We are currently seeking a Researcher in Soil Health to join our Sustainable Plant Protection team located in Cabrils, offering a great opportunity to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment within our organization. 

The selected candidate will join the Sustainable Plant Protection Program to conduct research and innovation activities on the implementation of agronomic soil health approaches, leading to actionable agronomic insights in several key regions to assess soil management impacts and develop agronomic prescriptions, accordingly with the main research lines of the Program. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of combined professional and academic experience in soil health research, with extensive knowledge of soil microbiology, including beneficial microorganisms (mycorrhizas, PGPR, antagonists) and soil pathogens, soil carbon sequestration and related agronomic practices. The appointed candidate will lead research of excellence to boost advances in this area of knowledge.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Proactively initiate, supervise and/or lead internal and external research projects in the area of Soil Health.
• Lead and actively contribute fund rising through the preparation and submission of project proposals for public competitive calls and for contracts with the private sector, as well reporting process, such as writing progress and final reports of research activities.
• Supervise and contribute to the design, implementation and analysis of laboratory experiments and field tests, and their subsequent reporting.
• Continuously update scientific knowledge to be positively transferred to stakeholders and end-users.
• Help positioning the Sustainable Plant Protection Program as a group of excellence through regular peer-reviewed publications, contributions at national and international congresses and supervision of PhD and postdoctoral researchers.
• Collaborate with the teamwork and team-spirit in the Sustainable Plant Protection Programme, fostering collaboration and integration activities.
• Work in close collaboration with other teams of IRTA, as well as with external academic, institutional and industrial partners.

Required qualifications and experience

• Academic degree (PhD) with proven scientific excellence and practical experience in Agricultural Soil Microbiology or related fields.
• Research stay/s related to the field of Soil Microbiology in centres of international recognition.
• Proven experience in molecular tools (qPCR / metabarcoding), bioinformatic platforms such as QIIME2 or MOTHUR and statistical analysis with R for microbiome diversity analyses.
• Proven experience in plant-microbial interactions, including beneficial microorganisms (e.g. mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria), and plant pathogens.
• Proven experience in monitoring soil health indicators, such as organic matter content, microbial activity, nutrient cycling, and water retention related to climate change mitigation/adaptation.
• Proven research skills: experimental design and implementation, data analysis, literature review, scientific article writing, student mentoring.
• Proven dissemination and communication skills.
• Proven capacity to successfully develop collaborative research links with national and international research organizations, and the ability to interact closely with private companies.
• Strong teamwork skills, ability to adapt to multidisciplinary environments and a focus on professional growth and development.
• Proficiency in English.

Desirable requirements

• Full driving license for Europe and travelling availability.
• Good communicative skills and client-oriented thinking and working.
• Catalan, French and Spanish are valued.

Advantages of joining our team:

• Contract: permanent position or IRTA Consolida (tenure track) position subject to the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.
• Gross Annual salary: to be resolved according to the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate
• 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.

Selection Process:

Curricular assessment: The candidate’s qualifications and merits will be evaluated according to the criteria established in the job offer.

Personal interview(s): These will be conducted by a Selection Committee to assess the candidate’s suitability in terms of professional experience and competencies.

Additional tests (if applicable): Depending on the position profile and the needs of the process, specific competency-based tests and/or a psychometric test may be included in order to more accurately assess the suitability of the candidates.

Start of contract: between late 2025 and early 2026 (approximately)