Optoelectronics Group: Post-doctoral Researcher in Quantum-Secure Networks

ICFO is offering up to five 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 candidates will be joining the Optoelectronics group led by Prof. Dr. Valerio Pruneri.

Key responsibilities:

Contribute to the research and development activities carried out within national and European collaborative projects, including QSNP and IberianQCI.

Support the development, integration, and deployment of quantum devices and systems for next-generation quantum-safe communication networks.

Participate in the design, implementation, testing, and validation of innovative quantum technologies.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and project partners to achieve technical objectives and project milestones.

Stay up to date with advances in quantum technologies and contribute to the transfer of knowledge within the research team.

Candidates must hold, at the time of contract initiation, an internationally-recognized Ph.D.-equivalent degree (or evidence of its completion in the nearest future) in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent.

The candidate should have a proven track record of experience in:

Quantum Communication

Entanglement generation and distribution

Quantum Key Distribution

Quantum-secure protocols, such as Oblivious Transfer

Photonic Integrated circuits for quantum communication

Devices and systems for quantum communication

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.

A family allowance may be granted to candidates with dependents, upon request and in accordance with ICFO’s policies.

as stated in the European Charter for Researchers and the European Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Salaries for ICFO Postdoctoral positions are assigned by the Selection Committee, based on experience and seniority of the applicant, as well as the assigned tasks and responsibilities within the group. Standard salaries range from a lower level aligned with national Ramon-y-Cajal fellowships to higher levels aligned with Marie Skłodowska-Curie individual fellowships.

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:

1. Eligibility check of applications.

2. Assessment of merits (education, experience, and language)

3. Interview with shortlisted candidates, if needed

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: 1124

27th of July, 2026