We are currently seeking a PhD Candidate to join our Sustainability in Biosystems Program and Sustainable Plant Protection teams located in Cabrils, offering a great opportunity to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment within our organization.

We invite applications from motivated candidates with passion and a strong interest in conducting research and innovation activities on the PhD project: Water efficiency in the use of wool and Woody materials in horticulture, and consequences for soil fertility and carbon under different edaphoclimatic conditions (WatWold). This is an innovative approach for effectively managing the use of woody and wool materials to save water and fertilizers when these products are used as mulching materials in horticultural systems.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Design of scientific activities of characterization of residual mulching products, the treatment of the residual products to improve their properties, the use in horticulture of the residual products for increasing soil health, and to find alternatives to peat in soilless production (e.g. seedling production).
  
• Coordinate and execute the experiments related to the topic
  
• Provide with scientific and technical information about the generation and use in horticulture of residual materials as mulching and its effects in diminishing soil water evaporation and water use efficiency.
  
• Assist researchers in the use of such products for mulching in Spain and other countries. To increase the relationship with groups working on the related topic.
  
• Manage information (data treatment, writing of scientific and technical articles) to disseminate results at different levels (congress, scientific papers, seminars).

Required qualifications and experience

• Candidates must hold one of the following degrees:

            a) Master’s in Agriculture, Biology or Similar

            b) To be in a position to access a doctoral programme according to the requirements of Catalonian universities, i.e. accrediting between 60 and 120 ECTS credits at the official university master’s degree level or equivalent.

• Not to have a previous PhD degree.
• Previous experience in Horticultural crops
• Knowledge of residual products (Woody and wool)
• Knowledge in data management (Excel), statistics (R or SAS); or other statistical software.
• Driving license B.
• Proficiency in English
• Strong teamwork skills, ability to adapt to multidisciplinary environments and a focus on professional growth and development.
• Candidates who have been chosen for an interview with the Selection Committee, should bring or send -for the interview- a certified copy of the degree and/or master, as well as the academic record showing the marks of all subjects studied.

Desirable requirements

• Additional and/or higher education in other disciplines
• Experience in conducting experiments
• Catalan and Spanish are valued.

Advantages of joining our team:

• Supervisor/s: Dr. Rafaela Cáceres Reyes (Sustainability in Biosystems program) and Dr. Carme Biel (Sustainable Plant Protection program)
• Terms of appointment: 4 years
• Contract: The financial remuneration for the PhD Candidate contract will be €1,363.10/gross per month (19,083.40./gross per annum) and for the first and second years. For this third year, it will be €1,460.46/gross per month (€20,446.44/gross per annum) and for the fourth year it will be €1,825.58/gross per month (€25,558.12/gross per annum) which will be subject to the corresponding withholdings, pursuant to prevailing regulations, and to the collective employment agreement of IRTA. IRTA will also pay the fees of the doctoral school when receiving the enrolment. (1)
• 37.5 hour workweek, with Friday afternoons off
• Intensive work schedule from 15/06 to 15/09
• 22 vacation days
• 3 days of family & work conciliation
• 45 hours of personal days
• Flexible Schedule for a good work-life balance.
• Continuous training and professional growth opportunities.

Please know that if you are the chosen candidate and you are from a country which does not belong to the UE, IRTA’s People Department will support you to get the residence and working permits.

Instructions to Apply

If you wish to be considered for this position and believe you meet the requirements, please send your CV and motivation letter.

Equal treatment and opportunities are guaranteed for all candidates in the selection process, avoiding any stereotypes, attitudes, or obstacles based on gender, origin, age, ideology, or other potentially discriminatory conditions. Furthermore, commitments to the inclusion of vulnerable groups are considered, with priority given in the first round to disabled candidates.

Timings in the Recruitment Process

33 natural days: Publication and diffusion of the job advertisement on IRTA’s website and/or social media.

5 following working days: Distribution of the pre-selected CVs to the Recruitment Committee for their evaluation.

20 following working days: Interview and/or tests to the most suitable candidates based on the job position.

Start of contract: Fourth trimestre of 2025 (approximately)

⁽¹⁾ The financial remuneration of the PhD Candidate contract may not be less than 56% of the salary established for the category of Research Collaborator F of the Collective Agreement of the IRTA during the first two years, 60% in the third year and 75% in the fourth.