Job Title PhD Student – Air quality source apportionment in Europe (R1)

Job reference: 348_26_ES_AC_R1

Closing date: Friday, 24 July 2026.

About BSC The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, and hosts EuroHPC JU.

BSC’s mission is to research, develop and manage information technologies to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D; in computer and computational sciences (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof and currently has over 1 000 staff from 60 countries.

Context and Mission The Atmospheric Composition (AC) group within the Earth Sciences department aims to better understand and predict the spatiotemporal variations of atmospheric pollutants and their effects on air quality, weather, and climate. This is achieved through the continuous development and application of numerical models from weather to climate and global to urban scales.

The position will focus on tropospheric ozone and particulate matter (PM) formation and source apportionment across Europe, with particular attention to Spain.

Key Duties

Run model experiments on the BSC supercomputers

Compile air quality observations for model evaluation

Evaluate model experiments with observations

Develop analysis strategies

Participate in collaborative projects with partner institutions

Present results at meetings

Contribute to the intellectual life of the AC group, including meetings and collaborations

Other duties include contributing to the development of common analysis tools, writing project reports, contributing to scientific papers, assisting in grant applications, and other duties as assigned.

Requirements Education





Having an MSc in Environmental Engineering or a related discipline

Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience

Knowledge in atmospheric chemistry and air quality fundamentals (3‑5 years)

Knowledge in high‑level computer languages (FORTRAN required)

Experience in data analysis (0‑2 years)

Experience with UNIX/LINUX environments and scripting languages such as bash (0‑2 years)

Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience

Previous experience in air quality modelling highly valued

Experience with atmospheric science data formats (NetCDF) and scientific software/tools (CDO, NCO, Python or R)

Competences

Very good interpersonal skills

Fluency in English

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to take initiative, prioritize and work under set deadlines

Ability to work both independently and within a team

Conditions

Location: BSC within the Earth Sciences Department

Contract: Full‑time (35 h/week) with versátil working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support for relocation procedures. Duration: Open‑ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration.

Holidays: 22 days of holidays + 6 personal days + 24 th and 31 st December per our collective agreement.

Salary: Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience, according to the cost of living in Barcelona.

Starting date: September 2026.

EEO Statement BSC-CNS is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.

📌 PhD Student - Air quality source apportionment in Europe (Madrid)
🏢 Barcelona Supercomputing Center
📍 Madrid