We help you get settled
At the ILL, we know that successful recruitment is about more than just signing a contract. Your onboarding begins before you arrive at the ILL. This is why we provide personalised support.
On this page, you can find out about all the measures in place to facilitate your arrival: individual support, financial support, key meetings during your first few days, and useful resources to help you settle into the Grenoble region.
Supporting you throughout your career
A dedicated contact within the Recruitment and Integration team
As soon as your recruitment is confirmed, you will be contacted by a member of our Recruitment and Integration team (GRI, Groupe Recrutement Intégration).
This person will be your dedicated point of contact for all matters related to your arrival at the ILL: administrative aspects of your contract, preparing for your first few days, initial practical information on the Institute and the region. They will be your primary contact from the moment you accept the offer right through to your first day at work.
A tailored relocation service
To help you settle in Grenoble, the ILL offers (under certain conditions) a relocation service provided by a specialised agency. A personal relocation agent, who speaks at least two foreign languages and is familiar with the international context, will support you during two stages:
- Before your arrival: searching for accommodation, shortlisting possible options, arranging visits, making hotel reservations, etc.
- After your arrival: handling administrative formalities (lease application, initial inventory ('Ă©tat des lieux'), security deposit, opening a bank account, setting up utilities contracts (electricity, gas, water, telephone)).
Administrative procedures and residency permits
If you are coming from abroad, you will need to complete certain formalities in order to live and work in France: visas, residency permits, administrative formalities for your partner and/or children, etc. Because these subjects require specialist expertise, you will receive personalised support. Within our team, Nicole will be your dedicated contact person,, providing step-by-step guidance throughout your international relocation.
As well as handling administrative matters related to your contract, Nicole will help you to successfully settle in France. Every year, she supports ILL employees from all over the world in this transition. She has a thorough understanding of the procedures, time frames and required documents, and she works directly with the relevant authorities in order to simplify the process for you, from our initial discussions through to your first days at the ILL.
Nicole RUPIN TRIPLETT
International mobility consultant
"From preparing to move through to settling in at the ILL, I support all staff coming from abroad - whether alone or with family - in this transition"
Onboarding tailored to each individual
At the ILL, the support we provide is tailored to meet your needs, whatever your background, culture or personal circumstances. Our Welfare Officer is on hand to support you at any point in your professional or personal life.
- Before your arrival: if you have a disability, she will work with you to make any necessary arrangements (work station adaptation, access, adapted equipment, specific support).
- On a daily basis: she will listen to you, guide you and provide confidential support with any difficulties you may be facing in your professional or personal life (complex administrative procedures, delicate financial problems, family life, isolation or health issues).
Benefits tailored to your circumstances
At the ILL, we reward dedication with far more than just a salary.
We encourage you to boost your skills throughout your career by offering vocational training, technical skills development, and English classes during your working hours.
We also support internal mobility, enabling you to move between roles and departments over the course of your career.
We provide numerous days of leave and compensatory leave (known as RTT), guaranteeing you an ideal work–life balance.
In addition, we offer a range of bonuses and allowances depending on your status at the time of recruitment, which are outlined below. For more details:
→ Visit our employment conditions page
On top of this support, our Social and Economic Council (CSE) provides employees with a range of additional benefits: subsidised holidays and travel, family activities, access to over 30 sports and cultural clubs.
For all ILL employees
Annual productivity bonus
Long-service bonus, to reward your commitment over your career
Shift allowance (for shift workers or those with on-call duties) or allowance for unhealthy or dangerous work ('travaux pénibles'), depending on the specific conditions of certain posts
Special leave for important family events
"Life events" bonuses on your marriage or the birth of your children
If you are moving to Grenoble from more than 50 km away (depending on the type of contract)
- Settling-in allowance
- Reimbursement of your removal costs for you and your family under certain conditions
Non-French employees residing in France for less than 10 years
- Monthly expatriation allowance
- Adaptation allowance
- Additional leave to return to your country of origin
If you have a family
- Monthly family supplement from the second dependent child (subject to certain conditions)
- Supplementary health insurance ('Mutuelle') covering the employee and their beneficiaries (fixed contribution regardless of household size, with the ILL covering part of the cost)
Finding your feet: at the ILL and in Grenoble
Finding a place to live is one thing, feeling at home once you get there is quite another. As well as handling administrative formalities and providing financial support, the ILL ensures that all new recruits find their place within the Institute's vibrant community, as well as in the Grenoble region.
The Welcome Day
Once you have arrived, we will invite you to a Welcome Day: a chance for you to discover who we are, what we do, and what your role is in this shared adventure.
"It's a warm and friendly introduction to life at the ILL"
CĂ©sar - Instrumentation technician
"Taking part in the Welcome Day makes you appreciate the diverse range of cultures and professions at the ILL"
Maëna - Health physics technician
The Welcome Day is an opportunity to find out about the ILL's mission, visit our facilities, learn how the Institute is organised and also meet other newcomers – a great way to get to know people outside of your team.
ChILL
Living in Grenoble
Nestled at the foot of the Alps, less than an hour away from the nearest ski resorts, and located on the banks of the rivers Isère and Drac, Grenoble is one of the most vibrant French cities in terms of research, innovation and quality of life. For many of our employees, it is a city that has profoundly changed their attitude to work and daily life.
To help you prepare for your move, we have put together all the necessary practical information:
- Accommodation: advice on renting, neighbourhoods, administrative procedures
- Administrative formalities: residency permits, various declarations
- Welcome associations: an active support network is available to help newcomers settle in quickly, particularly those coming from abroad
- Banking, healthcare, insurance, retirement, tax: all you need to know about the French system
- Getting around: public transport (the ILL covers 70% of your season ticket), cycling, driving
- Family, schools and childcare: information on nurseries, local schools, international schools, daycare centres
- Shopping and everyday life in Grenoble.
Grenoble has a lot of experience in welcoming new arrivals, having long been home to a large international scientific community. To help you and your loved ones prepare for your move, Grenoble Alpes MĂ©tropole has created an official guide that covers everything you need to know: accommodation, transport, healthcare, schools, leisure activities, administrative procedures. Be sure to take advantage of this valuable resource, together with the personal support offered by the ILL.
→ Discover "The newcomer's guide"