Job offer

Overview

Organisation/Company University of ToursResearch Field Computer science » Other Arts » OtherResearcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1)Positions PhD PositionsApplication Deadline 20 Feb 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)Country FranceType of Contract TemporaryJob Status Full-timeOffer Starting Date 1 Apr 2026Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon EuropeReference Number Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

University of Tours

A Public Establishment of a Scientific, Cultural, and Professional nature (EPSCP), the University of Tours is the leading university in the Centre–Val de Loire region. It offers a broad, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary range of programs, conducts internationally recognized, high-quality research, operates a university foundation (the Rabelais Foundation), and manages an annual consolidated budget of €215 million. It is also located in a dynamic regional environment, renowned for its excellent quality of life. Within this framework, the University of Tours positions itself as a civic institution with humanist values, socially engaged and ethically responsible. It comprises eight academic divisions (UFRs – Training and Research Units), two University Institutes of Technology (IUTs), one Business Administration Institute (IAE – University School of Management), and one internal Polytechnic Engineering School, bringing together 30,000 students. With 36 nationally and internationally recognized research units, the University plays a central role in the regional organization of research. It currently employs over 1,200 engineers, administrative, technical, social, health, and library staff, and more than 1,400 teaching and research faculty. To support its continued development, the University of Tours recruits new talent every year.

Main Mission

The research engineer will carry out work related to the modelling, enrichment, and structuring of heritage and musical metadata within the framework of the PLACEMUS-XR project (Cluster 2 – Horizon Europe) and Task 1 of its Work Package 8 (Integration into the ECCCH: Analysis). She/he will support the members of RicercarLab in the preparation of data and metadata, in order to facilitate their interoperability, as well as the exploration, valorisation, and integration of musicological and heritage corpora into immersive environments, and ultimately their future integration according to semantic web principles within the Cultural Heritage Cloud (ECCCH) developed by the ECHOES project. The main objective of her/his mission is to define a strategy for the collection and processing of data and metadata produced by the PlaceMUS XR project, preparing them for future integration into the semantic web through the CIDOC CRM ontology and its extensions.

Where to apply

E-mail

Requirements

Education PhD or equivalent in Computer Science

Skills/Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of standards and formats for describing heritage and musical data: IIIF, XML/TEI, MEI.
• Proficiency in semantic web standards and technologies: RDF, OWL, SPARQL, CIDOC CRM ontology and its extensions.
• Programming skills for data processing: Python, Jupyter Notebook.
• Understanding of the European research project ecosystem.
• Technical English at C1 level.

Soft Skills

• Rigor, precision, and attention to detail.
• Punctuality.
• Strong listening skills, with the ability to provide guidance and pedagogical support.
• Autonomy, initiative, and analytical thinking.
• Strong ability to work in a team within a transdisciplinary and international environment.

Specific Requirements

Data and Metadata Modelling and Structuring

• Design and implement semantic data models (ontologies, vocabularies, RDF graphs) adapted to musicological and heritage corpora.
• Define protocols for the processing and description of datasets provided by the project partners (musical sources, recordings, historiographical data, etc.).
• Ensure the online publication, documentation, and sharing of data in accordance with the FAIR principles and international open science standards.

Coordination with Partners and Scientific Support

• Work in close interaction with the RicercarLab team, in particular with the other engineers in charge of Task WP8.1, as well as with those involved in WP3 (Itineraries and Scenarios) and WP5 (Preliminary User Studies: Analyses and Design of Interactions).
• Liaise with the international teams of the PLACEMUS XR project, especially those responsible for WP8 and WP9.
• Contribute to the writing of scientific reports and publications.
• Contribute to the laboratory’s scientific communication (Hypothèses blogs, technical notes, documentation).

Specific Constraints

• Presence required at the laboratory premises in Tours (RicercarLab).
• Travel within France and abroad.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field Computer science » Other

Additional Information

• Category: A
• Salary: According to experience and University of Tours pay scale

For information on recruitment procedures: HR Department – Recruitment, Training, and Skills Management Service Tel: +33 (0)

Why Join the University of Tours?

A modern, ambitious, dynamic, and attractive university

A working environment that values quality of life:

• Two options for weekly working hours
• Teleworking: up to 2 days per week, depending on service requirements
• Sports and cultural activities
• On-site catering
• Sustainable mobility package (cycling, carpooling)
• Partial reimbursement of transport costs
• Family and social assistance: family aid, vacation and educational support, assistance for parents of children with disabilities, legal clinic, etc.

A socially committed institution:

• Disability Support Office
• Equality Mission
• Quality of Work Life Mission
• Ecological Transition

This position, like all positions at the University of Tours, is open to applicants with disabilities.