Senior Researcher in the field of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Job description

BETA Technology Center is formed by a young multidisciplinary team of more than 90 researchers and is looking for a dynamic person eager to be part of our team. We are looking for an experienced senior post-doctoral researcher who has worked in activities related to the study of sustainable crops to avoid the loss of natural and agricultural biodiversity, in strategies to improve biotic and abiotic resistance of plants and increase their nutritional value; and in activities to promote the improvement of soil quality. The selected candidate will participate in several European and national projects related to the agricultural application of activities related to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Specifically, the successful candidate will have a relevant role in the Horizon Europe COUSIN (Crop wild relatives utilization and conservation for sustainable agriculture) project, where he/she will work mainly on the study of wild crops as precursors of natural and agricultural biodiversity, and how these can be a valuable resource for the improvement of biotic and abiotic resistance of crops to stresses due to the effects of Climate Change.

Functions and tasks:

• Technical management of European and national projects, especially focusing on the management of the Horizon Europe COUSIN project.
• Planning of biochemical, biotechnological and/or microbiological laboratory tests for the assessment of wild crop resilience to biotic and abiotic stress.
• Planning and execution of field experiments on wild crop resilience.
• Development of new methodologies for the analysis and characterization of wild crops.
• Development of biodiversity and soil microbiology assessment strategies.
• Supervision of the technical support team in the execution of experimental tasks.
• Drafting of deliverables and technical reports.
• Participation in the development of new project proposals for new funding.

Requirements

• PhD in the field: Agronomy, Biotechnology, Plant Production, Environmental Sciences or similar (minimum 3 years since the completion of the thesis).
• University degree in the field: Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy, Biotechnology, Plant Production, Environmental Sciences or similar.
• Accreditation of Catalan proficiency level (Level C1) or be in a position to obtain it.
• Accreditation of English level B2 or be able to obtain it.
• At least 2 years of postdoctoral experience in the agricultural sector having worked in the field of soil science, fertilization, nutrient dynamics or similar.
• Experience in the evaluation of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Experience with biochemical, biotechnological and/or microbiological methods
• Experience with field trials and multi-stakeholder collaboration
• Scientific publications in the proposed field of research
• Good communication skills (written and oral) and ability to work independently and with internal and external teams in multidisciplinary and multicultural settings

Merits

• University teaching experience in the field
• B2 or C1 level in languages other than English.
• Accreditation from AQU, ANECA or other quality agencies.
• Research experience.
• Knowledge of digital agriculture and/or precision agriculture and experience in GIS (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIs).
• Previous experience in the preparation and execution of competitive R&D projects (Horizon Europe, LIFE, Interreg, etc.).
• Humility, empathy, ambition and commitment.

Competences

• Planning and organization
• Teamwork and cooperation
• Commitment to the organization
• Empathy
• Learning and use of knowledge

This job offer includes

Incorporation within the professional group of PDI, Research Staff
Type of contract indefinite
Full-time working day
Schedule to be determined
Gross annual salary: 33.547,65 €.

– Flexible working hours – Possibility of combining face-to-face work with telecommuting