CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOB
Location: ICRA – Catalan Water Research Institute Foundation, Girona (Spain)
Number of positions available: 1
Expected start: October 2025
Permanent Position
Gross Annual Salary package: 47.500 € – 55.800 €
OFFER DESCRIPTION
The increasing complexity of global change — including climate change, urban development, and shifting land use — is intensifying pressures on both the quantity and quality of water resources. These impacts are particularly acute in regions such as the Mediterranean, California, Australia, and notably Spain, where water scarcity and extreme events are becoming more frequent. However, beyond physical scarcity, the presence of chemical and biological contaminants in water systems poses significant and growing risks to human, animal, and environmental health.
Addressing these interconnected challenges requires a One Health approach, integrating knowledge across disciplines to understand and mitigate the presence and effects of contaminants across natural and engineered systems. This calls for a holistic perspective that combines analytical chemistry, microbiology, ecotoxicology, and systems engineering to explore how contaminants originate, transform, and impact health across the water cycle.
The Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), located in Girona (Spain), is committed to tackling these complex issues through interdisciplinary research. Founded in 2006 by the Catalan Government, ICRA advances science and innovation in water through a comprehensive approach to both water quality and quantity, covering all components of the natural and urban water cycles.
To reinforce its research capabilities in this domain, ICRA is opening a position for Senior Researcher within its One Health research line. The position will focus on the study of contaminants — with particular emphasis on emerging contaminants and their behavior, transformation, and effects in aquatic environments and water treatments including reuse practices. The research will contribute to developing tools and strategies for contaminant control and water safety, with relevance for both current and future climates. This work will support the implementation of EU water-related directives (including the Water Framework Directive, Drinking Water Directive, and Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive) and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
The selected candidate will join a multidisciplinary environment, collaborating regularly with experts in chemistry, microbiology, environmental engineering, and ecological sciences. This position represents a key opportunity to advance ICRA’s leadership in One Health and to help shape research at the interface of water quality and global health.
KEY DUTIES
The senior researcher will play a central role in consolidating and expanding ICRA’s strategic research in the field of One Health. The responsibilities associated with the position include:
– Securing research funding: Actively seek and secure competitive funding at international, European, and national levels (e.g., Horizon Europe, ERC, national R&D programmes), as well as from private sector and industrial partners, ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of the research line.
– Scientific leadership and unit management: Lead a research line by setting strategic priorities, coordinating scientific activities, and ensuring scientific excellence and operational efficiency.
– Training and supervision of research staff: Supervise and train predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers, technicians, and visiting researchers, fostering scientific talent development and promoting a collaborative and inclusive research environment.
– Team consolidation and capacity building: Strengthen the human and technical capacities of the research line by attracting talent, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, and contributing to the development of a dynamic, motivated, and high-performing research team.
– Dissemination and communication of research results: Ensure the scientific dissemination of results through publications in high-impact international journals, conferences, and workshops, while promoting knowledge transfer and engagement with society through outreach activities, collaboration with stakeholders, and communication with policymakers and the general public.
EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Must have – Required
Research Field or Field of knowledge:
Chemistry/Environmental Chemsity/Environmental Engineering/Ecotoxicology or related areas
Qualifications and Education Level:
PhD in Chemistry/Environmental sciences/Biology/Ecology/Environmental Engineering
Skills:
Knowledge on water chemistry, in particular on organic micropollutants;
Knowledge on wastewater, drinking and recycling water systems;
Knowledge on advance analytical tools for micropollutant caracterization
Knowlege on ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment;
A deep understanding of international and European water legislation is essential, including (but not limited to) the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Drinking Water Directive, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, and relevant guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (e.g., SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation).
Required Languages:
Fluent English, spoken and written. Spanish and Catalan very valuable.
Required Experience:
Minimum of 10 years of research experience after defending the PhD;
Minimum of 5 years of international postdoctoral research experience, preferably in a well-recognized research institution;
A proven track record in multidisciplinary collaboration, working across fields such as analytical chemistry, ecotoxicology, hydrology, microbiology, and systems engineering to address water-health challenges from a One Health perspective;
Excellent scientific track record in terms of peer-reviewed scientific publications and international conferences presentations.
Demonstrated capability of attracting competitive funding;
Demonstrated capability of attracting funding from industrial partners;
Demonstrated experience of leading his/her own research group (i.e. Principal Investigator in competitive research projects; senior author in scientific publications).
Demonstrated experience as co-supervisor of PhD thesis.
Participation in international working networks, scientific committees or editorial boards in scientific peer reviewed journals.
Desirable
Participation in commissions of trust (i.e. Scientific Evaluation of PhD thesis, Scientific Evaluation of Research Projects, Scientific Evaluation of a fellowships, Member of the scientific or the organizing committee of conferences);
Short-term scientific missions or research stays in prestigious international research centers;
Patents will be positively evaluated.
BENEFITS
Working conditions: Employed in compliance with Spanish legislation and regulations. Employees receive the benefits of the Spanish Social Security system covering sickness, maternity/paternity leaves and injuries at work.
International Environment: The opportunity to join a prestigious international research institution and become a member of a young and growing team.
Continuous training in a high-quality environment.
APPLICATIONS PROCEDURE & PROCESS
All Applications must be contain:
CV
Motivation letter
DNI or NIE (valid and with work permit in Spain). If you do not have a NIE, please attach a statement that you commit to take the necessary steps to obtain a work and residence permit in Spain.
3 Recommendation Letters
Deadline for Applications:
Submission of applications at ICRA – Offers
The deadline to submit the required documentation is 05th July 2025.
Selection process:
In accordance with the OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for every vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will start the interviews. A profile questionnaire as well as a technical exercise may be required during the process.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
At ICRA we are committed to maintaining and developing a work environment in which the values and principles of our organization are respected and equality of opportunity and treatment is promoted in each of the areas in which we operate, creating a context favorable to diversity and to eradicate any type of direct or indirect discrimination based on age criteria (within the limits set by the Workers’ Statute), marital status, racial or ethnic origin, social status, religion or convictions, political tendency, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender expression, sexual characteristics, union membership or not, because of language, disability or because of sex, including any unfavorable treatment dispensed for the exercise of conciliation rights or co-responsibility of family and work life .
The recruitment will be carried out in accordance with everything provided for in Article 15 of Royal Legislative Decree 1/1995, of March 24, which approves the text of the Workers’ Statute Law, in accordance with what establishes Article 2 of Royal Decree 2720/98, of December 18 (BOE, January 8, 1999), Law No. 12/2001, of July 9 (BOE, July 10) and corresponding rules.
The principle of equality between men and women is taken into account, in accordance with Article 14 of the Spanish Constitution, the EU Directive of February 9, 1976 and everything set out in the Agreement of the Council of Ministers of March 4, 2005, approving the Plan for Gender Equality in the General Administration of the State.
The universal accessibility of people with disabilities is taken into account, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 1 of Law No. 51/2003, of December 2, on equal opportunities, and it is reserved 7% of the places as long as the candidates pass the selection process and can prove their disability and compatibility in the performance of the tasks, so that we will gradually reach 2% of the total workforce.
Ensures effective compliance with the rights to equal treatment and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and identity, gender expression or sexual characteristics of LGBTI people in the ICRA workplace, in accordance with Royal Decree 1026/ 2024, of October 8, which develops the planned set of measures for equality and non-discrimination of LGBTI people in companies.
Basic information on Data Protection Responsible: Catalan Water Research Institute Foundation (ICRA); Purpose: The selection of candidates for current and future jobs offered by our organization; Rights: You have the right to access, rectify and delete the data, as well as other rights indicated in the additional information; Additional information: You can consult additional and detailed information on Data Protection on our website: http://www.icra.cat/politica-de-privacidad
