ICFO jobs & fellowships

Welcome to ICFOjobs

Our job openings site and
online application interface

Please consult openings for further information on available projects and positions, as well as for elegibility, conditions, required application material and deadlines.

We invite displaced researchers and eligible MSc and PhD students, in particular those affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, to apply to the opening listed below that fits best their case. A statement describing clearly the applicant’s situation and eligibility is to be included in the corresponding presentation letter.

Dear applicant,

In the event that you have lost the acknowledging e-mail containing the link providing access to your application, you may retrieve your data by completing the form below.

Please, provide the required data and click on the ‘submit’ button. You will receive an e-mail, containing the link to your application.

In case of any troubles, please contact us at jobs@icfo.eu.

Are you interested in a position or a specific opening at ICFO, browsed our FAQs section, but still have a question you would need us to answer? Would you like to know more about a career at ICFO, or the application process? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us by submitting the form below.

Contents

Job openings

Team Leaders

Post-doctoral Researchers

UPC is offering 3 positions within the Cátedra Chip Project in collaboration with ICFO and ICFO spin-offs Quside, Luxquanta and Qurv. The researchers will carry out their tasks within ICFO premises.

  • 1 Post-doctoral position to develop mixed-signal ASICs for Quside’s quantum random number generator, including simulation, design, prototyping, and validation – Apply here: http://s.ic.fo/6hcLP
  • 1 Post-doctoral position to contribute to the research and development of photonic integrated circuits for Luxquanta’s continuous variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) technology. – Apply here: http://s.ic.fo/lkPhE
  • 1 Project Research Engineer position to develop thin film deposition processes and enhance process innovation and control for Qurv’s next-generation computer vision applications. – Apply here: http://s.ic.fo/6fjVq

Group Opening

Staff Researchers

Project Engineers

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

Under- and Postgraduate Students

Internships for Undergraduate & Masters Students - Fall 2024 call: all applicants will be notified the results of the evaluation in their case by the end of December 2024, at the latest.

General Call

Tech Transfer & Business Development

Internships for Undergraduate & Masters Students - Fall 2024

ICFO offers the opportunity to undertake a Final Degree Project / Masters Thesis or to participate in a Research Stay with one of our Research Groups.

In this call we offer the following fellowships, which cover funding for up to 12-months.

  • Up to 5 x Student Research Fellowships

  • Up to 3 x SPIE@ICFO María Yzuel Fellowship Awards
    An activity of the SPIE@ICFO Chair for Diversity in Photonic Sciences to attract, retain and promote talented women*.

Candidates will be considered for all fellowships for which they are eligible

Projects may be undertaken with any Research Group. Research lines include, but are not limited to:


  • Atto-Science, Ultrafast Optics & Nonlinear Optics
  • Photovoltaics, Thermal Photonics & Solar Fuels
  • Optical Sensing & Optoelectronics
  • NanoPhotonics & NanoMechanics
  • Ultracold Quantum Gases
  • Quantum and Low-Dimensional Materials
  • Quantum Communications, Sensing & Simulation
  • Quantum Optics & Quantum Information
  • Nanophotonics, Condensed Matter Physics & Light-Matter Interactions
  • Medical Optics
  • Biophysics, Biophotonics & Super-Resolution Imaging

Interested students should browse the different research group profiles available on the ICFO website, https://www.icfo.eu/lang/research, to identify the groups that best match their interests.

Selected students will participate in ICFO’s rich scientific life, benefit from the experience of ICFO researchers, cutting edge facilities, industrial projects, the institute’s stimulating and interdisciplinary environment, and as receive high-level training as well as extensive admin and tech support. They will collaborate with scientists on research assignments tailored from available projects at ICFO, and will also acquire skills for communicating their research results.

In addition, internal Undergraduate and Master student opportunities might become available, for which we may retain candidates applying to this present call.

*We welcome cis and trans women

Share this opening!

Use the following URL:
https://jobs.icfo.eu/?detail=941

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must be enrolled/registered to a bachelor or master’s program for the full duration of the internship at ICFO. Eligible areas include, but are not limited to, Physics, Engineering, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology.

Have a high working knowledge of English.

Selection of Fellows is based on merit and potential, measured in terms of academic records and personal achievements. Proactive attitudes, participation in community activities, and capacity for team-work are also taken into account.

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.

CONDITIONS

ICFO encourages applications from masters students and advanced undergraduates interested in undertaking a research project with an ICFO group, or their bachelor or masters thesis.

The award covered by this program includes funding up to 12 months.

The start date is flexible, but must be no later than December 2025.

The stay will have to be formalized by a training agreement between the student’s home university/institution and ICFO. Please, note that any potential offer for a fellowship at ICFO is subject to the previous verification of viability of said training agreement.

For students living in Catalunya, the fellowship include a stipend of 300 euros monthly gross, for full-time dedication.

For students living in an EU country (not included Catalunya region), the fellowship include a stipend of 600 euros monthly gross, for full-time dedication. Eligible travel expenses are also covered.

For students living in a non-EU country, the fellowship include a stipend of 900 euros monthly gross, for full-time dedication. Eligible travel expenses are also covered.

Please notice that these Fellowships are not compatible with other full fellowships granted for the same purpose.


    1st step: Submit your application

To apply for a fellowship, suitable candidates are requested to submit the following documents (in English):
  • A presentation/motivation letter stating research group (s) of interest and specific requests in terms of period and duration of the internship and answering the question: why this fellowship will benefit your career?
  • A Curriculum Vitae, including contact details, in English.
  • A scanned copy of the academic transcripts for the undergraduate and postgraduate (if applies), in English or Spanish.

The deadline for submission of the application material, is November 07, 2024.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to make sure all required application material (see above), is complete by the time of deadline, in order to be considered.


    2nd step: Review process: ICFO Student Research Fellowships

In a first revision stage, applications will first be reviewed to assure that they meet the eligibility requirements and conditions and candidates will be notified accordingly.

Eligible applications will be evaluated and ranked by the Selection Committee.

Top-ranked candidates will then pass to a matching stage, in which h/she is invited to discuss their research interests and suitability for a potential project with ICFO Group Leader(s), as well as duration of the stay and other particular conditions. An interview, either in person or online, is a fundamental part of the procedure.

If the candidate and ICFO Group Leader(s) agree to a match, the candidate will receive an official fellowship offer from ICFO.

All applicants will be notified the decision in their case by the end of December 2024, at the latest.


    2nd step: Review process: SPIE@ICFO María Yzuel Fellowship Awards

In a first revision stage, applications will first be reviewed to assure that they meet the eligibility requirements and conditions and candidates will be notified accordingly by mid-November 2024, at the latest.

In the second step of the selection procedure, shortlisted candidates will receive invitations for videoconference interviews with the selection committee and ICFO Group Leaders, planned to take place at the end of November 2024.

Top ranked-candidates following the selection committee interviews will receive an official fellowship offer from ICFO, provided that the candidate and ICFO Group Leader(s) agree to a match.

Fellowship offers will be made to the successful candidates shortly after the interviews, on mid-December 2024, at the latest.


At all stages of the process, candidates may contact ICFO Human Resources and Education via jobs@icfo.eu.

7th of November, 2024

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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:

  1. Rejection:
    The Selection Committee reaches the conclusion that the background of other candidate(s) appears to be more suitable for the position.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Appendix

No vacancies matching your profile?

In the event that there are no published vacancies matching your academic or professional background, you may contact us at jobs@icfo.eu.

Data Protection Statement

ICFO endeavours to safeguard and protect the privacy and confidentiality of your personal data pursuant to applicable laws (GDPR) and implementing regulations.

To help achieve this goal ICFO has drafted a Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use and otherwise handle “Personal Information” we receive from you when you use ICFO websites and explains the circumstances in which we may transfer this to others.

The full policy can be found in ICFO's main website.

Our Data Privacy Policy must be read together with any other legal notices or terms and conditions also available on our Website (Terms of use and Cookies Policy).

If you have any questions in relation to this Data Privacy Policy, or if you would like to contact us to exercise your rights as stated in our Privacy Policy, you should check ICFO's website.