We are currently seeking a PhD Candidate to join the Fruit Growing Program and the Efficient Use of Water in Agriculture Program teams located in Fruitcentre (Lleida), offering a great opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team at the forefront of agricultural digitalization.

We invite applications from motivated candidates with passion and a strong interest in conducting research and innovation in 3D sensing applied to agriculture, particularly in areas such as plant phenotyping, 3D computer vision, and digital twin development. The applicant will contribute to the development of a 3D scanning system to analyse and model the structural and physiological growth dynamics of apple trees, combining 3D sensors, SLAM, computer vision, and plant modelling under varying environmental conditions (TreeGrowthTwin project).

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Develop a 3D scanning system using SLAM techniques with LiDAR and/or RGB-D sensors, combined with Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and GNSS sensors, for 3D perception in agricultural environments.

• Implement 3D computer vision techniques for fruit trees segmentation.

• Maintain and process longitudinal datasets from field trials, including sensor data (3D, environmental, physiological) and management records.

• Coordinate and execute experimental trials involving different environmental conditions, irrigation strategies, training systems, and cultivar/rootstock combinations.

• Develop data processing pipelines and analytical tools for integrating sensor data, physiological measurements, and model outputs.

• Contribute to the development and validation of models for simulating the structural growth dynamics of fruit trees under different environmental and management conditions.

• Contribute to the scientific outputs derived from the research activities of the project.

• Participate in dissemination and communication activities, including presentations at scientific conferences, stakeholder events, and collaborative workshops.

• To supervise bachelor’s degree students doing practices related to the project.

Required qualifications and experience

• Candidates must hold both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in one of the following fields: Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Telecommunications, Computer Vision, Bioinformatics or equivalent.

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

• Strong teamwork skills, ability to adapt to multidisciplinary environments and a focus on professional growth and development.

• Good written and oral English skills

Desirable requirements

• Programming skills in a suitable language (e.g., Pyhton) and experience in specialized libraries for Machine Learning and Deep Learning (Scikit-learn, Pytorch, TensorFlow or equivalent) will be valued.

• Knowledge and experience on the use of 3D sensors and SLAM techniques.

• Willingness to conduct agronomic and field work.

• Dissemination skills: presentation/communication skills, and technical writing.

• Catalan and Spanish are valued.

Advantages of joining our team:

• Supervisor/s: Jaume Lordan Sanahuja and Jordi Gené Mola

• 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

• Remote work 6 workdays per month

• 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 equal opportunities are guaranteed for all candidates in the selection process, avoiding stereotypes, bias or barriers linked to gender, sexual orientation, origin, age, ideology, or any other potentially discriminatory condition. The organization also ensures inclusion commitment toward vulnerable groups, and the first round of the selection process is reserved for candidates with functional diversity.

Selection Process:

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

 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: March of 2026 (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.