Recruitment FAQs

When applying through our e-recruitment tool, candidates must select the ITER Member corresponding to their nationality.

As a reminder, the ITER Members include the People's Republic of China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States.

See the Recruitment Process page for more information.

The primary consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is to recruit people of the highest standards of efficiency, technical competency and integrity. (Note: Extensive experience in similar jobs, and/or additional training certificates in relevant fields may compensate a lower education level.) The ITER Organization is a multinational environment, and prospective staff must be able to cope with cultural differences and various approaches to problem-solving and decision-making. Besides having well-balanced personalities and good communication skills, they should enjoy cultural diversity. Prior experience in a cross-cultural work environment is an asset for all positions as is fluency in English, the working language of the ITER Organization.

ITER offers fixed-term full-time contracts for a period of up to five years. Contracts may be renewed when appropriate depending on project needs.

We regularly offer positions in the fields of engineering, design, computer science, project management, procurement, and many other areas. Recruitment for all positions is based on the candidate's qualifications, skills and experience.

Our positions are set at two levels—Professional/Higher Categories, or "P/D" staff, and Technical Support, or "G" staff.

Professional staff members encompass a multicultural group of people whose responsibility is to carry out the ITER project occupying professional positions.

Technical Support staff members provide support in the administrative, technical and scientific areas.

The grade level is defined for each position according to the level of responsibility and the scope of duties that are to be carried out.

Each grade starts with Level 1 and increases incrementally. As an example, G2 is lower than G4, and P2 is lower than P4.

If you do not have the required degree level, then extensive experience in similar jobs and/or additional training certificates in relevant fields may compensate for a lower level of education.

The advertised position is classified as per our business needs and resources are attributed following a thorough job analysis/assessment.

Therefore, the grade cannot be increased for any given candidate regardless of profile.

If you are a national of two ITER Members, you may submit your application to either one.

The nationality of the applicant should be ensured to correspond to one of the ITER Members. Once the candidate has been hired as a staff member they cannot change to another Member nationality. The only exception would be if they formally rescinded the first nationality.

Candidates who were not selected for a position but who demonstrated the relevant competencies may be added to a Reserve List to be considered for similar functions arising simultaneously or in the near future (at the same or a lower grade). Candidates on the Reserve List, with reference to a previous application, may then be considered, contacted, and selected for another position.

"Direct employment" refers to ITER staff members who are employed directly and solely by the ITER Organization. A large majority of our staff members are recruited through direct employment. Some positions systematically require direct employment, for example executive management, security and safety, and G-level positions.

For some P-level staff positions, exceptions have been made to allow for "seconded staff." During the hiring phase, and with prior agreement from their Domestic Agency, these employees are able to maintain their employment contract with their current employer (for example, the European Commission) who has accepted to loan the staff member to the ITER Organization on a limited time basis.

Secondment remains exceptional and is subject to specific conditions.

Yes, if there is no conflict of interest. In accordance with ITER Organization Staff Regulations, the appointment of staff member relatives, including spouses, is subject to some restrictions. Should your relative be eligible for employment, their application will be treated in the same way as all other applications that are received and will be part of the ITER selection process as described here.

The ITER Organization currently offers three social insurance plans to its employees.

The ITER medical insurance scheme is a very comprehensive health care plan that covers the staff member, their spouse and their dependent children starting on their first day of work at minimum 90% of "reasonable and customary" charges for medical, hospitalization (100%), dental, and vision care.

The ITER pension fund aims to enable our employees to accumulate and later receive payment of a lump sum or a life annuity with an individual retirement account. A total of four profiles are available in two currencies (euro and dollar) allowing our employees' pension funds to be adapted to their specific retirement and investment needs.

The ITER death and disability insurance plan entitles our staff members to coverage against risk of sickness and accident (whether work related or not) resulting in temporary or permanent disability or death.

The ITER Organization currently offers different types of assistance to staff members and their families. This includes, but is not limited to, assistance with French visa and administrative procedures, removal and travel expenses, help with finding accommodation, French language classes, and international schooling for the staff member's children. For more information on these topics, see the Benefits page.

For non-European and non-French staff:

The Agence Iter France Welcome Office (@email) is your interface for the French visa procedure. This procedure is specific to international organization employees since you (and your spouse) are exempt from any employment authorization.

The Welcome Office will help you obtain a D-visa, valid for 3 months and enabling you to apply for a French Special Residence Permit upon your arrival in France (again with the help of the Welcome Office).

First ensure that you and your family have valid passports. Copies of these will be required by the Welcome Office to issue an official document called a Note Verbale, which will then be sent to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable free and accelerated visa delivery by the French Consulate in your country.

The ITER Organization offers interim contract opportunities to persons with relevant experience in technical and administrative fields who have the desire to collaborate in an international scientific and multicultural environment.

An interim employee is a person hired and paid by an interim recruitment agency, and who is made available to the ITER Organization under a contract between the ITER Organization and the interim agency for a fixed term period and for a specific interim mission under the supervision of ITER staff in compliance with the relevant provisions of the French Labour Code.

If you are interested, please send your CV and cover letter to @email.

Please also note that interim employees are not considered ITER staff members. They do not have the status of "Staff" within the meaning of the ITER Agreement and the Headquarters Agreement (see more information on these constitutive agreements in Legal Resources). Neither the ITER Staff Regulations nor the privileges and immunities granted to ITER Organization staff are applicable to interims.

As a citizen from the United States or a US Green Card holder, you are likely to be obliged to file a tax return in the United States despite living and working overseas and may be eligible for the Tax Equalization Program managed by the US ITER Project Office (USIPO). The contact person for this program is Olivia Rivera at @email; please contact her for all relevant information and clarifications.

Please rest assured that the ITER Organization will contact you at each step in the recruitment process, in accordance with the time frames laid out in FAQ question 2.

Please note that only job applications submitted directly through our e-recruitment website are taken into consideration.

To submit a job application, you need to create and register your account in the e-recruitment system using a valid email. 

When your account is registered, you can access the ITER recruitment space. 

Please fill in or update "My Candidate Profile" by filling in the requested information and attaching your CV and cover letter in pdf form. The candidate profile can be modified anytime before submitting a job application. 

Search and select the job(s) you wish to apply for on the main career page. 

When you submit your application, please ensure that all your details are correct before clicking on the Apply button. You will not be able to change your application once submitted.

Once you have completed your application, you will be able to see the jobs for which you have applied in the "Job Management" section; you can also track the progress of your application in this space. You will also receive an automatic email confirming that you have applied for a position at the ITER Organization.

Yes, this is possible. You can modify your "Candidate Profile" by attaching an adapted cover letter and CV when submitting your application for each position. 

When you submit, please ensure that your details are correct before clicking on the Apply button. You will not be able to change your application once submitted.