Contents
Job openings
Post-doctoral Researchers
Group Opening
- Nanophotonics Theory Group: Post-doctoral position in design of integrated photonic waveguides with optimum in/out-coupling to light
- Neurophotonics and Mechanical Systems Biology Group: Post-doctoral position in advanced optical trapping within cells and biomolecular condensates
- Medical Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) for non-invasive blood flow measurement
- Quantum NanoElectronics and NanoMechanics Group: Post-doctoral position in nanotube electromechanics
- 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
- Quantum Photonics with Solids and Atoms Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum repeaters with solid-state quantum nodes
- Ultracold Quantum Gases Group: Post-doctoral position on quantum-gas microscopy of SU(N) Fermi-Hubbard models
- Functional Optoelectronic Nanomaterials Group: Post-doctoral position on the synthesis and development of infrared III-V colloidal quantum dots, for optoelectronic applications.
- Atomic Quantum Optics Group: Post-doctoral positions in Experimental quantum sensing with atomic systems
- Optoelectronics Group: Post-doctoral position in quantum communication
- PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative: Post-doctoral Researcher in Photonic Device Characterization and Testing
- PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative: Post-doctoral Researcher in Integrated Photonic Switching
- Neurophotonics and Mechanical Systems Biology Group: Post-doctoral researcher in synthetic light-gated actuators for neuronal optogenetics
- Medical Optics Group: Post-doctoral position in applications of near-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy in critical care
Project Engineers
Group Opening
- Functional Optoelectronic Nanomaterials Group: Project Researcher Engineer Position in Colloidal Quantum Dot Synthesis and Nanomaterials Development
- Optoelectronics Group: Research Engineer in quantum communication technologies
- PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative: Process Engineer or Research Scientist in PIC Packaging
PhD-fellows
ICFO offers several pathways for talented and motivated candidates interested in pursuing a PhD within one of our Research Groups.
All PhD students admitted to ICFO receive a fully funded fellowship.
To be considered for institutional PhD fellowships, candidates must apply to the official PhD Fellowship Program Calls.
In addition, candidates may also submit separate applications to Group Openings advertised by specific research groups.
If no fellowship calls or group openings are open at the time of application, students who wish to pursue a PhD at ICFO are encouraged to contact the Group Leader(s) of the research groups they are interested in joining. Candidates should include their CV and a motivation/presentation letter when reaching out.
Students may also join ICFO with their own funding or through external fellowships such as the LaCaixa INPhINIT Incoming and Retaining calls. Interested candidates should apply directly to such programs and are likewise encouraged to contact the prospective the Group Leader(s) in advance.
For general information regarding ICFO fellowships and specific calls, please contact us at https://www.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.
Admin & Technical Engineers
Group Opening
PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative: Post-doctoral Researcher in Integrated Photonic Switching
As part of the PICs@ICFO Strategic Initiative, ICFO coordinates PIXEurope, a flagship Pilot Line funded under the European Chips JU program focused on Advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) through which ICFO is advancing frontier technologies, including optical interposers for Co-packaged optics for next-generation optoelectronic and photonic devices.
Position Overview:
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher with a strong background in integrated photonics to join our team, under the PIXEurope Pilot Line. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of advanced photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for optical switching and processing applications.
Key Responsibilities:
The selected candidate will be expected to:
- Design, simulate, and optimize integrated photonic circuits for optical processing, routing, switching, and modulation functionalities.
- Develop and experimentally validate photonic architectures based on phase control, amplitude modulation, optical switching, and quantum light shaping.
- Design and characterize electro-optic and thermo-optic control schemes for programmable photonic integrated circuits.
- Perform experimental testing and characterization of integrated photonic devices and systems, including automated measurement and control setups.
- Contribute to the development of novel photonic solutions for applications in quantum technologies, optical communications, and information processing.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and support the dissemination of research results through scientific publications, reports, and presentations.
- Help coordinate demonstrator activities, particularly focusing on those related to optical switching and processing.
This position will report to the Prof. Dr. Valerio Pruneri, Director of the European Chips JU Pilot Line PIXEurope.
This contract has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe under the Grant Agreement # 101213727, Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) and the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service, and is supported by funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).
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Applicants must hold a PhD in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.
Required Qualifications:
- Strong expertise in integrated photonics, including the design, simulation, fabrication flow understanding, and experimental characterization of photonic integrated circuits.
- Demonstrated experience in electro-optical operation and control of PICs.
- Solid knowledge of optical modulation, switching, routing, and programmable photonic architectures based on phase shifting and amplitude control.
- Experience with nonlinear optics and its application in integrated photonic platforms.
- Hands-on experience in the generation, manipulation, and processing of quantum states of light in integrated photonic systems.
- Experience with photonic circuit design tools and electromagnetic simulation software.
- Proven track record in experimental photonics, including optical setup development, device testing, and data analysis.
- Ability to work independently while coordinating activities across collaborative research projects.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with reconfigurable photonic processors, either classical, quantum or both.
- Knowledge of integrated optical switching fabrics, programmable photonic architectures, or optical computing approaches.
- Experience with quantum light sources based on nonlinear integrated photonic platforms.
- Familiarity with control electronics and software for photonic system automation.
- Strong publication record in integrated photonics, quantum photonics, or optical communications.
The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in integrated photonics with the ability to carry out independent research activities in a collaborative environment. They should possess extensive experience in photonic circuit design and testing, particularly in modulation, switching, routing, and quantum photonic operations, and be motivated to develop innovative photonic processing solutions for next-generation quantum and communication technologies.
What We Offer
- ASE (Accés al Sistema Espanyol de Ciència i Innovació) contract pursuant to Spanish Law 14/2011
- Access to cutting-edge facilities and a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment.
- Opportunity to lead impactful projects that connect fundamental research with commercial applications.
- A family allowance may be granted to candidates with dependents, upon request and in accordance with ICFO’s policies.
ICFO is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based solely on merit and potential, regardless of gender, nationality, or disability. ICFO fully endorses the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, ensuring a transparent and supportive recruitment process.
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.
The selection process will follow open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R) principles. It will consist of:
- Eligibility check of applications.
- Assessment of merits (education, experience, and language)
- Interview with shortlisted candidates
Candidates may contact jobs@icfo.eu for formal enquiries regarding the application, as well as address scientific enquiries to valerio.pruneri@icfo.eu.
For update information about the hosting group, please visit https://www.icfo.eu/research-group/15/optoelectronics/home.
For updated information about ICFO, please visit https://www.icfo.eu.
Data Protection
In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and Organic Law 3/2018, ICFO informs applicants that their personal data will be processed exclusively for recruitment purposes.
- Controller: Fundació ICFO – Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss 3, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona).
- DPO: dpo@icfo.eu
- Legal basis: performance of a task in the public interest.
- Rights: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and opposition.
- Supervisory authority: Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) https://apdcat.gencat.cat.
All recruitment files will be retained in accordance with the Catalan public-sector archival retention schedule (DOGC 2117).
Reference: 1115
3rd of July, 2026
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.