist proposed by the Selection Committee. Candidate(s) on this list may receive an offer in the event that the top-candidate does not accept the position. Waiting list candidates will receive a final decision as soon as the top-candidate confirms acceptance. - Acceptance / offer:
ICFO extends an official offer, asking the selected candidate for formal confirmation of acceptance.
The selection process is completed as soon as the candidate confirms acceptance of the offered position and a tentative starting date has been agreed.
After acceptance @ ICFO
Staff of the ICFO Human Resources and Education Unit will assist new ICFO members with the following procedures:
- Support with administrative and legal matters related to arriving and settling in, including immigration formalities (Visa application process, etc.) and personal assistance in relocation.
- Particularly for PhD-students: Information and advice on the necessary academic documentation to be gathered and submitted for enrollment in the PhD in Photonics program, including information about how to legalize previous studies (e.g. BSc, MSc, etc.) whenever necessary, as well as registration to the doctorate program and academic planning.
ICFO’s applicant database
The applicant database and all applications received through ICFOjobs, are managed by the staff of ICFO’s Human Resources and Education Unit. All information is handled with due confidentiality and solely for the purpose mentioned, and will be made available to the members of the Selection Committee in so far as they are necessary for the management of the process.
As indicated through the application process, other relevant information is also gathered for statistical purposes or in order to verify the eligibility requirements indicated in the corresponding call.
Do I have to submit my application exclusively online or may I also submit a hard copy?
ICFO only accepts applications submitted online via the ICFOjobs interface. As an exception, and only in case of force-majeure problems with electronic submission, candidates may submit their application in hard copy within the deadline.
Is it possible to apply for more than one opening? May I apply even if I have been considered for an ICFO opening in the past (i.e., re-application)?
Yes.
Do I receive a confirmation acknowledging reception of my application?
Yes.
Is it possible to update my personal data or application material? Likewise, will I be able to delete my application (and therefore all personal data)?
In the first step of application, through the online application form, you will have to provide your personal data including your contact e-mail. Once submitted, you will receive an acknowledging e-mail, containing a link which you have to follow in order to continue with the procedure (submission of application material, etc.). Via the link you receive by e-mail, you will also be able to update your data and application material (within the established deadlines) or even to withdraw your application.
In case of questions - whom shall I contact for help in submitting my application?
Please contact the recruiting staff of ICFO’s Human Resources at jobs@icfo.eu.
Particularly for PhD- and Postdoctoral openings: Is it possible to apply even if I have not yet finished the minimum academic qualification required?
Yes, unless the call explicitly indicates otherwise, but please indicate this clearly in your presentation letter. In general, candidates should hold an internationally-recognized degree or evidence of its completion before the prospective starting date.
Applications need to be supported by reference letters. How should these be submitted?
For exact details on how to proceed with reference letters, please check the specific opening you are applying for. In general, you will be requested to indicate name, institution, contact data, and relationship in the last part of the online application form. Depending on the opening, referees will be automatically contacted by ICFO requesting them to complete a standardized evaluation form and submit a letter of support for the candidates. Candidates should by no means submit a reference letter in support of their own candidature on behalf of their referees.
Submission of academic transcripts and degrees?
The required documentation to be submitted for application is indicated in the ‘application process’ of each opening. In general, ICFO will ask that you provide a copy of your most recent academic degree certificate. Additionally, and particularly for fellowships and internship positions, ICFO will also need you to submit scanned copies of your academic transcripts (current and previous studies). The academic transcripts contain the list of courses, including the credits and marks obtained. Provisional degree certificates are generally accepted by ICFO.
The application form requires the indication of my GPA – what shall I indicate?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average. Apart from other criteria, selection for ICFO positions, above all for fellowships and internships, is measured in terms of the academic performance. In this regard, ICFO needs an indication of the average of your final overall grade obtained in your studies (stated in your transcripts), the minimum grade required to pass in your university and the maximum grade that can be achieved or the overall qualification obtained in your PhD-studies (for applicants with a PhD-degree).
Retrieve your application
Contact
You can write an email to Human Resources and Education at ICFO.