To accompany you

Supporting employees in building their career paths so that they can achieve a rewarding career and, if they so wish, exercise diversified functions and responsibilities, is a key challenge for the CNRS.

Career paths

The CNRS mobility policy aims to meet the need to fill available positions efficiently and to promote the development of staff skills and the enhancement of their careers, taking into account the diversity of profiles. It relies on training in order to ensure that skills are in line with changes in missions and professions.

For CNRS engineers and technicians (M/F), internal mobility takes the form of campaigns organized twice a year (winter and spring). In addition, job offers for mobility are published throughout the year (and are open to civil servants from all three levels of the civil service). Researchers (M/F) can also apply for a change of assignment.

The development of support for individual mobility and professional development projects can also be carried out, for all staff, outside the CNRS establishment via the following mechanisms: secondment, secondment or availability.

Finally, the delegation is a mechanism that offers professors (M/F) the opportunity to join the CNRS for a fixed period of time to work on a research project. The delegation is a specific position for lecturers and university professors and is part of the general system for hosting a research activity at the CNRS.

Career development

It is essential to recognize the experience and skills acquired over time and to make the most of them in the careers of our employees. CNRS is committed to offering the maximum number of career advancement opportunities, whether through professional examination, internal competition or promotion.

Once a year, the CNRS organizes professional selection exams (between May and November) for access to the grades of senior research engineer (IRHC), exceptional research technician (TCE) and senior research technician (TCS), for all professional activities. These examinations are reserved for CNRS employees only, including those on secondment to another administration.

Internal competitions (annual campaign between January and May) are a means of internal promotion that recognizes and values the professional investment of engineers and technicians (M/F). These competitions are open to employees (contractual, fixed-term and permanent employees and civil servants) from all three levels of the civil service (State, local and hospital), subject to seniority criteria.

Engineers and technicians (M/F) may also be promoted by promotion to a higher grade and/or corps, at the request of the unit director or head of department (during the annual interview and file campaign).

For researchers (M/F) wishing to apply for an advancement to the grade of Senior Research Fellow (CRHC) or Director of Research 1st class (DR1), or Director of Research 1st or 2nd step (DRCE1 or DRCE2) or for an advancement to the exceptional step of the CRHCs, 2 separate campaigns are held each year (between July and September).

Managerial support

While the CNRS's primary strength lies in the excellence of its scientific and research support staff, the quality of its managerial practices must be commensurate with its research and innovation mission. With this in mind, and because the research ecosystem is constantly evolving, the CNRS adopted a management plan in 2020. Nearly 3,000 CNRS employees benefit from a range of HR services dedicated to the executive population (recruitment, induction courses, training, coaching, professional networks, etc.).